PGS enlists Cray supercomputer and storage system for high-definition seismic imaging

Submitted by Editorial on Thu, 2015-03-26 15:28

26th March 2015

PGS announced today that it has signed a lease for a new Cray XC40 supercomputer and a Cray Sonexion 2000 storage system for high-definition seismic imaging

The five-petaflop supercomputer, to be installed in Houston, will sit in the centre of the PGS worldwide processing network. It will be among the largest supercomputers ever deployed in the commercial sector and the most powerful in the seismic industry

PGS creates high-resolution seismic maps and 3-dimensional (3D) models of the Earth's sub-surface. These are used by oil and gas companies to explore and produce offshore reserves around the world.

“With the Cray supercomputer, our imaging capabilities will leapfrog to a whole new level,” said Guillaume Cambois, executive vice president Imaging & Engineering for PGS. “We are using this technology investment to secure our market lead in broadband imaging and position ourselves for the future. With access to the greater compute efficiency and reliability of the Cray system, we can extract the full potential of our complex GeoStreamer imaging technologies, such as SWIM and CWI.”

Oil and gas exploration in 2015 presents imaging challenges that require vast processing capacity to resolve very large and complex algorithms. Better images reduce the risks of drilling dry wells, which can have a significant effect on project profitability. Faster and more advanced calculations allow us to supply more accurate data at critical moments in the E&P process.

The new systems from Cray will provide PGS with the advanced computational capabilities to speed up large-scale roll out of its ground-breaking broadband imaging capabilities using proprietary processes such as separated wavefield imaging (SWIM) and complete wavefield imaging (CWI).

The Cray XC40 will also make complex seismic imaging, using algorithms such as Reverse Time Migration, more economical. These are intensively used for the PGS Triton survey, which is the most advanced seismic imaging survey ever conducted in the deepwaters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The new Cray supercomputer and storage system are expected to be deployed in 2015.