Geophysical Service
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Oilfield services, Geophysical services |
| Founded | 1930 in Texas, United States |
| Founder | John Clarence Karcher, Eugene McDermott |
| Fate | Rebranded as Texas Instruments in 1951; later sold and merged into other companies |
| Headquarters | Calgary , Canada |
Key people | Davey Einarsson (rights holder since 1992), Paul Einarsson (COO and Chairman since 1997) |
| Products | Seismic data and marine seismic information |
Geophysical Service Inc. (GSI), established in 1930 in Texas by John Clarence Karcher and Eugene McDermott, focused on applying refraction and reflection seismic techniques for oil exploration.
History
On December 6, 1941, ownership of GSI transferred to Eugene McDermott, Cecil Howard Green, J. Erik Jonsson, and H.B. Peacock. During the Second World War, the company manufactured equipment for submarine detection. In 1951, GSI was rebranded as Texas Instruments (TI), operating as a division within TI. After being sold by TI, reacquired, and subsequently sold again in 1988 to Halliburton, GSI combined with GeoSource (previously Petty-Ray Geophysical) under Halliburton Geophysical Services (HGS). Competitive tensions between these entities resulted in financial losses. Consequently, Halliburton divested HGS to Western Atlas in 1994. Western Atlas was then purchased by Baker Hughes in 1998 and integrated into WesternGeco in 2000 through a partnership with Schlumberger, which retained a 70% ownership share.
On July 3, 1981, the seismic vessel MS Arctic Explorer, leased by GSI for British Petroleum operations off the Labrador coast, tragically sank near Newfoundland, leading to the loss of 13 lives.
Present day operations
In 1992, Davey Einarsson obtained the rights to GSI’s offshore seismic data in Canada and subsequently reestablished the company’s presence in Calgary. Paul Einarsson joined as COO and Chairman in 1997. Currently, GSI stands as the foremost holder of marine seismic information in Canada, with its headquarters located in Calgary.
In 2013, GSI initiated legal action regarding the unauthorized release of its proprietary seismic data involving the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, and other parties who had indirectly accessed GSI’s information.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Oilfield services companies
- Seismological observatories, organisations and projects
- Petroleum in Texas
- American companies established in 1930
- Energy companies established in 1930
- Non-renewable resource companies established in 1930
- 1930 establishments in Texas
- Halliburton
- Texas Instruments