Media we read
10+ tape formats, from 1960s reels to modern cartridges.
Plus CD, DVD and diskette. If you are not sure what is in the box, send us a photo of the label and we will identify it.
| Media | Type | Native capacity | Typical era | Typically holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-track | Open reel, 1/2 in | up to 180 MB | 1970s to 1990s | Field and processed seismic, well logs |
| 21-track | Open reel | up to 80 MB | 1960s to 1970s | Early digital seismic field recordings |
| 3480 | Cartridge | 200 MB | 1980s to 1990s | Field and processed seismic |
| 3490E | Cartridge | 800 MB | 1990s | Field and processed seismic, log archives |
| 3590 / 3590E | Cartridge | 10 to 20 GB | Late 1990s to 2000s | Field data from larger 2D and 3D surveys |
| 3592 | Cartridge | up to 7 TB | 2000s to today | Modern 3D acquisition and processing archives |
| 8mm Exabyte | Cassette | up to 5 GB | 1990s | Field data, well logs, workstation backups |
| 4mm DAT | Cassette | up to 4 GB | 1990s to 2000s | Well logs, interpretation project backups |
| DLT | Cartridge | 20 to 40 GB | Late 1990s to 2000s | Processing outputs and backups |
| SDLT | Cartridge | up to 160 GB | 2000s | Processing outputs and project archives |
| CD / DVD | Optical disc | 700 MB to 4.7 GB | 1990s to 2010s | Reports, LAS and DLIS logs, scanned images |
| Diskette | Floppy disk | 1.44 MB | 1980s to 1990s | LAS logs and small report files |
What you get back
- Data on LTO-8, LTO-9, External HDD or 3592
- Standard formats: SEG-Y, SEG-D, LAS, DLIS, TIFF, PDF
- A QC result for every tape: success, partial or unreadable
- Your original media back, with a signed transmittal
Why old tape needs care
- Tape binders age, so media is inspected and cleaned before it is read
- The drives that read old formats are disappearing
- Labels are often incomplete, so every file is counted against what is actually on the tape
Not on the list?
Tell us what you have. If we cannot read it ourselves, we will tell you honestly and help you find who can.
Ask us →What is on your shelf?
Send a media list or a photo of a label. We reply with a reading plan, a timeline and a price.