Members

Davey Einarsson - 2004

CSEG Honorary Membership Award Citation for Davey Einarsson
by Mike Enachescu

Davey EinarssonDavey Einarsson is a very well respected, well known geophysicist in the seismic
acquisition and processing business. He was always in the forefront of innovation and involved in many "first" seismic applications either when working for the mighty GSI or when he took an extreme risk resurrecting his beloved company as the new Geophysical Service Incorporated, based in Houston and Calgary.

In Canada, Davey's work and commitment to open new exploration lands and collect data in extremely difficult environments in Canadian Frontier is legendary.

 

 

Davey Einarsson achievements:

  1. Operated first digital seismic recording system in North Africa (1964)
  2. Was instrumental in conducting first digital processing center in North Africa TIAC (8K memory)
  3. Designed with Chevron Canada, and recorded first major speculative survey in Atlantic Canada in 1971 covering 11,000 kilometers; collaborated with Helmut Hofer and Milo Backus to develop the first effective water bottom attenuation process (Dewater) and significantly improved data quality in the producing zone in Grand Banks (below the base of Tertiary where the oil is)
  4. Initiated and was instrumental in building GSI Mariner (winter 1971-1972) in Edmonton, trucking it in pieces to Hay River NWT, assembling and sailing to Beaufort Sea and conducting surveys there for 19 seasons.
  5. Managed and directed the first "land streamer" in the Canadian High Arctic, over the ice using towed streamer built in with gimbaled (self leveling) geophones, with good results (1973) (paper given)
  6. Conducted marine seismic surveys in the Arctic Oceans, where no modern vessels had ever sailed; made port call at Mould Bay and surveyed North to Eureka. (Video breaking the ice Barrier) (1974)
  7. Prime developer of the "hard water" recording unit, using air guns through the ice, differential GPS, ice streamer, "in door environment for Arctic Seismic Surveys" (paper at SEG) (1976)
  8. As Marine Manager was instrumental in and managed the development of the environmentally friendly Sleeve Gun seismic source (Harry Harrison of Texas Instruments, an engineer who worked for Davey, and who won SEG award for his contribution)
  9. As GSI Marine Manager initiated and conducted the construction of the digital streamer for GSI in cooperation with EPRCO (Exxon Lab.) (1979)
  10. As Marine Manger of GSI completed over 300 Marine 3D seismic surveys before the competition (CGG) did the first outside of GSI in (1980)
  11. As Manger of GSI Instrument Division was instrumental in and managed the development of the first 24 bit seismic recording system
  12. Improved and designed the early Marine Exploration 3D technique in Canada (from 1984 through 1990)
    Surveys completed:
    • Onadango, Nova Scotia
    • Jean d'Arc Basin, Newfoundland
    • Amuligak, Beaufort Sea
    • Also Green Canyon, 600 OCS blocks, deep water, Gulf of Mexico
      Result - cost effective 3D surveys.

Davey's latest achievements:

  1. Established the new GSI in Houston in July 1992 and in Calgary in April 1993
  2. Due to Davey's efforts and his team building, GSI has grown from $200,000 to $30,000,000 value company in ten years. GSI is now the proud owner of land recording systems and vibrators available for leasing, and the owner of the "GSI ADMIRAL" acquired in 2001. The GSI ADMIRAL is used mainly for Speculative Surveys and 3D data Acquisition and is the only Canadian flagged seismic ship.
  3. First Canadian Spec 3D over open unleased lands in 2003, Orphan Basin, Newfoundland, showing strong confidence in the exploration future of the Canadian East Coast
  4. Under Davey's leadership GSI has donated to Memorial University of Newfoundland, the entire GSI seismic data base covering the Jeanne D'Arc Basin, entire Grand Banks, Laurentian and Orphan Basins and the Labrador Sea. This data donation of over 100.000 km of different vintage data is unprecedented in the exploration business and will be used by MUN researchers to investigate the geologic evolution and petroleum potential of the Atlantic basins

Disappointments:

  • Chappaqua Oil Corporation, where Davey was a president, was nationalized by Gaddafi in 1969
  • Loss of Arctic Explorer due to ice loading in Labrador in 1980
  • Fired by George Tilley of Halliburton Geophysical Services (HGS), a very shortly lived company after a year and half of work for them (on Valentine's Day)

Hobbies:

When Gina, his wife, was asked about his hobbies, the first thing that came to her mind was "JACK OF ALL TRADES" ongoing fixing. Davey's relaxed time is spent on cross word puzzles and reading books, particularly historic biographies, with his fully restored 1928 Model A car that is driven on weekends, for weddings, and significant national holidays.

Personal Life:

Davey was born on January 4, 1932, in Arborg, Manitoba where he had grew up and like every Manitoban participated and excelled in hockey over curling. Davey captained the only high school curling team to win the Canadian National Championships 2 years in a row.

After high school he moved to Winnipeg to study geophysics at University of Manitoba. During his university years, he worked on the railway and of course played hockey. He graduated in 1956 and started his first job with GSI as a "computer", the one who interprets seismic data. Davey has five brothers and four sisters. He met his wife "Mrs. Gina Einarsson" in Tripoli, Libya. They got married on Dec. 10, 1960 in Cairo, Egypt., Davey and Gina have three children. Paul and Russel were born in Libya, and David was born in Canada. Davey and Gina now enjoy six grand children.

Davey's love for family is overwhelming. Since moving from Canada to Texas in 1975 he started the "Einarsson Open", yearly golf tournament, reunion of family, friends and many Einarsson nephews and nieces in Manitoba.