Magseis enters pact to develop new ocean bottom seismic tech

Norwegian geophysical company Magseis has signed an exclusive technology agreement with Seismic Apparition to jointly develop and implement a new technology which could reduce operational time for ocean bottom seismic (OBS).

Magseis said on Wednesday that the development of the tech, named Source Isolation, would be completed over the next nine months with commercial testing expected to begin in 2018.

The company added that Source Isolation would deliver full fold, full-length isolated sources and offer the unique prospect of reservoir quality data from efficient exploration configurations.

Cost reduction is one of the key drivers behind the implementation of this technology, the company noted. According to Magseis’ estimates, the cost to acquire OBS data by using Source Isolation could be reduced by 30-50 percent. The technology will be applicable both for reservoir 4D projects and more regional surveys.

Johan Robertsson, CEO of Seismic Apparition, said: “We are delighted to be teaming up with Magseis for the introduction of our Source Isolation technology for OBS services. Our collaboration with Magseis, which is exclusive for OBS, is an important first step for us and we are excited about helping Magseis improve both quality and productivity at the same time.”

Idar Horstad, CEO of Magseis, added: “Since Magseis was founded in 2009 we have challenged the cost of acquiring OBS data. The combination of our efficient, robust and reliable MASS technology with the Source Isolation technology from Seismic Apparition, will enable Magseis to deliver the same high quality OBS data to our customers at a significantly lower cost.”