UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
IBM Supercomputer Aids UH Researchers in Targeting Oil

A high-powered supercomputer originally designed for video games now is helping University of Houston researchers more effectively target oil reserves.

The Cell Broadband Engine system produced by IBM has multiple processors executing and analyzing different types of data at once and originally was intended for consumer-based computer entertainment products like the Sony PlayStation.

But IBM has loaned the system to UH’s Mission-Oriented Seismic Research Program (M-OSRP) as part of a very exclusive agreement with academic and research institutions. 

In seismic exploration, algorithms are used to process seismic data to remove coherent noise and locate hydrocarbons. Challenging targets such as sub-salt and sub-basalt exploration, however, require the increased computing capability provided by IBM’s Cell processor.

“We are very fortunate to have the trust and confidence of our industry partners to pursue high-impact, fundamental, game-changing research designed to make the currently inaccessible target accessible and the accessible target better defined,” said Arthur Weglein, Cullen Distinguished Professor of Physics and director of M-OSRP. “Our partnership with IBM contributes to an effective and comprehensive response to the pressing challenges faced by the petroleum industry in locating and producing hydrocarbons.”

To learn more about the project, read the official UH press release.

For more information on M-OSRP, visit http://www.mosrp.uh.edu/
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