SeismicStar

The SpaceData SeismicStar system (see figure above) consists of a turnkey, end-to-end transmission solution for the high speed Broadband-On-Command satellite delivery of gigabyte sized files of uncompressed seismic data directly from shipboard to terrestrial supercomputer. The SeismicStar system includes the complete shipboard terminal, NASA TDRSS space-segment and significant ground facilities capable of transmitting data 311 Mbps. A day's 3-D seismic production of 150 Gbytes of data, for example, can be transmitted and received in the US in 81 minutes (see GByte production estimates for other cable and vessel specifications). Onboard components include a motion stabilized 2.4 m antenna with radome, two 155 Mbit/sec modems, file and communication servers, GPS, satellite phone, 1Tbyte of RAID storage, associated electronics and administrative software. Total weight of the upper deck installed antenna / radome portion of the system is 1200 lbs.

The satellite element is a fleet of 7 NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) in geo-synchronous orbit with worldwide up-link coverage to within 5° of the Earth's poles. Data are received at NASA’s highly secure Ground Facilities and SpaceData site at White Sands, NM which consists of two fully redundant systems, composed of numerous satellite dish antennas, operational support, down-link and up-link RF systems and fiber connectivity at SpaceData's Las Cruces Control Center operated for SpaceData by General Dynamics.

This transmission system facility in Las Cruces is composed of file and communications servers, RAID storage, an automated SeismicStar monitor and control system, control center with customer support, operations control, and administration, and fiber connectivity to Houston. For Houston customers, a fiber loop in Houston provides connectivity to the client's main processing center, and transmitted data is available on demand via FTP from Las Cruces by client technical staff. The data can also be FTP'd to other national and international destinations using NASA, internet or client fiber connections.

The TDRS fleet and the NASA available capacity is more than large enough for the entire seismic market. SDI is committed to the delivery of daily seismic production from anywhere in the world (except the polar regions and a small part of the Indian Ocean) to White Sands within 24 hours of data creation. From there it is possible to transmit the data via fiber optic cable anywhere where there is such connectivity.

Because of the unique design and the very large transponder bandwidth of the NASA TDRS satellites, the SeismicStar transmission is by far the fastest commercial satellite capability in the world and provides the only satellite transmission able to transfer the very large raw seismic data files on a daily basis from worldwide markets. The system has been fully tested by providing services for WesternGeco utilizing the Western Patriot.

SeismicStar adds value to the oil company that contracts for the system, the host government that has granted exploration and production licenses and costs the seismic contractor no more than the costs offset by the advantages of the system. One of the ways SDT adds value to E&P operations is by delivering seismic data to the decision-makers more quickly. This faster delivery is dependent on the underlying value of the 3-D surveys themselves. Depending on the discount rate applicable and oil price assumptions, the incremental value added by a 3-D survey compared to exploring the same area with a 2-D survey can vary between $26 million and $1 billion. Because these are positive cash flows and due to the effects of the time value of money, the present value of these 3-D surveys is affected by how quickly they are delivered to the oil company. The value of the 3-D survey is reduced when it is delayed, because decisions on where to drill development wells and on the size of facilities depend on this data. These delays translate into later production of hydrocarbons and later realization of the revenue stream to the oil company, taxing authorities and those involved in field drill-out and operations. A summary of SeismicStar costs and benefits is shown in the figure below. A full discussion of the business case for SeismicStar is in the Papers section of this website.