Connected Geophysical Solutions Real-Time Interactive Seismic Modeling & Imaging

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1 Connected Geophysical Solutions Real-Time Interactive Seismic Modeling & Imaging September 2011

2 Seismic Imaging For ninety years, any given oil company s profitability has relied largely on the low risk exploration and reservoir engineering ensured by seismic imaging technology. While today s computers and 3D images have replaced more traditional methods of hydrocarbon prospecting, the importance of accessible, reliable seismic imaging is likely to subsist as long as people continue drilling for oil and gas. The need to maintain the current levels of production has called for more effective and more dependable seismic imaging technologies. Likewise, geophysicists and reservoir engineers who are forced to rely on time consuming methods to process their data are in need of state-of-the-art tools suitable for the increasingly complicated demands of their work. Connected Geophysical Solutions (CGS) proposes a new innovative technology that will take unprecedented measures toward securing the productivity of oil companies exploration and drilling while empowering geoscientists to significantly de-risk exploration projects and reduce uncertainty. This paper describes the CGS Cluster Foundation, CGS GeoModel, and CGS Migration Suite; a complete interactive seismic velocity modeling and imaging system. The technology will be designed for on-premise, cloud, and hybrid-cloud processing capabilities. CGS Cluster Foundation The CGS Cluster Foundation serves as the infrastructure for CGS s technology, compatible with both an on-premise and cloud-based processing model. The CGS Cluster Foundation allows the end-user to interactively run a compute intensive no-compromise seismic imaging algorithm over a sub volume and receive the new results in seconds. Such processing power of extremely large datasets is possible because of the proprietary intelligent data staging among the compute nodes in the HPC cluster. The cluster s compute nodes run in parallel to produce 3D images quickly based on the extremely efficient staging of the seismic data. Note also that the CGS Cluster Foundation employs interactive processing, meaning that the end-user can interactively revise the velocity model and see the new results within seconds. This feature sets the CGS Cluster Foundation apart from similar technology because most Big Data cluster models operate using batch processing where the velocity model work and seismic imaging are independent tasks. Thanks to CGS interactive computing, the user can customize the way in which the system processes the data to best fit the output with his or her needs. The CGS Cluster Foundation is primarily intended for use as a framework for CGS s seismic imaging technology, but the infrastructure is also designed to plug-in third party imaging algorithms and real-time drilling information. Additionally, the CGS Cluster Foundation is well suited for

3 financial services, life sciences, manufacturing, and digital content compute processes. In other words, the CGS Cluster Foundation is useful in any case when large amounts of data have to be processed and analyzed with minimal delay. Using On-Premise Computing and Cloud Computing Independently or Together with Intelligent Data Staging (IDS) From an architectural perspective, running CGS Cluster Foundation for both on-premise compute nodes and cloud instances is straight-forward. Figure 1 shows how this works. Figure 1: CGS Cluster Foundation can use both on-premise compute nodes and virtual cloud compute nodes to efficiently stage seismic data and well data CGS GeoModel CGS will provide a stand-alone velocity modeling package in addition to integrating with third party software to offer a strong visualization platform along with advanced, back-and-forth gridding technology. With this information, the users can more efficiently plan future stages of their projects. Current imaging workflows of re-picking velocities, modifying salt bodies, and remigrating the data can each take up substantial time. When working on a major seismic project, these weeks of human work followed by weeks of waiting for the HPC Cluster to do its work can add up very quickly. In fact, the typical seismic imaging project has a workflow of up

