seitel

What seitel does

Seitel Inc. is a privately held Houston-based provider of onshore seismic data to the oil and gas industry in North America, founded in 1982 and operating with 101-250 employees. The company owns and licenses one of the largest multi-client seismic databases in the United States, comprising over 45,000 square miles of 3D data and over 250,000 linear miles of 2D data across key onshore basins including the Permian, Haynesville, and Bossier trends. Data is delivered through an interactive web-based library map, SFTP-based file delivery, and an Acquisition Portal used for joint venture project tracking, with sales executed via four regional marketers covering major US exploration territories.

Seitel's core technology centers on Compressive Sensing (CS) 3D and High Trace Density (HTD) 3D survey acquisition methods, which provide higher-resolution subsurface imaging with improved efficiency over traditional methods. Beyond licensing existing library data, Seitel designs, markets, and executes new seismic surveys — handling permitting, landowner coordination, surveying, recording, data retrieval, and processing — often in joint venture partnerships with operators such as SEI Marketing, LLC. The company also purchases existing surveys from other owners to expand library coverage. Recent active projects include the 320.48 square mile Haynesville Deep Phase I CS 3D survey (Q3-26 through Q4-26), the Tepetate East Iota 3D survey, and the Klondike HTD 3D survey in the Permian Basin.

The business model is a multi-client library licensing model: Seitel acquires or purchases seismic surveys, then licenses the data repeatedly to customers on a quote-based, per-survey or per-linear-mile basis. Two primary customer segments are served: oil and gas exploration companies requiring subsurface data for drilling and reservoir characterization decisions, and carbon sequestration companies requiring seismic data for CCS site assessment and monitoring. Revenue is generated through one-time license fees plus professional services revenue from new survey acquisition contracts. The company is led by President Randy Sides (joined 1996), CFO Beth Bond (since March 2023), and SVP of Operations and Business Development Steve Sahinen (joined 1992).

Name

seitel

Legal name

Seitel Inc.

Website

https://seitel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Seitel Inc. is a Houston-based, privately held provider of onshore seismic data to the North American oil and gas and carbon sequestration industries, operating one of the largest multi-client seismic libraries in the United States with 45,000+ square miles of 3D data and 250,000+ linear miles of 2D data available for licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seismic Data Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Support Activities for Mining (213)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382)

akta.pro primary industry

Seismic & Geoscience Services (Acquisition, Processing, Interpretation) (EUALABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exploration & Prospecting (Geology, Geophysics, Seismic) (EUALAAAA), Exploration, Appraisal & Subsurface (Seismic, Geology, Reservoir Characterization) (EUAAAAAH)

Keywords

• Onshore seismic data
• Oil and gas exploration data
• 3D seismic surveys
• Seismic data licensing
• Carbon sequestration data

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Seismic Data Licensing: License fees charged to oil and gas exploration companies and carbon sequestration companies for access to seismic survey data from Seitel's extensive library. Pricing is quote-based per linear mile or survey.
2. New Seismic Survey Acquisition Services: Seitel designs, markets, and executes new seismic surveys for clients, including permitting, coordination with landowners, surveying, gear layout, recording, data retrieval, and seismic processing. Revenue generated through survey acquisition contracts, often in joint venture partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Seitel designs, markets, and executes onshore seismic surveys and licenses access to its multi-client seismic data library to oil and gas exploration companies and carbon sequestration companies across North America. The company combines proprietary acquisition technologies (Compressive Sensing 3D and High Trace Density 3D) with a 45,000+ square mile 3D and 250,000+ linear mile 2D data library covering key onshore basins such as the Permian, Haynesville, and Bossier trends.

