Vision and Values
At ION Geophysical, our vision is to integrate the capabilites across the company and through our partners to solve the toughest problems in the industry.
People and Culture
ION Geophysical cultivates a diverse culture filled with industry experts who thrive in our entrepreneurial environment to develop customized seismic solutions and groundbreaking technologies.
Technology and Innovation
ION Geophysical is a proven technology innovator constantly advancing survey design software, acquisition equipment, command and control software, and data processing to support worldwide seismic operations.
QHSE
ION Geophysical is committed to improve the quality of our products and services, provide a safe work environment for our employees, and protect the environment.
Complex Geologies
ION Geophysical uses industry-leading survey design software, seismic acquisition technologies, and data processing to master complex geologies.
Subsalt Case Study
Ao fornecer análises geofísicas singulares para identificar ativos e otimizar programas para gestão de reservatórios, a ION Geophysical ajudou seus clientes a avaliarem valiosos reservatórios de Pré-sal.
Challenging Environments
ION Geophysical uses specialized survey design software, innovative acquisition technologies, and advanced data processing services to capture and image high-quality seismic data in challenging environments.
Arctic Case Study
ION's GeoVentures team applies their unique approach as they re-invent marine acquisition technology and techniques in the extreme Arctic environment.
Unconventional Reservoirs
ION Geophysical helps unlock the potential in unconventional reservoirs through integrated services including advanced acquisition technologies, pioneering data processing techniques and interpretation.
Shale Case Study
Through an integrated approach including survey design, acquisition management, and specialized processing, ION helps reveal the potential in the Niobrara shale.
Basin Exploration
ION Geophysical pioneered BasinSPANS, which are basin-scale seismic data libraries acquired and imaged using the most advanced technology to provide critical insight into entire petroleum systems.
West Africa Case Study
Using a series of integrated seismic programs, ION gained a holistic understanding of offshore West Africa to enhance the economics of exploration and reservoir development in the region.
Reservoir Exploitation
ION Geophysical uses advanced seismic survey planning, acquisition services, and marine technologies to maximize 4D programs and production.
4D Marine Case Study
Through real-time survey optimization, ION minimized risk and acquisition costs during a 4D survey in the North Sea without compromising data quality.
Survey Design and Services
ION Geophysical provides industry-leading survey design software and services to design, model, plan, and execute the most complex seismic surveys in all acquisition environments.
Survey Design & Feasibility Studies
ION Geophysical's Concept Systems offers a comprehensive set of survey planning, modeling and analysis tools designed to deliver the best images as cost effectively as possible.
Field Acquisition Specialists
ION Geophysical's Field Acquisition Specialists manage software and operations to dynamically optimize marine acquisition from survey planning to the final shot point.
Software
ION's MESA survey design software provides unprecedented design, planning, and modeling capabilities for land and marine acquisition projects.
Marine Systems
ION Geophysical provides towed streamer and seabed data acquisition imaging systems, software, and services for 2D, 3D, and 4D seismic programs.
Towed Streamer
ION Geophysical's industry-leading towed streamer technology enables superior marine seismic data to be acquired safely and efficiently.
Seabed
ION Geophysical provides seabed seismic acquisition systems and services to overcome the toughest geophysical imaging challenges.
Land Systems
From geophones and recording systems to source technology, ION Geophysical has provided the industry with cutting-edge land seismic acquisition technologies that have become industry standards.
Geophones
ION Geophysical's Sensor group provides geophones and ancillary geophone equipment to capture high-quality data in any seismic data acquisition environment.
INOVA Geophysical
INOVA Geophysical Equipment develops land seismic equipment for data acquisition in any operating environment.
Data Processing
ION Geophysical delivers a full suite of seismic data processing services through a seasoned team of experts who share an uncompromising commitment to provide the highest quality image.
Pre-Processing
By enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio, ION's GX Technology group is able to optimize seismic data for advanced pre-stack time and depth imaging.
