In his story, "State suing over ANWR, but is it trying to prove what's already been proven," (March 26), Richard Mauer discusses the two-dimensional seismic mapping of ANWR conducted in the 1980s. He refers to Bill Barron, director of the state Division of Oil and Gas, as saying two-dimensional seismic mapping is obsolete.
The director's comment was not meant to imply that all two-dimensional seismic mapping is obsolete. However, if state-of-the-art, three-dimensional seismic data were acquired throughout the ANWR coastal plain, then the 1980s two-dimensional seismic data would be virtually obsolete. New mapping techniques would dramatically clarify our understanding of the subsurface, helping Congress to make well-informed decisions on wilderness designations by distinguishing specific areas of highest energy resource potential.
— Jonne Slemons,
deputy director
Division of Oil and Gas
Anchorage