PGS has released PSDM multi-azimuth (MAZ) data 16 weeks after completing the Geostreamer X Viking Graben survey in the northern North Sea GeoStreamer X has delivered on its promise of a significantly faster method of achieving offset- and...
PGS has released PSDM multi-azimuth (MAZ) data 16 weeks after completing the Geostreamer X Viking Graben survey in the northern North Sea
GeoStreamer X has delivered on its promise of a significantly faster method of achieving offset- and azimuth-rich data than node-based exploration, said PGS, which added that the timescale was comparable to conventional single azimuth processing.
Using a single Ramform vessel, PGS piloted an innovative towed-streamer survey design to solve the imaging challenges in the Viking Graben. The acquisition was completed in November and fast-track PSDM data was released in February 2020.
The project combined three acquisition directions with a wide-tow source configuration for advanced offset- and azimuth-rich data. The Ramform Vanguard towed 12 streamers, including two 10 km-long tails to provide offsets for FWI, and a wide-tow multi-source with 225 m total separation. Close to zero offset was achieved and this has been used for optimal near-offset sampling and shallow imaging. The set-up also provided dense spatial sampling for high-resolution imaging, offering improved illumination with a significant efficiency gain and reduced environmental footprint.
The main imaging challenges in the area are illumination below shallow channels and resolving a complex sandy interval in the Hordaland Group. This includes cemented sand injectites that introduce anomalously high velocities (called v-brights), and below this, a thin chalk layer that absorbs energy and generates multiples.
The GeoStreamer X Viking Graben survey exploits rich offset and azimuth information in the imaging sequence. The velocity model used for the fast track imaging was based on the underlying legacy survey using 6 km of data, acquired in 2011.
The full-integrity MAZ products will maximize resolution and the usability for interpreters of any signals present in any acquisition direction. The 10km-long offsets will be incorporated for multi-azimuth full-waveform inversion, multi-azimuth high-resolution reflection tomography, and the final anisotropic PSDM.
‘GeoStreamer X has great potential on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, delivering a robust and efficient solution to provide the data quality step-change needed to discover new resources. We plan to expand the concept during the 2020 season and are currently reviewing opportunities in the Viking Graben,’ said Gunhild Myhr, VP new ventures Europe at PGS.
Meanwhile, PGS has entered into an agreement with Cognite to use its software to help it reduce vessel operating costs and improve efficiency.
PGS has launched two digitalization workstreams aimed at improving fleet performance, refining approaches to optimize fuel consumption and reducing maintenance cost by actively monitoring equipment via contextualized data.
Both projects will leverage Cognite Data Fusion’s technology to extract data from different source systems, making different types of data related to one piece of equipment easily accessible within a single interface.
Cognite Data Fusion software integrates seamlessly with existing IT/ OT infrastructures and aims to liberate industrial data from siloed source systems.
