Opening an SGY File

The SGY file type is primarily associated with SEG-Y.

SGY	File extension: SGY
	File type:	binary data file

What is an SGY file?

SGY files mostly belong to SEG-Y. SGY files are a seismic data format used in geophysical surveys. They store seismic trace records in a binary structure that includes both text and binary headers, following the SEG-Y standard.

They contain raw measurements from seismic waves reflecting off underground layers.

The file structure typically has a 3200-byte text header, a 400-byte binary header, and a series of trace headers.

They are processed with specialized software for seismic data interpretation such as SEG-Y tools, OpendTect, Prism2, and Geosoft Oasis montaj.

FilExt.com note: For further details, visit the SEG website or the OpendTect page for industry examples. This format is key not only in oil and gas exploration but also for general geophysical research.

How to open SGY files

You need a suitable software like SEG-Y to open an SGY file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your SGY file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a SGY file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online SGY Text Viewer

Choose your .sgy file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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SGY file format:

The file format, which is the arrangement and type of data in a file, determines which program can open the file. Each file format has a unique extension and almost always a unique signature. For example, Microsoft Word documents have the extension .docx and the signature (usually the first 3 characters in this file) PK. However, different programs can use the same file extension, and file extensions can be assigned incorrectly. Knowledge is power - this also applies when dealing with unknown or faulty files. Our analysis of the SGY files produces the following result:

The file type with the extension 'SGY' is used by a few programs, each with its own file format. The two most popular formats are as follows:

• 35% of all SGY files start with the bytes Ã@ñ@ crucial for this file format. These are binary files, so they do not contain words or text. The files are 32 KB to 700 MB in size, with a median of 42 MB. The file type was created 10 years ago, but is still used today. The keywords @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ are typical for these files. These files are often associated with line, seam, shot, shots, stack and pstm.
• 15% of all SGY files use the same file format, which have the signature Ãðñ. The content consists of illegible binary data, which can only be read and interpreted by the associated programs. Most of these files are 2 MB to 2 GB in size. The following keywords are characteristic: @@@@@@@@@@@@. Files like these are about bellevue, position and traffic.

The remaining 50% of all SGY files are files with no common format, often e.g. This. Often described as segy, depth, data, migration, profile, seismic, event, linex, filt or well. You can get all the details of your SGY file by dragging it onto this page or by clicking the button "Choose your .sgy file to analyze" above.