Advanced Imaging
As one of the industry leaders in pre-stack depth migration and reverse time migration (RTM), ION's GX Technology group provides advanced land and marine imaging to solve the toughest imaging challenges.
Full-wave Imaging
By utilizing full azimuth and multicomponent data, ION's GX Technology full-wave imaging services help E&P operators solve exploration challenges and reduce drilling risk by providing a more complete understanding of the reservoir.
Land Processing
ION’s GX Technology group has the tools, knowledge, and experience to help E&P operators better understand the geology of unconventional reservoirs including shale and tight gas plays, enabling them to maximize exploration and production.
Marine Processing
ION Geophysical’s GX Technology offers advanced seismic data processing with a vast experience in critical marine processing techniques, including subsalt imaging.
Projects and Centers Map
Take a tour of our processing centers and projects. ION’s GXT has teams of experts strategically located throughout the Americas, Europe, and West Africa.
Reservoir Services
ION’s Reservoir Services' team provides a range of offerinngs, from individual services such as simultaneous inversions or pore pressure prediction, to fully integrated interpretations including selection of optimized well locations.
Rock Physics Studies
ION's Reservoir Solutions team has extensive experience in the complex process of regional rock physics studies involving log processing, rock physics modeling, seismic modeling and verification.
Inversions
ION's Reservoir Solutions team offers a variety of different inversions including acoustic impedance, shear impedance, elastic, simultaneous and joint inversions.
AVO
ION's GX Technology has developed next-generation AVO tools and approaches that extend the utility and application of the technique.
Attribute Analysis
ION's Reservoir Solutions team provides advanced attribute analysis of key seismic attributes to identify and distinguish important reservoir and lithology characteristics.
Fracture Detection
ION’s Reservoir Solutions team has extensive experience in fracture detection in tight sands, shale plays, and carbonate reservoirs and can provide enhanced fracture detection to optimize drilling plans.
Unconventional Reservoirs
ION's Reservoir Solutions team is uniquely qualified to help E&P operators understand the geology of unconventional reservoirs, including shale plays, and to help maximize exploration and production of these reservoirs.
Interpretation
ION's Reservoir Solutions team is dedicated to developing and implementing proven and innovative interpretation techniques from geologic analysis and lithologic mapping to fracture detection and production optimization.
Reservoir Management
ION's Reservoir Solutions team of experienced geoscientists delivers solutions to E&P challenges in time and depth seismic imaging, geology, geostatistics, petrophysics, geophysics, reservoir engineering and simulation, and petroleum economics.
Pore Pressure Prediction
ION's Reservoir Solutions group uses a high-resolution pore pressure prediction workflow to prepare an un-risked reconnaissance 3D pore pressure prediction.
VSP Processing & Interpretation
ION's Reservoir Solutions team offers fully integrated design, processing, and interpretation services to maximize the value of your Vertical Seismic Profiles (VSP) investment.
Interactive Map
Tour ION’s data library featuring programs in Africa, the Arctic, Latin America, the Gulf of Mexico, India, Asia Pacific, the North Atlantic, and more.
Africa
Our seismic programs provide a holistic understanding of the petroleum systems off the western and eastern coasts of Africa and help operators assess the hydrocarbon potential of this region.
CongoSPAN
CongoSPAN consists of two phases totaling over 27,000 kilometers of data acquired off the coasts of Angola, Congo, and Gabon.
East AfricaSPAN
Located offshore Madagascar, Kenya, and Tanzania, East AfricaSPSAN is a regional seismic program and geologic study designed to understand large-scale hydrocarbon potential.
EquatorSPAN
EquatorSPAN is a 2D seismic program set in the equatorial Atlantic margin providing greater insight of the tectonic architecture of the West African Gulf of Guinea margin.
NigeriaSPAN
NigeriaSPAN is a basin-scale 2D seismic program in the Gulf of Guinea and is showing great new plays in deeper shelf, deepwater Nigeria and JDZ and Sao Tome and Principe.
