By Alexander Tharaldsen

Leveraging the power of cloud computing and Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS), Cegal’s GeoCloud promises to simplify work processes and increases productivity for G&G application users.
 
Geology & Geophysics (G&G) software is an essential part of any E&P company’s toolkit. It enables efficient discovery and production of oil and gas resources and provides users with analysis, interpretation, and visualization capabilities. Until recently, however, G&G software and applications have required bulky and weighty hardware, such as high-end desktops or laptops, that consumes significant amounts of energy, generates significant noise pollution, and limits user accessibility.  

Today, new technology, such as cloud computing, DaaS offerings, and virtualization, can free G&G users from the shackles of specialized hardware and increase their productivity and flexibility.

Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) for G&G Applications

Cloud computing, the delivery of computing services over the Internet, is quickly gaining a foothold in the oil and gas industry. An Accenture survey reveals that 45,7 percent of oil and gas companies already are investing in the cloud, while 40,1 percent will do so in the next few years. Unsurprisingly so, as the technology promises significant time, cost, and flexibility advantages and represents a major shift in how organizations think about their IT resources.

For G&G application users specifically, cloud computing provides significant benefits through what is commonly known as Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS). DaaS is a cloud computing offering that allows cloud-based virtual desktops to run on any device regardless of where the device is located. It is a form of desktop virtualization that allows you to launch and run applications that are traditionally bound to hardware.

DaaS offerings allow petrotechnical applications, that traditionally have relied on expensive workstations due to high-performance requirements, to be accessed through virtualization. Instead of relying on high-end workstations, DaaS enables you to access your G&G applications from the cloud. As such, DaaS provides greater flexibility and ease of administration for G&G application users.

GeoCloud: Enabling Easy Access to G&G Applications

Cegal’s cloud solution GeoCloud delivers high-performance IT systems and software applications for advanced geoscience applications and data, tailored for E&P companies and resource-intensive workloads. The solution enables users with demanding graphics to take advantage of the superior computing, storage, and networking power of the data center while being released from the limitations of a physical workstation.

GeoCloud provides G&G users with a range of benefits, including:

• Digital collaboration: GeoCloud enables users to access data and G&G applications from any location. Users from different business units and geographical locations can use GeoCloud to work from anywhere with their standard company laptops or any other device, such as cell phones or tablets. This enables collaborative work on the same data set regardless of the business unit or the geographical location.
• Cost and energy efficiency: High-end workstations consume significant amounts of energy and generate considerable noise pollution. By using GeoCloud, you can convert from high-end stationary workstations to laptops and significantly reduce energy consumption levels, energy costs, and noise levels. Just consider the impact if 100 employees switch from high-end workstations to laptops. As such, GeoCloud may enable sustainability and a green transformation of the E&P industry.

GeoCloud allows users to work from anywhere without relying on specialized and heavy laptops. The solution enables you to access your data anywhere and anytime, whether you are in meetings, performing peer reviews, or traveling. GeoCloud is a standardized and automated product that easily integrates with any cloud provider and can be delivered from Cegal’s data centers, via public cloud providers or installed on-premise in your private data center.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Cegal