Dan Hampson and Brian Russell - 2012
Symposium Honorees Dan Hampson and Brian Russell
Brian Russell holds a B.Sc. in physics and geophysics from the University of Saskatchewan, a M.Sc. in geophysics from Durham University, U.K., and a Ph.D. in geophysics from the University of Calgary. He worked for Chevron, Teknica and Veritas as an exploration geophysicist before co-founding Hampson-Russell Software with Dan Hampson in 1987. Hampson-Russell develops advanced seismic inversion and rock physics software for the worldwide exploration industry. In 2002 Hampson-Russell became a wholly-owned subsidiary of VeritasDGC Inc, subsequently CGGVeritas, where Brian is now Vice President, Software of the Hampson-Russell division. Brian was also recently appointed as one of the first two CGGVeritas Fellows. His research interests include rock physics, seismic inversion and seismic attribute analysis and he is also a widely known continuing education speaker. Brian is a Past-President of both the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) and the Canadian SEG (CSEG) and has received Honorary Membership from both societies, as well as the Cecil Green Enterprise Award from SEG (jointly with Dan Hampson). Brian is currently Chairman of the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) Board and is a director on the CSEG Foundation Board. Dr. Russell is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Calgary and is registered as a Professional Geophysicist (P.Geoph.) in the Province of Alberta, Canada.
Dan Hampson received his B.Sc. in physics in 1971 from Loyola College in Montreal and a M.Sc. in physics from McMaster University in Hamilton in 1973. After graduation, he spent two years teaching high school math and physics in Ghana, West Africa, under the auspices of CUSO. In 1976, Dan was lured west by a former university colleague, Hai-Man Chung, who told him that there were lots of well-paying jobs in Calgary for people with a background in physics. This was a fortuitous turn of events for both Dan and for the worldwide geophysical industry. Dan took a job as a geophysical software developer at Veritas Seismic and set to work to learn about the seismic business. In doing so, Dan applied his keen intelligence and razor sharp insight to two of our most difficult problems: statics and multiples. His GLI algorithm for refraction statics analysis and his parabolic Radon transform algorithm for multiple elimination have transformed the way that these problems are solved, and are still in use today, a quarter century after their development. During his early research days, Dan also found time to publish papers on maximum-likelihood deconvolution, wavelet extraction, VSP analysis, and velocity analysis.
After a brief interlude with Phillips Petroleum in Houston, Dan returned to Calgary and became Manager of Research at Veritas Seismic. He then became Vice President of Research at Veritas Software. In 1987, he left Veritas to found Hampson-Russell Software Services Ltd., along with Brian Russell. As president of Hampson-Russell, Dan helped grow Hampson-Russell from a group of four people to a company of over 40 employees with offices in Calgary, Houston, Perth, Dubai and London. The company has attracted world-wide attention for the quality of its software products, products which bear the unmistakable imprint of Dan's originality and hard work. In 2002, the company became a subsidiary of VeritasDGC, Dan's original employer. However, Dan still runs the company as president, and is also actively involved in the development of new software tools for the geophysical industry. Most recently, Dan has developed a new approach to simultaneous prestack inversion.
In addition to Dan's technical excellence, he has also found time to complete his MBA at the University of Calgary, and to be actively involved in our professional societies. Dan has been the editor of the Canadian Journal of Exploration Geophysics, Technical and General Chairman of the CSEG National Convention and President of the CSEG in 1996. For his contributions to the CSEG, he received the Meritorious Service Award in 1991. In 1995, he received the SEG Enterprise Award, jointly with Brian Russell, for his role in founding Hampson-Russell Software. Dan also still finds time to prepare papers and present talks at technical meetings, most recently receiving an award for the best CSEG luncheon talk in 2004.
