Seismic data storage
27/09/2017 One central element in exploration is the ability to successfully manage and provide access to high quality seismic data.
This challenge is one of the reasons why the Diskos Database was established in 1995 as a joint solution for seismic data in Norway.
The database covers data sets back to 1980 and is now being successfully used by all oil companies active in Norway, in addition the service industry, all Norwegian Universities and a number of UK Universities.
Not all data is stored in Diskos, however, so a central topic of discussion is how older seismic data (mainly pre-1980) should be successfully managed to ensure long-term preservation and use of such data. Older media can often be very challenging to read due to obsolete data storage technology and lack of equipment needed to transfer data to new media in sustainable storage solutions. Older data can often be of very high value despite its age. New processing techniques and technology can often glean “new” information out of the older data, especially when such data is used in conjunction with newer data and also a greater understanding of the subsurface offshore.
It is also a major challenge that the sheer volumes of data being acquired is still growing exponentially. The latest research clearly demonstrates the limits of storage for disk-based solutions when compared to tape storage, which still have a huge potential for providing cost-efficient solutions for ever increasing volumes. The challenge for industry and indeed the authorities is to be able to choose the right “mix” of technologies that can form the basis of a sustainable solution for long into the future.
The NPD hosted a seminar about these topics recently.
The handouts from the event are available here:
See also: https://doi.org/10.1190/tle34080944.1
Updated: 29/09/2017