“Giant Schlumberger could also be a winner. The company's WesternGeco division has pioneered what is known as "Q" seismic, a way of using sound waves to improve measurement of geological formations and faults. "If you think of traditional seismic surveys as like listening to a piece of music played by an orchestra in a recording, then Q seismic would be as if you were recording each instrument individually and blending them to make up the whole piece," Slorer says.
“Importantly for Schlumberger, it doesn't turn over the raw data to the exploration companies that commission these surveys. "It does the analysis itself, and delivers the results to the clients, which boosts the intellectual value of what it is doing," Slorer explains. "So they may not get some clients that want the data and to do the processing themselves, but they will get a lot more higher-margin business from clients that want the higher-quality results that so far only Q seems to be delivering.’”
—Suzanne McGee, “The New Drill Masters,” Barron’s, 28 May 07.
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