Innovative high trace density design with broadband seismic data acquisition in the Cooper–Eromanga Basins, Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 773
Author(s):  
John Archer ◽  
Milos Delic ◽  
Frank Nicholson

Through a combination of innovative survey design, new technology and the introduction of novel operational techniques, the trace density of a 3D seismic survey in the Cooper Basin was increased from a baseline of 140 000 to 1 600 000 traces km–2, the bandwidth of the data was extended from four to six octaves, and the dataset was acquired in substantially the same time-frame and for the same cost as the baseline survey.

Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. P15-P25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Pilikos ◽  
A. C. Faul

Compressive sensing is used to improve the efficiency of seismic data acquisition and survey design. Nevertheless, most methods are ad hoc, and their only aim is to fill in the gaps in the data. Algorithms might be able to predict missing receivers’ values, however, it is also desirable to be able to associate each prediction with a degree of uncertainty. We used beta process factor analysis (BPFA) and its variance. With this, we achieved high correlation between uncertainty and respective reconstruction error. Comparisons with other algorithms in the literature and results on synthetic and field data illustrate the advantages of using BPFA for uncertainty quantification. This could be useful when modeling the degree of uncertainty for different source/receiver configurations to guide future seismic survey design.


Author(s):  
P. A. Munoz ◽  
Nestor Sanabria ◽  
German Ocampo ◽  
Juan Uribe ◽  
Luis Rodríguez ◽  
...  

3D seismic acquisition for Petroleum Exploration in the Artic Region is typically restricted to four operational months during the winter season. The area of the survey and the acquisition parameters need to be optimized and constrained to match the narrow time frame. Seismic operations must follow environmental regulations to avoid adverse impacts to the wildlife and sensitive terrains, including lakes, rivers, abandoned meanders, and the flora able to grow in the region. No vehicles or seismic equipment is allowed to operate above them in winter regardless of their protection by the snow cover. Furthermore, only vehicles and machinery are allowed to work on the frozen tundra or over frozen lakes and rivers with grounded ice. However, the ice thickness in the frozen lakes and rivers is not capable of supporting the heavy seismic vibrator. Therefore, many source points must be relocated which finally results in irregular source point distribution over the survey acquisition area. The conventional method to recover source points around obstructions causes a concentrated redistribution of source points in the vicinity around the obstructions. An alternative operational method to recover source positions is presented in this paper. We used different types of geophysical analysis to evaluate the proposed optimized method for source recovery including traditional geophysical attribute analysis, illumination studies and attribute analysis of seismic data acquired in the Horse Shoe 3D project. The proposed method can be implemented in areas with significant surface obstructions, either due to environmental restrictions, population, industrial or oilfield areas, or natural obstructions, etc. An important conclusion is that the improvement in S/N and attributes obtained by the implementation of the proposed method for source recovery did require only a marginal increase in the work volume or resources for the project and so the cost and time of execution were not affected.


2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 779
Author(s):  
Alexandra Bennett

The Patchawarra Formation is characterised by Permian aged fluvial sediments. The conventional hydrocarbon play lies within fluvial sandstones, attributed to point bar deposits and splays, that are typically overlain by floodbank deposits of shales, mudstones and coals. The nature of the deposition of these sands has resulted in the discovery of stratigraphic traps across the Western Flank of the Cooper Basin, South Australia. Various seismic techniques are being used to search for and identify these traps. High seismic reflectivity of the coals with the low reflectivity of the relatively thin sands, often below seismic resolution, masks a reservoir response. These factors, combined with complex geometry of these reservoirs, prove a difficult play to image and interpret. Standard seismic interpretation has proven challenging when attempting to map fluvial sands. Active project examples within a 196 km2 3D seismic survey detail an evolving seismic interpretation methodology, which is being used to improve the delineation of potential stratigraphic traps. This involves an integration of seismic processing, package mapping, seismic attributes and imaging techniques. The integrated seismic interpretation methodology has proven to be a successful approach in the discovery of stratigraphic and structural-stratigraphic combination traps in parts of the Cooper Basin and is being used to extend the play northwards into the 3D seismic area discussed.


2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.J. Bennett ◽  
M.R. Bussell

