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FFA ACCELERATES THE SEARCH FOR OIL AND GAS USING NVIDIA GPU COMPUTING

 
 


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SVI Pro 2009’s Interactive Facies Classification module is user centric, interpreter driven and makes interactive 3D seismic facies discrimination possible across large seismic datasets. The user can assess the impact of classification parameter changes as they are made as the module performs computation interactively on the GPU, providing results in real time

SVI Pro 2009’s Interactive Facies Classification module is user centric, interpreter driven and makes interactive 3D seismic facies discrimination possible across large seismic datasets. The user can assess the impact of classification parameter changes as they are made as the module performs computation interactively on the GPU, providing results in real time
SVI Pro 2009’s Interactive Facies Classification module is user centric, interpreter driven and makes interactive 3D seismic facies discrimination possible across large seismic datasets. The user can assess the impact of classification parameter changes as they are made as the module performs computation interactively on the GPU, providing results in real time
The significant gains in performance of 3D seismic analysis algorithms achieved with the Multi-GPU enabled SVI Pro 2009, are set to make seismic interpretation productivity to a new level. The graph shows initial benchmark performance improvements measured for a number of SVI Pro’s algorithms for noise cancellation, stratigraphic and structural analysis of 3D seismic data, using a modern multiple GPU system. Speed increases of up to 23x are seen on a single GPU and these stack up to a 37x increase when using 3 GPUs in parallel.
SVI Pro 2009’s Interactive Facies Classification module is user centric, interpreter driven and makes interactive 3D seismic facies discrimination possible across large seismic datasets. The user can assess the impact of classification parameter changes as they are made as the module performs computation interactively on the GPU, providing results in real time
SVI Pro 2009’s Interactive Facies Classification module is user centric, interpreter driven and makes interactive 3D seismic facies discrimination possible across large seismic datasets. The user can assess the impact of classification parameter changes as they are made as the module performs computation interactively on the GPU, providing results in real time
With SVI Pro’s industry leading Spectral Decomposition and Colour Blending options, seismic interpreters can highlight and understand subtle variations in geological character that are captured within their 3D seismic data.

(Upper) original 3D Seismic, (lower) results of ffA spectral Decomposition providing highly detailed images of depositional channel systems that are typically targeted during hydrocarbon exploration

FFA ACCELERATES THE SEARCH FOR OIL AND GAS USING NVIDIA GPU COMPUTING

Leader in seismic analysis software achieves more than 35 times performance boost by harnessing the power of the GPU

THEALE, UK — MAY 15, 2009 — 3D seismic analysis software and services provider ffA has announced the latest version of its flagship product SVI Pro, the first commercial application to utilise the graphics processing unit (GPU) for 3D seismic analysis. Working in partnership with NVIDIA, ffA has ported its SVI Pro 2009 application to harness the massively parallel architecture of NVIDIA® Tesla™ GPUs, achieving workflow speed-ups of more than 35 times.

Based on the NVIDIA CUDA™ architecture, Tesla GPUs enable developers with hundreds of computing cores capable of performing computationally intensive tasks like seismic analysis. Through porting their application to the CUDA architecture to leverage its parallel processing power, ffA is enabling users of its SVI Pro 2009 application to achieve significant performance boosts.

In today’s oil and gas industry, 3D seismic data is a primary source of the subsurface information necessary for successful hydrocarbon exploration and production. Traditional seismic interpretation workflows are labour intensive, lengthy and use only a fraction of the information available within the 3D seismic image. With ffA’s 3D seismic analysis software, geoscientists can more completely and accurately access the information within their data, improving understanding, interpretation accuracy and significantly reducing interpretation times.

The productivity gains from using SVI Pro are made even larger through GPU based acceleration, allowing complex analysis of thousands of square kilometers of seismic data to be carried out on desktop workstations in days rather than weeks or months.

Steve Purves, ffA’s Technical Director, explains: “By using the GPU to handle tasks such as Interactive Facies Classification and 3D Seismic Attribute Analysis, SVI Pro 2009 provides unprecedented interactivity and computational performance. These productivity gains during 3D seismic interpretation give a real competitive edge in both exploration and production capabilities”

Over the past 10 months, ffA has been working with NVIDIA to port its SVI Pro application to the CUDA architecture and to date around 30% of the processes in SVI Pro are GPU accelerated. “With further integration work ongoing and the remainder of processes being ported this year, our investment in this technology has more than paid off. A key benefit is that fitting an additional GPU or a GPU upgrade can extend the life of workstation for applications like ours. We are seeing a range of significant performance improvements that span our core workflows from Noise Cancellation, Fault and Structural Imaging to Seismic Facies Classification. Our primary benchmarks are derived from comparing NVIDIA Tesla boards with a very high-end dual Quad Core processor workstation configuration. Practically, I expect our users to be able to realise even more significant improvements.”

Andy Keane, General Manager of NVIDIA’s GPU Computing Group, adds: “GPU computing is changing the way in which geoscientists work with and analyse 3D seismic data. The performance improvements and features made possible by this technology provide insight into the relevance of even the most subtle variations within datasets, maximising the value of seismic analysis for all interpreters. Thanks to its vision and innovation, ffA is leading the way in realising the potential of the GPU to revolutionise the search for hydrocarbons.”

For more information on NVIDIA CUDA, please visit www.nvidia.co.uk/cuda.
To learn more about ffA, go to www.ffa.co.uk. Images are available at http://www.ffa.co.uk/press.html.

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA is the world leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the GPU, a high-performance processor which generates breathtaking, interactive graphics on workstations, personal computers, game consoles, and mobile devices. NVIDIA serves the entertainment and consumer market with its GeForce® graphics products, the professional design and visualisation market with its Quadro® graphics products, and the high-performance computing market with its Tesla™ computing solutions products. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. and has offices throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas. For more information, visit www.nvidia.co.uk.

About ffA
ffA provides world-leading 3D seismic analysis Software and Services to the oil and gas industry.
ffA’s unique 3D workflows are designed to reveal and extract geological features from 3D seismic data, objectively and more accurately than is possible with conventional seismic techniques, meaning better decisions in less time, with higher confidence. ffA is an independent UK company with offices in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Aberdeen, London and Houston.

Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the benefits, features, impact, and capabilities of the CUDA architecture; and our strategies, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: development of more efficient or faster technology; adoption of the CPU for parallel processing; design, manufacturing or software defects; the impact of technological development and competition; changes in consumer preferences and demands; customer adoption of different standards or our competitor's products; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems; changes in our strategies as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended January 25, 2009. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on our website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

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© 2009 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, CUDA, GeForce, Quadro, and Tesla are trademarks or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S.and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of therespective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.