Benchmark results comparing Exchange and OpenSpirit performance
Independent testing shows Exchange is faster and more accurate than OpenSpirit at a major global energy operator.
With OpenSpirit no longer supported, many subsurface data teams are evaluating modern, supported alternatives to manage data movement between their interpretation and data-management environments.
At Company A, a major global energy operator. the immediate need was to identify a reliable solution for transferring seismic data between OpenWorks and Petrel.
To validate potential options, Dr Jagadish Maddiboyina, Principal Geoscience Consultant at Cognizant and working with Company A, conducted a detailed technical evaluation of Petrosys Exchange. The results confirmed that Exchange delivers fast, accurate, and transparent data transfers, supported by an active development roadmap shaped by customer feedback.
Challenge
As OpenSpirit now at end of life, Company A needed a dependable and forward-looking way to continue transferring seismic data between OpenWorks and Petrel.
The new solution had to be robust, transparent, and easy to maintain, while integrating smoothly into existing workflows and supporting future cloud adoption.
Approach
Company A, with the help of an independent contractor evaluated Exchange and OpenSpirit using 341 3D seismic volumes, testing a representative 20 % sample (60 volumes). The assessment measured transfer speed, amplitude consistency, metadata visibility, and ease of use to determine whether Exchange could support Company A’s production workflows.
Results
| Metric | OpenSpirit | Petrosys Exchange | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer Time (60 volumes) | 157 minutes | 117 minutes | 25% faster |
| Amplitude Accuracy | Amplitude mismatch on rescans | Consistent amplitude values | Reliable results |
| Data Realisation in Petrel | Manual “realise” step required | Direct seismic volume transfer | Streamlined workflow |
| Metadata Reporting | Limited visibility | Full job logs, success status, and timing | Transparent & auditable |
“Exchange outperforms OpenSpirit in transfer time, accurate amplitude computation, and eliminating the need for additional steps to realise volumes in Petrel.”
— Dr Jagadish Maddiboyina, Principal Geoscience Consultant, Cognizant
Outcome
Petrosys Exchange delivered measurable efficiency and accuracy gains, providing a supported, modern replacement for OpenSpirit. With consistent amplitude handling, faster transfers, and detailed metadata, Company A’s geoscientists now spend less time fixing data and more time interpreting results, all while preparing for their move to AWS-hosted environments.
Future Enhancements Suggested
- The ability to push bulk seismic volumes to Petrel, as the current version handled single volumes.
- An option to select seismic survey lists directly from OpenWorks.
- Support for Float 8 and Float 16 data formats, alongside Float 32, to reduce storage costs in AWS environments.
These insights are informing Petrosys Group’s continuous development of Exchange as the trusted data-integration bridge between desktop and cloud.
Action Taken by Petrosys Group
Feedback from this evaluation has directly influenced Exchange’s development roadmap. Two of the suggested enhancements from the report, bulk seismic-volume transfer and support for Float 8, Float 16 and Float 32, have already been implemented in Exchange V2026.2, with the option for direct seismic-list selection from OpenWorks in active development.
This reflects Petrosys Group’s commitment to listening to customers and continuously improving based on real-world insight.