Product overview

Seitel offers a unified seismic data platform centered on its multi-client Data Library—one of the largest in North America with over 45,000 square miles of 3D data and 250,000+ linear miles of 2D data. The portfolio consists of the interactive Data Library Map for exploration and licensing, Survey Flyers providing detailed acquisition parameters, and Survey Shape Files (GIS/KMZ) for external mapping integration. Data delivery is handled via the FTP Data Delivery system, while the Acquisition Portal provides real-time survey progress tracking for joint venture partners. The company acquires new seismic surveys and also purchases existing surveys, offering licensing to both oil and gas exploration and carbon sequestration industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seitel Data Library Multi-client seismic database of over 45,000 square miles of 3D data and 250,000+ linear miles of 2D data across North American onshore basins, licensed to oil and gas exploration and carbon sequestration companies.
• Data Library Map Interactive web-based mapping application allowing users to explore, search, and request information about available seismic surveys across North America, with layer toggles for terrain, satellite, and street views.
• Seismic Data Acquisition Services Full-service seismic survey acquisition including survey scope/feasibility analysis, financing coordination, permitting, landowner coordination, surveying, gear layout, recording, data retrieval, and seismic processing for new surveys.
• Acquisition Portal Web application for joint venture partners to collaborate on seismic data acquisition projects and monitor real-time survey progress with field access and desk-side monitoring capabilities.
• Survey Flyers Detailed PDF documentation for individual seismic surveys containing acquisition parameters such as shot date, square mileage, orientation, channel count, recording system details, and product availability information.
• Haynesville Deep Phase I Survey Newly acquired CS 3D seismic survey covering the Deep Bossier/Haynesville trend in Northern Louisiana, available for licensing upon completion.
• Tepetate East Iota 3D Survey Newly acquired 3D seismic survey in the Tepetate area available for licensing.
• Klondike 3D Survey High Trace Density (HTD) 3D seismic survey in the Permian Basin currently in acquisition phase and available for licensing.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SEI Marketing, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint venture partnership for acquiring new seismic surveys. Seitel and SEI Marketing, LLC are jointly acquiring the 320.48 square mile Haynesville Deep Phase I Compressive Sensing 3D survey in the Deep Bossier/Haynesville trend in Northern Louisiana, expected Q3-26 through Q4-26.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TGS: TGS is the largest publicly traded multi-client seismic data library company globally, with a substantial US onshore and offshore footprint. It is the most direct competitor to Seitel in the multi-client seismic licensing model, sharing the same data library + new survey acquisition approach.
• PGS (Petroleum Geo-Services): PGS operates a global multi-client seismic library and is a leading provider of marine and onshore seismic data. While more marine-weighted than Seitel, it competes directly in the multi-client data library model and serves the same E&P customer base for exploration decisions.
• CGG: CGG is a global geoscience company with significant multi-client seismic library operations across both land and marine. It directly competes with Seitel in seismic acquisition, processing, and multi-client data licensing to oil and gas exploration customers.
• ION Geophysical: ION Geophysical provides seismic data acquisition technology and multi-client data libraries serving global exploration and production markets. It is comparable to Seitel as a niche geoscience data provider with proprietary acquisition technology.
• Dawson Geophysical: Dawson Geophysical is a US-based provider of onshore seismic data acquisition services primarily for exploration companies in the lower 48 states. It is a tight US-onshore peer to Seitel's acquisition services business, sharing the same customer set and regional footprint.
• SAExploration: SAExploration provides seismic data acquisition services for the oil and gas industry in North and South America. It competes directly with Seitel's acquisition services arm for onshore seismic survey contracts in the same basins.

Broad incumbents

• SLB (Schlumberger): SLB (formerly Schlumberger) is a global oilfield services giant with a WesternGeco seismic and geophysics business that competes in multi-client data licensing and acquisition. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Seitel's offerings within a much larger portfolio.
• Halliburton: Halliburton is one of the world's largest oilfield services companies with adjacent geoscience and seismic capabilities through Landmark Solutions. It competes indirectly with Seitel by providing integrated exploration services to the same E&P customer base.
• BGP (CNPC subsidiary): BGP is one of the world's largest geophysical service companies and a leading provider of seismic data acquisition services globally. It competes with Seitel in onshore seismic acquisition scale and multi-client library development internationally.

Others

• Geospace Technologies: Geospace Technologies designs and manufactures seismic instruments, sensors, and cable-free data acquisition systems used in seismic surveys. It is an enabling vendor/adjacent participant in the same seismic data acquisition ecosystem rather than a direct competitor to Seitel's data library.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seitel
• Xx.com/seitelinc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about seitel