 They would collect data in likely spots around the world, process that data using high performance computers, and produce analyses that guided oil companies toward promising sites for drilling.Much of the oil being sought was to be found beneath the ocean, hence GSI maintained a fleet of ships to collect seismic data from remote regions of the world.In order to do this properly it was essential that the ships be navigated precisely - if you find evidence of oil, you can't just mark an "X" on a tree - the oil is thousands of feet below the ocean and you are typically hundreds of miles from land.