Arctic
ArcticSPAN is comprised of several large-scale programs of deeply imaged seismic data covering the Beaufort-MacKenzie, Banks Island, Chukchi, East Greenland Rift, and Danmarkshavn basins.
BeaufortSPAN East
BeaufortSPAN consists of over 23,000 km of deeply imaged regional data that has fundamentally changed the understanding of the production potential of the MacKenzie Delta, Beaufort Passive, and the Banks Island Basin area.
Beaufort East Air Mag
The BeaufortSPAN East Potential Fields Program is an airborne magnetic survey that provides a regional framework spanning the area west of Banks Island to the Southern Sverdrup Basin.
ChukchiSPAN
By tying into the five critical wells in the Chukchi Basin, ChukchiSPAN helps define the resource potential of the region's petroleum systems from the Barrow Arch in the east to the Russian border in the west.
Northeast GreenlandSPAN
Northeast GreenlandSPAN is largely comprised of data acquired through ION's proprietary acquisition technology and provides critical insight into this highly potential but challenging region.
Asia Pacific
ION Geophysical offers a series of seismic data programs in the Asia Pacific region that provides E&P operators the insight into the petroleum systems of the region.
ArafuraSPAN
ArafuraSPAN provides a better understanding of the Arafura Basin potential source rock intervals, and delivers insights into the petroleum system structures, reservoirs, and seal mechanisms of the area.
BightSPAN
BightSPAN is a regional geologic study comprised of 2D seismic data mapping the active petroleum systems and identifying potential limits of new and existing plays.
JavaSPAN
JavaSPAN is a regional seismic data program and geologic study that extends from Madura Island, East Java to south of Sulawesi and north into the Makassar Straits.
NatunaSPAN
Located offshore northern Indonesia, NatunaSPAN comprises high-quality, 2D seismic data designed to examine new and existing play types.
Europe and Middle East
ION's GeoVentures team has designed unique programs in Europe and the Middle East that provide an improved understanding of the geologic evolution and basin architecture of these regions.
Northeast AtlanticSPAN
Northeast AtlanticSPAN is a regional 2D seismic survey that provides a highly consistent dataset designed to image the less explored areas recognized to contain hydrocarbon potential beneath thick basalts.
PolandSPAN
PolandSPAN is multi-phased program that will provide the foundation of integrated geologic knowledge and a consistent seismic framework from which to build future studies.
India
Acquired in two phases, IndiaSPAN is a regional seismic data program and geologic study covering the major basins off the east and west coasts of India.
North America
Covering a number of key regions in North America, ION Geophysical's seismic data programs are comprised of both offshore and onshore, 2D BasinSPAN and 3D ResSCAN programs.
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico suite of SPANS are a unique set of programs that provide an unprecedented view of the entireGulf of Mexico Basin.
NovaSPAN
NovaSPAN provides a comprehensive understanding into the geologic evolution and basin architecture of the margins of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
MarcellusSCAN
ION's multi-client surveys in the Marcellus shale provide operators a better understanding of the play to determine acreage assessment, identify optimum well locations, and maximize production.
NiobraraSCAN
ION's NiobraraSCAN 3D multi-client seismic survey features densely-sampled, 3C seismic data for better characterization of the highly fractured Niobrara Formation.
South America
ION's GeoVentures team custom-designed seismic programs that provide a holistic understanding of the petroleum systems off the coasts of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and in the areas of the southern Caribbean and northern margin of South America.
ArgentineSPAN
ArgentineSPAN provides and improved understanding of the geologic evolution of the Argentine Atlantic margin and its deep basin architecture.
BrasilSPAN
BrasilSPAN is a multi-faceted PreSDM seismic dataset and geologic study that provides a comprehensive understanding of Brazil's highly productive petroleum systems.
CaribeSPAN
CaribeSPAN is a basin-wide, regional seismic data program and geologic study consisting of approximately 11,000 km of high-quality, depth-migrated data.
ColombiaSPAN
Designed to deliver superior insight into the geologic evolution and basin architecture of the region, ColombiaSPAN provides a regional 2D seismic framework of the offshore area of Colombia.
