The following is an interview with Umar Qureshi, President of Schlumberger Geco-Prakla, about the Geco Eagle, markets, and technology:
VESSEL
Offshore: Why did you build the Geco Eagle?Qureshi: We wanted to have a vessel that was the best of everything. Very efficient in the high-resolution market with as many as 20 streamers closely spaced together. At the same time, we wanted to have a vessel that was going to be unparalleled in the exploration market. We feel that for large surveys, this is going to be the most efficient platform in the world.Is the vessel larger than others in the fleet?
Regarding size, the vessel should be looked at in terms of seismic capacity. The maximum a vessel is carrying in terms of streamers today is about 60 km, by the Geco Triton, operating in West Africa. The Geco Eagle will have a capacity of 120 km. It is in a different league. With the Geco Eagle, we are going to have the ability to go to a 1,500-meter spread using a single vessel.
Have you received any customer feedback?
The virtual reality simulator, which showed the capabilities of the Geco Eagle, was solidly booked during the SEG in New Orleans. We had excellent feedback from the customers that saw it.
How many crews are you training?
We will have two crews and have done a lot of work in the selection of the crew. The crew that we are putting on the Eagle is not the most senior crew. We have tried to put together a crew that represents diversity and has the element of experience. But, at the same time, we want to show that by using the training simulator, we can take a crew with a good attitude and team spirit to the highest level of competence very quickly. We have all the people working on the vessel going through the safety and operational issues in the simulator. This will collapse the learning curve into a very short time period.
Is this simulator training an experiment for Schlumberger?
We have already used simulators in other parts of the company and they form an integral part of the new training programs that have been implemented in Schlumberger. However, I will say that the Geco Eagle simulator is one of the most ambitious projects that we have undertaken.
MARKETS & TECHNOLOGY
What are the key drivers in today's seismic business? The top drivers in the business today are oil and gas prices. However, long term, it is the combination of people and technology that make the real difference. Technology plays a pivotal role in the quality and efficiency of our operations, along with the competence and diversity of our people.How is 1999's business developing?
1999 is definitely going to be a tough year. In this market, we have to cope with the significant reduction in E&P spending from our clients. In Marine, our approach is to have a diverse and efficient fleet to respond to opportunities in any part of the world.
Where is technology going?
Multi-component and time-lapse seismic. The quality of the measurement is going to be important, much more than what you see in seismic today.
Do you see a shift from exploration to production seismic?
We would like to position seismic for reservoir monitoring as it is really the only technique that has field-wide vision. It can be used to monitor the movement of fluids in the reservoir. But seismic cannot provide all the answers. So, the more measurements you have, the more understanding you get for the reservoir. You have to integrate reservoir geophysics, geology, well information, production data, and so forth.
What do you see for the future?
Technology bringing new measurements to solve client problems and making significant improvements in productivity. Who is going to be on the leading edge of technology in terms of bringing new measurements to the table? Who is going to be on the leading edge of cost efficiency? These are two simple questions. Whoever has the ability to execute them will be on top of the seismic world.
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