What’s Paradigm highlighting at the SEG?
At the EAGE last June we announced EPOS 4, our data infrastructure, and the suite of applications, our ‘Rock & Fluid Canvas.’ Now we are showing these tools in real world use, in asset-based problem solving. Typical workflows include sub-salt exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, Barnett shale frac jobs and West African turbidite investigations. Many presentations at the SEG are about seismic imaging with RTM*. Earth Study 360 is different—it is about local investigations. We get RTM quality or better—it acts like a seismic dipmeter for fractured shales.
How is Skua going?
We are optimistic. We think that 2010 will be the year for Skua. There is usually around a 3 year cycle from roll-out to take-up. Skua’s UVT transform models rock properties in a pre-deformation state. This can be applied to seismic data to validate their interpretation.
What is your development environment?
Today everything runs on Linux—but we are increasingly moving to Windows. There is a lot of interest in the Trolltech/Qt porting pathway. In HPC, everything runs on the latest Intel chips and on high end workstations. We are also using NVIDIA GPUs.
For graphics or number crunching?
Graphics.
Not CUDA?
We try to avoid having to re-engineer applications. Actually I’m rather skeptical about GPU-based computation, especially for vendors. We are more interested in trends like touch screens and 3D—which is driven by arrival of 3DTV. I’ll be surprised if 5 years from now our software still looks the same. Ergonomics is getting more attention as young people are now getting RSI** too!
Is the industry ready to put time and money into radically new stuff?
That’s a good question—somebody will!
Maybe some startup will come up with something and get bought up…
Yes that is the usual route—we try to do both. And we continue to leverage the expertise of the Nancy School of Mines team.
How big is Paradigm today?
We have 850 employees.
* Reverse time migration.
** Repeat strain injury.
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