In 1912, Conrad, then a professor at the École des Mines de Paris conceived the idea of prospecting for metal ore deposits by using the electrical conductivity of ore rocks to distinguish them from the less conductive surrounding country rocks.
These experiments led to an electrical surface-measuring system for mineral exploration known as a "Schlumberger array."
In 1923, the brothers began conducting geophysical surveys in various countries including Romania, Serbia, Canada, Union of South Africa, Belgian Congo, and the United States.
On 5 September 1927, Henri George Doll and several field engineers ran the first wireline electric log.
The equipment was stopped, and the logging cable was connected to the surface potentiometer and to a battery power supply to make a measurement.
The Schlumberger brothers called this technique an "Electrical Survey", but the more common name "well log" was coined a few years later in the United States.
Each year the Award is presented to a member of the Association who has made an outstanding contribution over a period of time to the scientific and technical advancement of the geosciences, particularly geophysics.
Notable recipients of the award include Nigel Anstey, Les Hatton and Michael Schoenberg, among others.