PeruSPAN
PeruSPAN is a multi-phased program designed to acquire multi-client, 2D seismic data to improve understanding of the region's tectonics as well as new and existing play types offshore Peru.
UruguaySPAN
UruguaySPAN provides a coherent seismic dataset across the Punta del Este Basin and provides a tie to Argentina and Brazil.
Articles
Including all things seismic in the oil & gas industry, the articles in this section discuss everything from seismic data processing techniques to the latest acquisition technology and more.
Abstracts and Papers
ION’s Abstracts and Technical Papers cover a wide range of topics written by our in-house industry experts detailing the latest theories, research, and conclusions on some of the industry's hottest topics.
Case Studies
ION’s Case Studies tell the stories of our problem solving approach and applications of technology and provide a deeper dive into the capabilities of our diverse team of people and experts.
Training and Support
Contact ION for information about training and support for our marine acquisition systems, Concept Systems command and control software, and GMG's MESA software.
Marine Imaging Systems Training
Check out the ION Geophysical course lists for Marine Imaging Systems, and book training or find out more about customized courses.
Concept Systems Training
Check out the ION Geophysical course lists for Concept Systems, and book training or find out more about customized courses.
Marine Repairs and Spare Parts
PayPal
Multimedia
ION’s digital media library includes videos, presentations that highlight the history of innovation, entreprenurial spirit, and culture of collaboration at ION.
Videos
ION’s multimedia library includes videos for Arctic seismic programs, BasinSPANS, data processing centers, marine seismic acquisition and more.
Images
ION’s multimedia library includes image galleries for INOVA Technologies, marine acquisition, seismic data software and processing and more.
Industry Links
ION’s resource center includes links to geophysical societies, government energy agencies, geophysical research groups, world energy reports, and more.
Sandbox
Brochures and Data Sheets
The ION’s library of brochures and data sheets includes information on our innovative seismic technologies, geophones, marine seismic acquisition and positioning equipment, command and control software, data processing services, seismic data programs, and more.
Brochures
Browse our library of ION Geophysical brochures for information about our innovative seismic technologies, marine seismic acquisition and more.
Field Service Bulletins
Browse our library of ION Geophysical field service bulletins for more information about our Sensor Geophones and Marine seismic data acquisition.
Data Sheets
Browse our library of ION Geophysical product data sheets for information about our innovative seismic technologies, marine seismic acquisition and more.
Search Resources
A technologically sophisticated offshore E&P operator had amassed a vast portfolio of proven and undeveloped acreage in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore regions of West Africa, Brazil, and the Mediterranean. They had lined up deepwater drilling capacity to test their highest potential prospects and faced a decision to either relinquish or extend their leases on soon-to-expire acreage, or acquire offset blocks. The acreage was believed to be highly prospective but the potential reservoir targets were difficult to image, as many were obscured by salt bodies or extensive salt sheets.
To better understand the risks and opportunities associated with its exploration portfolio, the E&P operator committed to a multi-year RTM alliance with our GX Technology (GXT) group. As an early adopter of our RTM technique, the operator was keenly aware of the advantages it could bring to structurally complex imaging situations, including reservoir targets that were adjacent to or beneath salt. Having worked with our GXT Imaging Solutions group on the advancement of RTM, they had witnessed first-hand the improvement in efficiency that GXT had achieved in implementing the computationally intensive RTM algorithm.
Since the agreement was signed, we have helped this E&P client better understand the risks and opportunities associated with its exploration portfolio. Leveraging the alliance, the client's Exploration teams have been able to rapidly assess their undeveloped acreage position in the Gulf of Mexico, make key decisions about leasehold acquisition (and divestment), and rapidly progress exploration concepts and leads into a prioritized set of near-term drillable prospects. Elsewhere, RTM and additional geophysical studies have enabled the client to better characterize assets that have already been discovered and, in so doing, optimize their appraisal, development, and reservoir management programs.