ION Geophysical Corporation says that its Concept Systems software group has signed a five-year agreement with Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS), one of the leading geophysical companies in the world. The agreement, the largest ever for Concept Systems software, specifies that PGS will upgrade all existing 2D and 3D towed streamer vessels to Orca(R) command & control in a phased manner and that all new-build PGS vessels will be outfitted with Orca upon commissioning. Following successful joint development for Orca's predecessor Spectra, this contract will extend the parties' technology partnership in marine command and control to over 20 years.

Orca is the first of a new generation of integrated command and control systems designed to harness the complex data workflows found onboard modern seismic vessels. Purpose-designed to incorporate the latest hardware, software, and positioning technologies, Orca manages all aspects of the navigation and seismic data workflows for vessel operators, enabling them to operate more safely and efficiently during complex survey operations while delivering processing-ready data to their customers. Acting as the 'brain' in ION's Intelligent Acquisition(TM) [IA] approach to towed streamer acquisition technology, Orca offers vessel operators reduced downtime with increased functionality, flexibility, and productivity.

Rune Eng, Group President - Marine Acquisition at PGS, commented, "PGS is committed to being the technology leader in marine seismic acquisition. We have been using Spectra and other predecessor products to Orca for many years and have found both the functionality enabled by the software and the field service provided by Concept Systems to be world-class. PGS has had a long standing relationship with Concept Systems in which our own experience in the field of multi-streamer seismic acquisition has been used to improve the products and services. As towed streamer surveys became more complex in recent years, we recognized the need to develop and commercialize new functionality to more efficiently execute the most technically advanced, multi-vessel marine acquisition programs, including 4D and HD3D surveys. Orca contains the advanced features we need, while the R&D collaboration outlined in the agreement will allow us to tailor Orca to the specific requirements of PGS' fleet and the customers we serve."

Dave Moffat, Senior Vice President of ION's Marine Imaging Systems group, added, "ION and PGS have a long history of pushing the envelope in marine towed streamer technologies. I am delighted that PGS appreciate the value that Orca can bring to their operations and have made this fleet-wide commitment to a core, foundational technology in our Intelligent Acquisition portfolio. I am confident that our development partnership will enhance the functionality of Orca and deliver additional insights into how we can further integrate Orca with other source, positioning, and streamer control technologies in the future."

Tags: ION Geophysical Corporation, Petroleum Geo-Services ASA