CGG teams up with Norsk Hydro and ENI

to launch VectorVista for multi-component processing

Paris, May 28 2002

CGG is pleased to announce the launch of VectorVista 4C seismic data processing to enhance reservoir imaging. VectorVista is the latest member of the Vista family of high added-value processing services and software offered by CGG. Other members include ChronoVista for time processing, GeoVista for depth imaging, and StrataVista for reservoir characterization.

According to Pierre-Yves Granger, VectorVista Project Manager: “Until recently, the market development of 4C was held back by the lack of interpretation tools. CGG’s response has been to channel over thirty years of multi-component processing know-how into VectorVista to seamlessly integrate converted waves into the interpretation workflow. This has come at just the right time to accompany the development of instrumented oilfields.”

VectorVista is a 4C processing workstation, being built by an industry consortium to enhance the value of 4C data. Of course, the real number crunching is done with CGG’s Geocluster software. VectorVista is designed to help the interpreter gain greater understanding of the seismic data acquired with the multi-component technique.

VectorVista offers the full range of 4C data analysis and interpretation tools. Compressional wave data (PP) and converted wave (PS) data can be displayed simultaneously. A compressed function to display squeezed PS sections is also built in. The workstation offers a number of ways to compute the PP/PS ratio, or Gamma function, which is a fundamental issue in 4C processing. As well logs are commonly used to correlate the work done in 4C processing, the workstation offers well log data management functions including derivation of velocity models based on Vp- and Vs-derived values and AVO plots on synthetic offset displays.

Rather than develop this workstation alone, CGG has decided to form a consortium for this project in partnership with Anitec, a UK consulting company. Two sponsoring companies, Norsk Hydro and ENI, have already joined and agreed on the specifications of the first phase of software development. As the project is being developed by a consortium, the platform-independent Java-based toolkit, J/GeoToolkit from INT, was selected. The choice of this geophysical graphical development environment means developers can focus their efforts on the geophysical functionality that gives the most benefit to understanding 4C data.

As the first phase is now nearing completion, a demonstration of VectorVista will be available on the CGG booth at the EAGE. The consortium is still open to interested parties wishing to participate.

For further information, please contact :

Pierre-Yves Granger (pygranger@cgg.com),
VectorVista Project Manager

tel. : +33 1 64 47 33 14
Christophe BARNINI (cbarnini@cgg.com),
Vice President Marketing
tel. : +33 1 64 47 38 10