The newly acquired 3,590 km2 Demeter 3D high resolution seismic survey covers most of the North West Shelf Venture (NWSV) area; a prolific hydrocarbon province with ultimate recoverable reserves of greater than 30 Tcf gas and 1.5 billion bbls of oil and natural gas liquids. The exploration and development of this area has evolved in parallel with the advent of new technologies, maturing into the present phase of revitalised development and exploration based on the Demeter 3D.The NWSV is entering a period of growing gas market demand and infrastructure expansion, combined with a more diverse and mature supply portfolio of offshore fields. A sequence of satellite fields will require optimised development over the next 5–10 years, with a large number of wells to be drilled.The NWSV area is acknowledged to be a complex seismic environment that, until recently, was imaged by a patchwork of eight vintage (1981–98) 3D seismic surveys, each acquired with different parameters. With most of the clearly defined structural highs drilled, exploration success in recent years has been modest. This is due primarily to severe seismic multiple contamination masking the more subtle and deeper exploration prospects. The poor quality and low resolution of vintage seismic data has also impeded reservoir characterisation and sub-surface modelling. These sub-surface uncertainties, together with the large planned expenditure associated with forthcoming development, justified the need for the Demeter leading edge 3D seismic acquisition and processing techniques to underpin field development planning and reserves evaluations.The objective of the Demeter 3D survey was to re-image the NWSV area with a single acquisition and processing sequence to reduce multiple contamination and improve imaging of intra-reservoir architecture. Single source (133 nominal fold), shallow solid streamer acquisition combined with five stages of demultiple and detailed velocity analysis are considered key components of Demeter.The final Demeter volumes were delivered early 2005 and already some benefits of the higher resolution data have been realised, exemplified in the following:Successful drilling of development wells on the Wanaea, Lambert and Hermes oil fields and identification of further opportunities on Wanaea-Cossack and Lambert- Hermes;Dramatic improvements in seismic data quality observed at the giant Perseus gas field helping define seven development well locations;Considerably improved definition of fluvial channel architecture in the south of the Goodwyn gas field allowing for improved well placement and understanding of reservoir distribution;Identification of new exploration prospects and reevaluation of the existing prospect portfolio. Although the Demeter data set has given significant bandwidth needed for this revitalised phase of exploration and development, there remain areas that still suffer from poor seismic imaging, providing challenges for the future application of new technologies.


1983 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 170
Author(s):  
A. R. Limbert ◽  
P. N. Glenton ◽  
J. Volaric

The Esso/Hematite Yellowtall oil discovery is located about 80 km offshore in the Gippsland Basin. It is a small accumulation situated between the Mackerel and Kingfish oilfields. The oil is contained in Paleocene Latrobe Group sandstones, and sealed by the calcareous shales and siltstones of the Oligocene to Miocene Lakes Entrance Formation. Structural movement and erosion have combined to produce a low relief closure on the unconformity surface at the top of the Latrobe Group.The discovery well, Yellowtail-1, was the culmination of an exploration programme initiated during the early 1970's. The early work involved the recording and interpretation of conventional seismic data and resulted in the drilling of Opah- 1 in 1977. Opah-1 failed to intersect reservoir- quality sediments within the interpreted limits of closure although oil indications were encountered in a non-net interval immediately below the top of the Latrobe Group. In 1980 the South Mackerel 3D seismic survey was recorded. The interpretation of these 3D data in conjunction with the existing well control resulted in the drilling of Yellowtail-1 and subsequently led to the drilling of Yellowtail-2.In spite of the intensive exploration to which this small feature has been subjected, the potential for its development remains uncertain. Technical factors which affect the viability of a Yellowtail development are:The low relief of the closure makes the reservoir volume highly sensitive to depth conversion of the seismic data.The complicated velocity field makes precise depth conversion difficult.The thin oil column reduces oil recovery efficiency.The detailed pattern of erosion at the top of the Latrobe Group may be beyond the resolution capability of 3D seismic data.The 3D seismic data may not be capable of defining the distribution of the non-net intervals within the trap.The large anticlinal closures and topographic highs in the Gippsland Basin have been drilled, and the prospects that remain are generally small or high risk. Such exploration demands higher technology in the exploration stage and more wells to define the discoveries, and has no guarantee of success. The Yellowtail discovery is an illustration of one such prospect that the Esso/Hematite joint venture is evaluating.


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Michiel Van Baaren ◽  
Roger May ◽  
Alexander Zarkhidze ◽  
David Morrison ◽  
John Quigley ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nejmaoui Mohamed ◽  
Mohamed Hedi Inoubli ◽  
Kawthar Sebei ◽  
Mohamed Houssem Kallel

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 569-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Bellefleur ◽  
Saeid Cheraghi ◽  
Alireza Malehmir

We reprocessed legacy three-dimensional (3D) seismic data from the Halfmile Lake and Brunswick areas, both of which were acquired for mineral exploration in the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick. Each 3D seismic survey was acquired over known volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits and covered areas with strong mineral potential. Most improvements resulted from a reduction of coherent and random noise on prestack gathers and from an improved velocity model, combined with re-imaging with dip moveout corrections and poststack migration or prestack time migration. At Halfmile Lake, the new imaging results show the Deep zone and a possible extension of the sulphide mineralization at greater depth. True amplitude processing has shown that this anomaly has strong amplitudes and is offset from the Deep zone by a shallowly dipping fault (<15°). With the clearer geological context provided by our results, this anomaly, which appears as a stand-alone anomaly on an original image obtained by Noranda Exploration Ltd., becomes a defendable exploration target. Nonorthogonal acquisition geometry and receiver patches of the Brunswick No. 6 3D seismic survey generated artefacts after dip moveout processing that reduced the overall quality of the seismic volumes. By using a filtering approach based on the application of a weighted Laplacian-Gaussian filter in the Kx–Ky domain, we reduced the noise and improved the continuity of reflections. We also imaged the short and flat reflections observed previously only in the shallow part of prestack time migrated data. These short reflections appear as diffractions on the filtered stacked section with dip moveout corrections, indicating that they originate from small geological bodies or discontinuities in the subsurface.


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