Reducing exploration risk

Oilfield Review

Volumn 19, Issue 1, 2007, Pages 26-43

  Alfaro, Jose Camera ^a   Corcoran, Chris ^b   Davies, Kevin ^c   Pineda, Francisco Gonzalez ^a   Hampson, Gary ^d   Hill, David ^e   Howard, Mike ^f   Kapoor, Jerry ^e   Moldoveanu, Nick ^e   Kragh, Ed ^e  

^a PEMEX   (Mexico)

^b SHELL GLOBAL SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL B V   (United States)

^c Chevron Europe   (United Kingdom)

^d CHEVRON ENERGY TECHNOLOGY COMPANY   (United States)

^e BHP Billiton ^*

^f BHP BILLITON   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AZIMUTHAL COVERAGE; CARBONATE RESERVOIRS; MARINE-SEISMIC TECHNOLOGY; RESERVOIR ILLUMINATION;

BASALT; CARBONATE MINERALS; QUALITY CONTROL; SEISMOLOGY;

RISK ASSESSMENT;

EID: 34547239542     PISSN: 09231730     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (46)

1. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Exploratory Wells, Selected Years 1949-2005, http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pdf/pages/sec4_13.pdf (accessed February 25, 2007).
2. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Exploratory and Development Wells, Selected Years 1949-2005, http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pdf/pages/sec4_11.pdf (accessed February 25, 2007).
3. Farris A: "Guest Editorial: Emerging Technology and Its Impact on the Industry," JPT Online (October 2006), http://www.spe.org/spe/ jpt/jsp/jptmonthlysection/0,2440,1104J1038_5742058_5742529,00.html (accessed February 26, 2007).
4. Paganie D: "Deepwater GoM Key with 50 Bboe of Undiscovered Reserves," Offshore 67, no. 1 (January 2007): 46, http://www.offshore-mag. com/display_article/283060/9/ ARCHI/none/none/Deepwater-GoM-key-with-50-Bboeof- undiscovered-reserves/ (accessed March 29, 2007).
5. "Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 2006: Interim Report of 2005 Highlights," U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico DCS Region, http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepgywhatsnew/techann/2006/ 2006-022.pdf (accessed February 27, 2007).
6. "Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 2005: Interim Report of 2004 Highlights," U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/whatsnew/techann/2005/ 2005-023.html (accessed February 27, 2007).
7. Paganie, reference 2.
8. "Why Norwegian Seismic Is Still Running in Anders Farestveit's Direction," First Break 24 (December 2006): 11-14.
9. Vermeer GJO: 3-D Seismic Survey Design. Tulsa: Society of Exploration Geophysicists, 2002.
10. Azimuth is the bearing from the source to the receiver.
11. Christie P, Nichols D, Özbek A, Curtis T, Larsen L, Strudley A, Davis R and Svendsen M: "Raising the Standards of Seismic Data Quality," Oilfield Review 13, no. 2 (Summer 2001): 16-31.
12. A bin is the area on the target surface, typically 25 m by 25 m [82 ft by 82 ft], to which seismic traces are assigned according to their common midpoint (CMP).
13. Stacking is the summation of signals, and is performed to enhance signal-to-noise ratio.
14. Regone C: "Using 3D finite-Difference Modeling to Design Wide Azimuth Surveys for Improved Subsalt Imaging," Expanded Abstracts, 75th SEG Annual International Meeting and Exposition, New Orleans (October 1-6, 2006): 2896-2900.
15. Keggin J, Benson M, Rietveld W, Manning T, Cook P and Page C: "Multi-Azimuth 3D Provides Robust Improvements in Nile Delta Seismic Imaging," First Break 25 (March 2007): 47-53.
16. Michell S, Summers T, Shoshitaishvili E, Etgen J, Regone C, Barley B, Keggin J, Benson M, Reitveld W and Manning T: "Multi-Azimuth and Wide Azimuth Towed Streamer Acquisition for Subsalt Imaging in the Gulf of Mexico and Egypt," paper OTC 18829, presented at the Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, April 30-May 3, 2007.
17. Widmaier M, Keggin J, Hegna S and Kios E: "The Use of Multi-Azimuth Streamer Acquisition for Attenuation of Diffracted Multiples," Expanded Abstracts, 72nd SEG Annual International Meeting and Exposition, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA (October 6-10, 2002):89-93.
18. Threadgold IM, Zembeck-England K, Aas PG, Fontana PM, Hite D and Boone WE: "Implementing a Wide Azimuth Towed Streamer Field Trial: The What, Why and Mostly How of WATS in Southern Green Canyon," Expanded Abstracts, 76th SEG Annual International Meeting and Exposition, New Orleans (October 1-S, 2006): 2901-2904.
19. Corcoran C, Perkins C, Lee D, Cook R, Kapoor J and Moldoveanu N: "Wide-Azimuth Streamer Acquisition for Gulf of Mexico Subsalt Imaging," paper OTC 19071, presented at the Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, April 30-May 3, 2007.
20. Corcoran C, Perkins C, Lee D, Cattermole P, Cook R and Moldoveanu N: "A Wide-Azimuth Streamer Acquisition Pilot Project in the Gulf of Mexico," The Leading Edge 26, no. 4 (April 2007): 460-468.
21. Corcoran C, Perkins C, Lee D, Cattermole P, Cook R and Moldoveanu N: "Wide-Azimuth Streamer Acquisition for Gulf of Mexico Subsalt Imaging," Expanded Abstracts, 76th SEG Annual International Meeting and Exposition, New Orleans (October 1-6, 2006): 2910-2914.
