PRESS RELEASE

Fast Marching Method Traveltimes Patent Issued for 3DGeo

Mountain View, CA 3DGeo Inc., provider of advanced-technology seismic imaging software and services to the oil and gas industry, today announces that on January 25, 2000, 3DGeo's patent 6018499 on Fast Marching Method Traveltimes was issued by the United States
Patent and Trademark Office.

3-D prestack Kirchhoff depth migration (3DPSDM) relies heavily on 3-D traveltime computation especially in areas of complex geological structure where 3-D prestack imaging is needed.
In such areas the complex velocity model creates stability and accuracy problems for many 3-D finite-difference traveltime algorithms.  In such areas 3-D traveltimes using adaptive, velocity
dependent grid increments are less efficient than 3DGeo's solution. The Fast Marching Method uses a fixed cartesian grid for globally solving the eikonal equation, is unconditionally stable, and correct to the order of accuracy of the finite-difference solution.

In addition to 3DPSDM, stable 3-D traveltime computation is necessary for a large number of data processing modules: 3-D Kirchhoff poststack migration, 3-D Kirchhoff datuming, velocity estimation, focusing analysis, inversion.

3DGeo's CEO, Alexander M. Popovici, concluded, "We are confident that the thorough patent coverage we are pursuing will secure the advanced seismic imaging technology that 3DGeo has developed and integrated in its products and services.  Aggressive intellectual property
protection is an important part in our strategy for commercializing future imaging technologies."

3DGeo is a leading innovator in 3-D advanced seismic imaging technology, offering state-of-the-art software and service solutions to the oil and gas industry.  "3DGeo" is the registered trademark of 3DGeo Inc