Saudi Aramco and CGGVeritas have entered into a collaboration to conduct a joint research and development project known as SpiceRack.
The project will develop, manufacture and commercialize a robotized solution for seabed seismic acquisition. Using self-propelled recording nodes, the technology is expected to change the delivery of reservoir quality seismic data.
CGGVeritas, an international pure-play geophysical company which delivers a wide range of technologies, services and equipment through Sercel, to its broad base of customers mainly throughout the global oil and gas industry, will strengthen already close ties with the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
“We are excited to announce the launch of this major joint R&D project, which we believe has far-reaching implications for the future of our industry,” said Jean-Georges Malcor, CEO of CGG Veritas. “We are also proud to be taking the lead in spearheading high-tech geophysical research with Saudi Aramco, whom we have served as a geophysical partner for over four decades. We trust that SpiceRack will be the first of many successful R&D initiatives pursued by our two companies,” he said.
The company will also establish a Center of Excellence for Automation in Geophysical Acquisition within the new technology center to be jointly opened in the Dhahran Techno Valley with ARGAS, its Saudi joint venture with TAQA.
Samer AlAshgar, Saudi Aramco’s EXPEC Advanced Research Center manager, said “Technology collaborators such as CGGVeritas play a vital role in developing innovative technology solutions aligned with Saudi Aramco’s long-term objectives in exploration and field development. The SpiceRack initiative augments EXPEC ARC’s research and technology portfolio and is expected to deliver a game changer in automating seismic data acquisition.”
