geoSCOUT vs. Surfer

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
geoSCOUT
Score 9.9 out of 10
N/A
geoSCOUT geological data analysis platform comes with preloaded data and can analyze geological data from other sources, from geoLOGIC systems in Calgary.N/A
Surfer
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Surfer is a data visualization suite from Golden Software in Colorado for oil and gas companies, or other entities in other industries requiring geological or environmental data.N/A
Pricing
geoSCOUTSurfer
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
geoSCOUTSurfer
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
geoSCOUTSurfer
Considered Both Products
geoSCOUT
Chose geoSCOUT
Accumap and geoSCOUT are similar but geoSCOUT is my preferred application. The usability and functionality of the application is much better than Accumap. Although not necessarily important, it is a more aesthetically appealing interface to work with.
Chose geoSCOUT
GeoScout is very good for basic subsurface geology. It is fairly easy to use, once you figure out where different command buttons and functions are located. Data is already within GeoScout so you do not have to import anything. Petrel is much more powerful and provides a lot of …
Chose geoSCOUT
Accumap is also a similar tool. The two tools contain the same information, although geoSCOUT has extra modules which have been somewhat useful. For the most part, engineers pull raw production, completions and facilities data. geoSCOUT is better for visualizing plans and …
Surfer
Chose Surfer
Surfer is very unique with respect to its capabilities. I am not aware of any other mapping software that is at the same time flexible, has a friendly interface, and creates such nice-looking maps.
User Ratings
geoSCOUTSurfer
Likelihood to Recommend
9.9
(0 ratings)
9.5
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
geoSCOUTSurfer
Likelihood to Recommend
GeoSCOUT is ideal for daily oil and gas workflows of a geologist or engineer or for academic research purposes. Great for fluid analysis and production data and for understanding rig activity.
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Surfer has been excellent for us, a small company, to process the electrical resistivity, refraction microtremor, and MASW data collected in the field. There are an increasing number of programs capable of assisting in this geophysical analysis but Surfer is the most advanced. The ability to create both 2D and 3D figures in the program while managing data is a huge help. It also greatly improved report quality and helped clients better understand what the results were for a study.
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Pros
  • Production Analysis tool is strong for quick decline work
  • Annotations functionality helps with defining potential projects
  • Export tools are useful in quickly dumping out raw data for analysis
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  • The interface is simple and easy/quick to learn, so that not much experience is needed to start generating maps.
  • The map layouts are easy to manipulate, change colors, scale, labels, contour interval, etc...
  • Simple but functional mathematical and logical functions allow for the calculation and manipulation of grids.
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Cons
  • Must have several geoSCOUT windows open at once (well ticket, main screen, others if using).
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  • The user interface can be tricky at first. It's a little rough around the edges and takes a little time to get the hang of.
  • Not an ideal application for older employees. There are too many things with the interface that make it not worthwhile to train employees with less computer experience.
  • Manipulating data within Surfer is difficult because you have to do things in a certain order. Not terrible if you get the hang of it but certainly frustrating at first.
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Alternatives Considered
Accumap is also a similar tool. The two tools contain the same information, although geoSCOUT has extra modules which have been somewhat useful. For the most part, engineers pull raw production, completions and facilities data. geoSCOUT is better for visualizing plans and allowing toggling of different considerations using the layer manager.
Read full review
Surfer is very unique with respect to its capabilities. I am not aware of any other mapping software that is at the same time flexible, has a friendly interface, and creates such nice-looking maps.
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • Visualizing data
  • Integral part to research
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  • The worst thing about Surfer is the cost. My company can only afford one license at the moment which means only one employee gets to use it regularly. Not so great when someone is sick or you have a huge wave of projects.
  • The user interface is a little rough but younger employees have been great at catching on quickly and producing great images.
  • There's nothing else quite like Surfer. It's versatile and not to difficult to use so, though the licenses are expensive, it is an excellent program that has done wonders for our company!
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ScreenShots