ARAM Launches ARIES II Land Seismic Recording System

ARAM Systems, a subsidiary of ION Geophysical Corporation, announced the commercialization of its cable-based ARIES II(TM) seismic recording platform. ARIES II provides the operational flexibility to cost-effectively undertake complex 2D, 3D, and 4D acquisition programs both onshore and in transition zone environments, and delivers the capabilities needed for both high channel-count acquisition programs and advanced Vibroseis operations.

ARIES II builds upon the market success of ARIES I, but implements an entirely new, 24-bit system architecture that dramatically improves channel capacity while ensuring efficient equipment deployment and maximum system performance. A critical new feature in ARIES II is automatic network load balancing, which supports real-time data recording of up to 24,000 channels (at 2ms sampling).

ARIES II operates using a comprehensive, user-friendly software package built upon Microsoft Windows® XP technology and includes features that are demanded by seismic data acquisition companies, such as:

— Simple source and receiver set-up — Fully-integrated drop-down menus to format test specifications of both geophones and vibrators

— Simplified reporting and troubleshooting capabilities to track and optimize acquisition operations

An innovative feature in ARIES II is a real-time quality control (QC) application called ‘Patch-View’, the only QC application on the market that allows a complete view of real-time trace data for 10,000-plus channel spreads. Patch-View provides both operators and observers with at-a-glance visual analyses of trace quality attributes including ambient noise, signal RMS, and signal-to-noise ratios, as well as ongoing shot-based QC-attribute displays that track hourly changes in data quality.

Successful field trials of ARIES II on a survey in North Dakota with Conquest Seismic Services, Inc. showcased the productivity and cost- effectiveness of the system. Milt Tetzlaff, Chief Operating Officer of Conquest Seismic, commented, “With over 10,000 live channels, the ARIES II acquisition system we used demonstrated superior performance in extremely windy conditions. Our crew was able to easily understand the new and highly intuitive system software, while the Patch-View quality control application allowed us to monitor thousands of channels of data in real time. ARIES II was critical to the success of our project.”

ARAM designed ARIES II using the same fundamental principles that have made its ARIES I recording system a favorite among contractors, including the extensive use of rugged ground electronics ideal for harsh land environments where weather, terrain, and careless handling can hamper the effectiveness of any acquisition system. To extend battery life and improve field productivity, ARAM re-engineered the ground electronics of ARIES II to reduce overall system power consumption by approximately 40 percent compared to ARIES I. For contractors seeking the flexibility to operate in transition zone environments, ARAM designed ARIES II to be functional in up to 75 meters of salt water when outfitted with the special ARIES Marine Case.

Chris Chamberlain, former CEO and President of ARAM and now the Senior Vice President of Cable-based Acquisition Systems at ION, added, “The productivity attained by Conquest Seismic utilizing our new ARIES II System supports our strategy of developing land technologies that dramatically improve the efficiency of our customers’ operations. The success of this field trial validates the importance of designing user-friendly, high channel- count systems that increase productivity and field reliability for our clients.”

ION is a leading provider of geophysical technology, services, and solutions for the global oil & gas industry. ION’s offerings allow E&P operators to obtain higher resolution images of the subsurface to reduce the risk of exploration and reservoir development, and enable seismic contractors to acquire geophysical data more efficiently. Additional information about ION is available at www.iongeo.com.