HP and Shell to develop data system

Hewlett Packard and Shell are to join forces to develop a seismic data system in a bid to search for potential oil and gas sites, it has been announced.

The firms are collaborating on a wireless sensor system to gather high quality information on land of seismic waves in order to locate commercially viable areas.

The quality of the data will be vastly improved by the technology, which the companies hope will produce a higher channel count and broader sensor frequency than current methods.

If successful, the system aims to work alongside Shell's own computing and seismic imaging software and should cut operational costs.

Gerald Schotman, Shell's executive vice president of innovation and research described the plan as a "leap forward in seismic data quality that will provide Shell with a competitive advantage in exploring difficult oil and gas reservoirs".

Such areas include sub-salt plays in the Middle East and unconventional gas sites in North America, he said.

He added: "As a result of this exciting collaboration, we expect to fully realise the potential of Shell's processing and imaging technology on land."

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