4 to six months. The CGS GeoModel technology, however, takes advantage of its intuitive user interface and fast processing capability to enable the end-user to input a new or modified velocity model, run the migration over a targeted area, and view the results in a matter of seconds, reducing a project s workflow to as little as sixty percent of traditional methods! In addition, the CGS GeoModel will maintain an audit trail of velocity model edits so that the endusers will be able to conveniently keep track of their changes. This significant cut in turnaround time is also made possible by the unprecedented use of interactive processing as opposed to the typical batch processing model. A batch processing model would require the user to pick all the velocities of the seismic data he or she wants to process and then wait for the system to compute the results. However, interactive processing allows the user to modify a velocity model and have the system produce a new image in under a minute. The CGS GeoModel package enables the geoscientist to alter the velocity model around complex geologic areas and quickly view the imaging results significantly reducing uncertainty for the seismic processor, interpreter, and reservoir engineer. The CGS GeoModel will reduce the time and resources spent on future projects. For oil companies, this benefit not only shortens the time to de-risk a project, but also ultimately saves them vast amounts of money. Using CGS GeoModel Software From the end-users perspective, CGS GeoModel is intuitive for all geoscience disciplines. Figure 2 represents various types of end-users. Figure 2: CGS GeoModel is a client or remote application to build and modify velocity models

5 CGS Migration Suite The initial default CGS imaging algorithm will be Kirchhoff Pre-Stack Depth Migration. The KPSDM algorithm is perhaps the best suited imaging algorithm for the CGS Cluster Foundation. This technology is capable of producing turning rays which allow the algorithm to model extreme changes in subsurface structure while preserving amplitude fidelity. KPSDM is uniquely suited for interactive imaging with CGS GeoModel because of the distinctive targeting properties of Kirchhoff migration. While KPSDM works well for velocity modeling, the final image can be created using the algorithm(s) of client's choice. While KPSDM is the algorithm best suited for the technology, CGS understands oil companies and service companies needs to maintain a competitive advantage. For that reason, a customer s proprietary algorithm can be plugged into the CGS Cluster Foundation and used alternatively to the default KPSDM found in the CGS Migration Suite. CGS will implement a customer s third party imaging algorithm into the CGS Cluster Foundation as part of their maintenance contract. However, some algorithms may not be as efficient with the CGS Cluster Foundation s intelligent data staging as others. CGS will advise the customer whether their preferred algorithm would be suitable as an alternative for KPSDM. Submitting Migration Jobs with CGS Migration Suite Migrations are seamlessly submitted to the HPC cluster on-premise or in the cloud. Figure 3 demonstrates how the user submits migrations and computes the results in less than 1 minute. Figure 3: CGS Migration Suite takes advantage of the intelligent data staging for fast results

6 CGS Cloud Computing A typical seismic imaging project requires at least 1,000 CPUs and might need as many as 100,000 to get the job done within a reasonable timeframe. This massive demand for onpremise computing power can consume a large percentage of a company s capital expenditures. Instead CGS will offer an alternative cloud processing model. Online processing in the form of cloud computing permits companies to take advantage of HPC clusters located in virtual datacenters instead of relying solely on on-premise HPC clusters. This capability saves money and time not only by allowing companies to save CAPEX by not purchasing thousands of CPUs, but also allows a company to budget a project as an operational expenditure. A company can save money on smaller projects by paying to operate less than the usual amount of computing resources. Likewise, when a company takes on a relatively large project it can simply use more computing power from the cloud instead of buying and keeping on-premise large numbers of CPUs the companies have had to do in the past. Essentially, a company using these virtual clusters could pay as they go, only paying for the amount of time the company actually uses the resources. The capabilities of a given company can expand and retract as a function of the immensity of the project without having to worry about money, resources, personnel, or licensing. In the case of seismic imaging, the possibility of employing larger amounts of computing power allows for a more accurate prestack depth migration (PSDM) result in a small amount of time. In short, cloud and hybrid-cloud processing not only makes precise seismic imaging less costly, but even decreases the uncertainty of seismic imaging to miniscule levels not possible with traditional on-premise computing. Conclusion Connected Geophysical Solutions provides companies with the infrastructure, interface, modeling software, and processing power to gain a competitive advantage. The technology s interactive processing capability, velocity modeling package, state-of-the art seismic imaging techniques, and cloud processing capabilities ensure that final seismic imaging results have never been more precise and more efficient. As the oil industry places more demands on delivering a high quality product quickly; researchers, geophysicists, and reservoir engineers will need better technology to continue to gather and process more useful seismic and drilling information. Connected Geophysical Solutions is committed to developing and providing the leading technology to a world that expects the best results. We have confidence in, with your help, to change the course of the oil industry and seismic imaging as a whole.