Welcome to the VIDL Network Founder’s Corner
Discover the vision and inspiration behind the VIDL Network. Here, you’ll learn about the story, mission, and dedication that brought this platform to life. Explore the founder’s experience, thoughts, the driving force behind our applied science learning programs, and the commitment to empowering learners at all levels.
Feel free to reach out with questions or ideas—our team is always here to connect and support your educational journey.
VIDL Network Founder: Corine Prieto
Corine Prieto is the founder and Managing Director of the VIDL Network, where she and her expert team share their wealth of applied sciences experience with professionals and university students through this innovative online program.
Career Highlights
- Founder and CEO of Integrated Geophysics Corporation (IGC) for over 40 years. Under her leadership, IGC collaborated with global oil and gas companies on hydrocarbon and mineral exploration projects, utilizing cutting-edge potential field methods integrated with airborne gravity, environmental sciences, radiometrics, gradiometry, geology and geophysics applications and mapping and support tools.
- Extensive experience working on both sides of the client/consultant partnership, offering a unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen. She has also contributed her expertise as a member of the University College of Science Board.
- Renowned as the primary client interface for her analytical precision and dependable business practices, ensuring thorough, reliable, and effective services.
Approach and Background
Corine’s methodology emphasizes the integration of multiple scientific disciplines in the evaluation process. Her work is informed by a vast domestic and international background, drawing on years of experience with companies such as The Superior Oil Company and Mobil Oil Corporation.
Education and Leadership
- B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Texas-El Paso.
- M.A. in Applied Physics from the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.
- Active member of the University of Texas at El Paso College of Science Advisory Board.
Credentials
Corine holds a Texas Professional Geoscientist License (#4933), underscoring her commitment to professional excellence in the field.
Her mission with the VIDL Network reflects her lifelong dedication to advancing applied science and fostering meaningful learning experiences for the next generation of leaders.
Applied Science
VIDL Network is focused learning about Applied Science, a discipline of science that applies existing scientific knowledge to develop more practical applications, like technology or inventions. Within natural science, disciplines that are basic science, also called pure science, develop information to predict and perhaps explain—thus somehow understand—phenomena in the natural world. Applied science applies science to real world practice.
VIDL Network Learning Objective
- The program introduces you to Applied Sciences methods and shows you how to apply them in real-world projects.
- The learning objective is to take you through an introduction of the science (terms and definitions) to a discussion on the application of the science (how, when and why).
- The program is comprehensive. It includes over 70 online courses, projects to reinforce learning and resources that document how-to using real-world examples.
- The program was created by industry experts for professionals and university students.
VIDL Network Experience
VIDL Network is an easy-to-use online learning experience that combines online courses with hands-on projects.
- We started the VIDL Network with a focus on Potential Fields and expanded to other topics from there.
- We understand that there are additional disciplines are required to fully understand hydrocarbon and minerals exploration such as, banking, and legal.
- We are focused on individuals who want to broaden their expertise, become more efficient and effective, and who want an online experience to support their learning process.
- We are focused on university professors who want to expand topic versatility by supplementing their class courses with customized modules and real-data-based project bundles.
- We are focused on continuously improving our content to take advantage of multi-media, audio, video and excellent writing.
How VIDL Network Works
The purpose of the VIDL Network is to combine on-line module training sessions with the execution of real-data based projects so as to reinforce the learning goals. Our main goal is to inform on what ‘a science’ can do, how is it used and the why.
The VIDL-user has options on how to navigate the VIDL Network web site.
- There are course modules that cover various topics: introduction to techniques, specific data enhancement operators or tools, etc.
- There are projects that can consist of a bundle of essential modules, structural modeling, qualitative interpretation of multiple datasets, etc.
- Each Course can be purchased separately, and access is provided for one user for the duration of two (2) months.
- Each Project can be purchased separately, and access is provided for one user for the duration of four (4) months. There are module prerequisites for the projects. There are several projects that require a level of expertise. Inquire with VIDL Support to determine the level of expertise needed.
