ION gets second seismic software development grant from Scottish Enterprise

Edinburgh-based Concept Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of ION Geophysical, has received backing from Scottish Enterprise for the enhancement of its Orca software.

The Orca software is a survey planning and management tool for marine seismic survey planning. As explained by ION, Orca integrates and manages data and workflows for seismic data acquisition, enabling geophysical service providers to control operations in diverse modes of acquisition.

Economic development agency Scottish Enterprise said last week that the two-year development project was awarded £295,000 ($390,000) of funding.

According to the agency, the funds will help create three new jobs and safeguard a further nine. Additionally, it will help the company increase its revenue over the next three years.

While on a visit to Canada and the United States, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs, and Fair Work, Keith Brown said: “The investment from Scottish Enterprise will help to maximize the project’s value, its worth to Scotland, and the opportunities for those employees involved.

“Innovation remains crucial to the oil and gas sector for maximizing economic recovery and reducing costs, ultimately securing the long-term sustainability of the North Sea. Scotland’s offshore oil and gas industry has a bright future, with up to 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent remaining under the North Sea and in the wider basin.

“ION is a leading innovator in geoscience and engineering. Given Scotland’s long tradition of excellence in the oil and gas industry, it would seem a natural partnership.”

Senior director of innovation and enterprise at Scottish Enterprise, Jim Watson, added: “[ION] recognizes the importance of innovation to stay ahead of its competitors and secure its position as a leader in the global marketplace. With our help, ION can make this happen.

“As the oil and gas sector adapts to the changing global environment, we remain committed to helping it grow by investing in innovation activities, and we are delighted to be supporting this ambitious and innovative company on its journey.”

It is also worth noting that ION received support from Scottish Enterprise for the marine management system named Marlin back in April.

Chris Usher, executive VP of ION’s E&P operations optimization group, said: “We are pleased to be offered a second grant from Scottish Enterprise to further develop our industry-leading software platform. The Orca enhancements are designed to further optimize survey planning and operations at a time when efficiency has never been more critical. We look forward to rolling out the valuable new software to our customers soon.”

To remind, ION and marine seismic firm Petroleum Geo-Services signed a joint agreement for the provision of the Orca software to PGS’ fleet back in June.