CGGVeritas adds Lodestone to its North Sea data library

23 November 2010—CGGVeritas has completed acquisition of the first phase of a new 3D program in and around the Quad 44 region of the Southern North Sea in association with GeoPartners. The Lodestone survey complements the existing high-quality, recent vintage Cornerstone and Runestone surveys in the Central and Northern North Sea Basins.

The Lodestone survey provides long-offset data using Sentinel solid streamers which are essential when imaging the variable-quality and compartmentalized Permian and Carboniferous reservoirs lying beneath complex salt bodies, using high-end processing techniques.

Andmark releases most advanced Nexus reservoir simulation software to date

2 December 2010—Halliburton’s Landmark Software and Services business line released version 5000.4 of the Nexus reservoir simulation software suite for total asset management. Nexus software allows companies to accurately model hydrocarbon assets, enabling rapid decisions on high-dollar development scenarios.

This release gives reservoir engineers and entire asset teams a software solution that provides advances in integrated reservoir and facility modeling. Specific new capabilities include dual porosity for modeling naturally fractured reservoirs, loosely coupled geomechanics for modeling subsidence, and a new visualization module for analyzing well and surface facility results.

Benchmarking efforts against a range of existing, commercially available simulators have demonstrated that the Nexus software is on average five times faster, enabling engineers to evaluate more production scenarios with increased detail. The surface facility integration allows for the coupling of multiple reservoir models through a common surface network. In addition, Nexus software performs simulation of the surface and subsurface simultaneously–unlike traditional approaches that solve them separately–to provide better results for more informed decisions.

EMGS contract award extends BOA Galatea's backlog in Asia

3 December 2010—Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS) has been awarded a contract worth US $4 million to perform several 3D EM surveys in Asia. Data acquisition will start in early January from the vessel BOA Galatea, following completion of a work program for Woodside in Australia. The contract is expected to be completed within 30 days.

GITA announces 2011 officers and at-large directors

6 December 2010—The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) announced the results of its officer election for 2011. Those elected will constitute the executive committee, along with president Robert F. Austin and past president Susan Ancel. Ancel was appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Nominations Committee to fill the open position of immediate past president that was created by a resignation. The nine at-large Directors were appointed for one-year terms by the president upon the recommendations of the Nominations Committee. All officers and at-large members will take office beginning January 1, 2011.

2011 Executive Committee
President: Robert F. Austin, Ph.D., City of Tampa, Florida
Past President: Susan Ancel, EPCOR, Edmonton, Alberta
President Elect: Dan Shannon, Telus, Edmonton, Alberta
Treasurer: Talbot Brooks, Delta State University, Cleveland, Mississippi
Secretary: Peter Batty, Ubisense Consulting, Denver, Colorado

2011 At-Large Director Appointments
John Eason, GE Energy, Jacksonville, Florida
Ian Fitzgerald, Truckee-Donner PUD, Truckee, California
Jerry King, Bentley Systems, Exton, Pennsylvania
Richard McKay, TerraGo Technologies, Atlanta, Georgia
Kecia Pierce, Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, Alabama
Carl Reed, Open Geospatial Consortium Inc., Ft. Collins, Colorado
Stephen Swazee, Minnesota Governor’s Council on Geospatial Information, Eagan, Minnesota
Leann Wheeler, URS Corporation, Dallas, Texas
Randy Frantz, Esri, Redlands, California

ION announces multiclient seismic survey in Marcellus Shale

8 December 2010—ION Geophysical Corporation announced the commencement of a new 3D multiclient seismic survey in the Marcellus Shale play in central Pennsylvania. ION will manage and execute the entire program. ION has commenced mobilization for the 200 m² initial phase of the program.

The Marcellus Shale is one of the hottest unconventional gas plays in North America. In April 2009, the United States Department of Energy estimated the Marcellus to contain 262 trillion ft³ (TCF) of recoverable gas, about 44 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE). Economic viability in shale plays has traditionally been achieved primarily through two engineering technologies, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracture stimulation. Lower gas prices, however, are creating an increased interest in the use of seismic data to not only help the drilling engineer "stay in zone" and avoid geohazards, but also to help operators prioritize acreage positions and drilling locations, optimize their drainage strategies and well spacing, and better design their stimulation programs.

ION is working with Tesla-Conquest to provide acquisition services utilizing land seismic technologies from INOVA, the newly formed joint venture between BGP (51%) and ION (49%). INOVA technologies to be deployed on this survey include the FireFly cableless acquisition system and the VectorSeis digital, full-wave sensor.

C & C announces management changes

9 December 2010—C & C Technologies, Inc. announces several management changes.

Ralph Coleman has been appointed vice president of marine construction surveys. Coleman has 25 years of experience in land and offshore surveying and project management, is a registered professional land surveyor, and has managed C & C's spatial data management department for 15 years in support of marine construction and geophysical surveys.

Jason Duplechin has been promoted to manager of the spatial data management department. Duplechin has been instrumental over the last 14 years in the development of C & C's proprietary GIS and mapping software.

Eric Granger has been appointed marine construction operations manager and will continue managing C & C's offshore survey crews. Granger has 29 years of experience in land and offshore marine construction surveys and project management.

Jake Klara has been named senior vice president of international operations and strategic development. Klara will concentrate on marine construction opportunities and new technologies.

Dean White has joined C & C as its marine department manager. White will work to further improve the quality and professionalism of C & C's vessel operations.