VIDL Network Project Databases
VIDL Network experience gives you the opportunity to work through a project with actual data. The available databases are from two types of sources: public domain available at no cost, and licensed data. Our colleagues also are given the capability to import their own proprietary data for a VIDL Project.
Gravity Database
- Bouguer Gravity
- Residual Bouguer Gravity
- Free-air Gravity (satellite-derived)
Magnetic Database
- Total Magnetic Intensity Anomaly Field
- Reduction-to-Magnetic Pole Field
- Residual Magnetic Field
Density
- Rock Properties Chart
- Density/depth curve for an offshore area
- Density/depth curve for an onshore area
Magnetic Susceptibility
Rock Properties Chart
Continental US Well Database
The formation-to-age correlations are not straight-forward as formation names for a given geologic age do change from locale to locale, even within the same state. Over 4,000,000 wells have been scrutinized to develop the US Continental well database which has been datum-corrected to subsea (bsl) depths and transcribe to Latitude & Longitude positions. All formations with corresponding depths were preserved. A colleague can access the database to query and retrieve over 1,000,000 tied well tops. Additional subsets of geological mapped surfaces and corresponding isopachs are available.
Northern Gulf of Mexico Paleo Well Database
A colleague can access the database to query over 150,000 Northern Gulf of Mexico paleontological records of formations from the Upper Pleistocene through the Lower Jurassic. There are also several named geological formations in the database. One has the option to retrieve any subset area of these data to aggregate common geological age records with a depth (z) and then create surfaces with viable geodetics. Several surface maps are also made available.
US Gulf Coast States Magnetic Basement Structure Maps
Any 2D or 3D structural model project should if possible include the basement framework. As a colleague you will the option to retrieve any subset area along the US Gulf Coast States for use in a project. The area available encompasses the Gulf Coast areas for the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
US East Coast Magnetic Basement Structure Maps
Any 2D or 3D structural model project should if possible include the basement framework. As a colleague you will have the option to retrieve any subset area along the US East Coast for use in a project. The area available encompasses the offshore shelf from the states of Maine to Florida.
US Louisiana Salt Tectonics
A Project may entail modeling the salt configuration for a specific area on the Louisiana State shelf margin. The Salt Tectonics database is a regional 3D model of the salt configuration. As a colleague you will be able to retrieve a subset area of the regional salt tectonics model results and refine the salt/sediment interface with your additional proprietary data via a 3D structural model project.
The Human Filter
VIDL Network experience can introduce you to the Human Filter. At least so far, artificial intelligence has not yet been able to replicate the instinct and intuition of a skilled interpreter–one with the necessary technical skills to analyze multiple data sets as well as a creative flair to generate viable prospects.
This is the latest daily news… the data are arriving in unprecedented volumes with even higher resolution. The technology explosion continues in the area of new applications. One must not forget software and hardware technology. In recent years, it has changed the data evaluation process. Depth imaging techniques and 3-D visualization matched with high-speed optimization and neural networks have entered into production mode within the operations of most companies. These procedures are at the point where they have been fine-tuned and are functional, and companies no longer consider them research items.
Perhaps the greatest impact brought to bear by the onslaught of today’s new technology hits the skilled interpreter, inundated by new data, hardware and software. Each advance is promising much, and in some cases, delivering more. This leads to a need for more complex, more interdependent and ultimately more skilled knowledge of both input and output.
Even with the best data and technology at hand, the reality remains…that is, an industry has to interpret information from disparate sciences in order to reduce risk and maximize success.
The Reality Check
I am going to declare “it” has happened; this is the year reality hits. For the past decade, industries have been developing all this record-breaking technology–in acquisition, processing and interpretation techniques. Here comes the reality check: Technology is ineffective without the skilled interpreter.
Data Integrity
VIDL Network experience can introduce you to Data Integrity. The integrity of the data is paramount. A skilled and experienced interpreter understands how the data has been gathered, what has happened to the data in processing, searches for patterns that indicate a solution, can verify the solution with information from other sciences, and knows how to display his conclusions.The skilled interpreter is honest with data. Data or its interpretation should not be “twisted” or manipulated in order to build or destroy. Keep the integrity of data intact to achieve the best true results.