22. Corcoran et al, reference 16.
23. Wave-equation migration uses a velocity model and various solutions to the wave equation that describe propagation of waves through rock. The objective is to redistribute reflected seismic energy from its assumed position at the source-receiver midpoint to its true position.
24. Multiclient surveys are surveys acquired by seismic contractors over unlicensed areas, then made available to multiple clients. Partial funding for multiclient surveys may be provided by one or more E&P companies.
25. A salt keel is what remains of the root of an intruding salt body after the root has detached itself from the parent salt layer.
26. Kapoor S, O'Briain M, Desta D, Atakishiyev I and Tomida M: "Subsalt Imaging - The RAZ/WAZ Experience," prepared for presentation at the 77th SEG Annual International Meeting and Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, September 23-28, 2007.
27. Howard MS and Moldoveanu N: "Marine Survey Design for Rich-Azimuth Seismic Using Surface Streamers," Expanded Abstracts. 76th SEG Annual International Meeting and Exposition, New Orleans (October 1-6, 2006): 2915-2919.
28. BMP Billiton to Develop Shenzi Oil and Gas Field in Gulf of Mexico, http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/mvestorsMedia/news/2006/ bhpBillitonToDevelopShenziOilAndGasFieldln GulfOfMexico.jsp (accessed March 2, 2007).
29. Howard M: "Marine Seismic Surveys with Enhanced Azimuth Coverage: Lessons in Survey Design and Acquisition," The Leading Edge 26, no. 4 (April 2007): 480-493.
30. Polarity of a seismic signal refers to the direction of its amplitude in a recorded seismic trace. Negative and positive amplitudes have opposite polarity.
31. Low-frequency information is needed for inversion of seismic data because typically, the seismic data themselves provide only high-frequency information, such as relative changes in reflectivity or acoustic impedance at each layer boundary. Low-frequency information, typically derived from checkshots or integrated sonic logs, provides trie baseline from which the high-frequency data vary. By combining both low-and high-frequency information, absolute changes in rock properties may be calculated. Because seismic inversion requires a combination of seismic and well data, it usually cannot be performed reliably in the absence of wells. However, if seismic data could be acquired with low-frequency content intact, inversion could be carried out in more areas.
32. Moldoveanu N, Combee L, Egan M, Hampson G, Sydora L and Abriel W: "Over/Under Towed-Streamer Acquisition: A Method to Extend Seismic Bandwidth to Both Higher and Lower Frequencies," The Leading Edge 26, no. 1 (January 2007): 41-42, 44-46, 48, 50-54, 56-58.
33. Haggerty PE; "Method and Apparatus for Canceling Reverberations in Water Layers," U.S. Patent No. 2,757,356, July 21, 1956.
34. Brink M and Svendsen M: "Marine Seismic Exploration Using Vertical Receiver Arrays: A Means for Reduction of Weather Downtime," Expanded Abstracts, 57th SEG Annual International Meeting and Exposition, New Orleans (October 11-15, 1987): 184-187.
35. Sonneland L, Berg LE, Eidsvig P, Haugen R, Fotland B and Vestby J: "2-D Oeghosting Using Vertical Receiver Arrays," Expanded Abstracts, 56th SEG Annual International Meeting and Exposition, Houston (November 2-6, 1986):516-519.
36. Posthumus BJ: "Deghosting Using a Twin Streamer Configuration," Geophysical Prospecting 41, no. 3 (April 1993):267-286.
37. Moldoveanu et al, reference 27.
38. Moldoveanu N: "Source Array for Use in Marine Seismic Exploration," U.S. Patent No. 6,961,284, November 1, 2005.
39. Moldoveanu N: "Vertical Source Array in Marine Seismic Exploration," Expanded Abstracts, 70th SEG Annual International Meeting and Exposition, Calgary (August 6-11,2000): 53-56.
40. Hill D, Combee L and Bacon J: "Imaging Beneath Basalt Using an Over/Under Towed-Streamer Configuration," World Oil 227, no. 5 (May 2006): 55-61.
41. Hill D, Combee L and Bacon J: "Over/Under Acquisition and Data Processing: The Next Quantum Leap in Seismic Technology?" first Break 24, no. 6 (June 2006): 81-95.
42. Kumar D, Bastia R and Guha D: "Prospect Hunting Below Deccan Basalt: Imaging Challenges and Solutions," First Break 22, no. 7 (July 2004): 35-39.
43. Hill et al, reference 34 (May 2006).
44. Moldoveanu et al, reference 27.
45. Salter R, Shelander D, Beller M, Flack 6, Gillespie D, Moldoveanu N, Gonzalez Pineda F and Camara Alfaro J: "Using High-Resolution Seismic for Carbonate Reservoir Description," World Oil 227, no. 3 (March 2006): 57-66.
46. Salter R, Shelander D, Beller M, Flack B, Gillespie D, Moldoveanu N, Pineda F and Camara J: "The Impact of High-Resolution Seismic Data on Carbonate Reservoir Description, Offshore Mexico," presented at the International Exposition and 75th Annual Meeting of the SEG, Houston, November 6-11, 2005.