RE:Who owns the technology
AVO analysis is used by a multitude of companies including Exxon. It was developed for use in offshore drilling to help tell the difference between oil, gas and water in 3D interpretation. It is not perfect but it has a higher success rate than older methods. The more you know about the rock you are looking at the better you can dial it in. I first heard of this when doing DD on Canadian offshore and their joint project with Exxon.