300: The Hardest Part of DAS Isn’t the Technology

“It’s hard to tell where the limit is in terms of where it can go. You have to see what is possible to want to drive this.” Andrew Geary speaks with Malc Kent about why distributed acoustic sensing is gaining momentum across carbon storage, geothermal, infrastructure, and reservoir monitoring. The technology can collect enormous amounts of subsurface data, but the bigger challenge is turning that information into decisions industries trust. For geophysicists and students, that gap between technical progress and real-world adoption is where many of the strongest opportunities are emerging. KEY TAKEAWAYS > DAS can change how the subsurface is monitored: Permanent or existing fiber can support more frequent observations while reducing the need to repeatedly deploy conventional equipment. > The technology may be moving faster than industry adoption: Large data volumes, installation costs, regulatory acceptance, and confidence in a new way of collecting seismic information still stand between successful trials and routine use. > The opportunity extends well beyond oil and gas: Carbon storage, geothermal, mining, infrastructure, and security all need better monitoring, creating new roles for geophysicists who can connect sensing, imaging, computing, and decisions. THIS EPISODE PROUDLY SPONSORED BY VIRIDIEN As an industry leader in imaging distributed acoustic sensing data, Viridien brings proven expertise across 2D, 3D, and 4D projects by combining advanced algorithms and HPC. Delivering clearer images, faster interpretation, and deeper insight for oil & gas reservoir monitoring and carbon storage projects. Discover more at https://viridiengroup.com/DAS. LINKS * SEG/SPE Workshop: Fibre for the Future: AI-Driven Intelligence for Exploration, Production & Development - 21–22 July 2026, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -> https://seg.org/calendar_events/seg-spe-fibre-for-the-future-ai-driven-intelligence/ * SPE Workshop: Subsea Fiber Optic Sensing: From Deployment to Decision Making - 12–13 November 2026, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil -> https://www.spe-events.org/workshop/fiber-optic-sensing ABOUT SEISMIC SOUNDOFF Seismic Soundoff showcases conversations addressing the challenges of energy, water, and climate. Produced by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) and hosted by Andrew Geary of 51 features, these episodes celebrate and inspire the geophysicists of today and tomorrow. Three new episodes monthly. See the full archive at https://seg.org/resources/podcast/.