OFFSHORE SEISMIC DATA ACQUISITION

S. PANIGRAHI
Planning&ManagingoffshoreOperations
GeophysicalRequirements
PositioningandNavigationinoffshore
LatestTechniquesandTechnologies
QHSE
Offshore Geophysical Surveys
OFFSHORE DATA ACQUISITION
1. HOW IT IS DIFFERENT FROM LAND ACQUISITION
A. RECEIVERS
B. ENERGY SOURCE
C. NAVIGATION & POSITIONING
2. PLANNING OF SURVEY ( 2D or 3D or 4D )
3. METHODS OF OFFSHORE ACQUISITION
4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
OFFSHORE Seismic Data Acquisition
Tail
Buoy
To Vessel
Tail Buoy
Vessel
Energy
source
CMP
Seismic Data Acquisition
(OFFSHORE)
Single Streamer Geometry
MULTI Streamer Geometry
A View from the Back Deck of the Boat
RECEIVERS / STREAMERS
Hydrophones : Pressure sensitive piezo-electric material.
Produces an Electric analog signal of
pressure variations.
The pressure changes associated with a sound wave can be
Detected by a piezoelectric element. Under the pressure
of a sound wave, the piezoelectric element flexes and in
return gives off electrical signals.
These electrical signals can be recorded and later analyzed.
STREAMER
Trade name for Offshore Data Acquisition Cables.
Contains groups of Hydrophones at pre-determined intervals.
Consists of many sections of cables of 100 mt length.
Standard Length can be 2.5 KM to 8 KM as per requirement
Payed out Streamer
Streamers on winch
STREAMER SECTIONS STORED ON DECK
Solid Streamers are recognized for their consistency,
reliability, high signal-to-noise ratio and low frequency
recording.
-Their low noise characteristics allow the extension of
operations into more marginal weather windows.
- The consistent buoyancy allows stable towing at
shallower depths to optimize high-frequency acquisition
where required.
SOLID STREAMERS
PAYING OUT OF STREAMERS FROM BACK DECK OF THE SHIP
ENGAGING OF BIRDS IN STREAMER
Provides:
Advanced acoustic positioning,
Powerful streamer steering,
Automatic depth control
Resulting in spread regularization &
improved full streamer positioning
BOAT TOWING A SINGLE STREAMER
THE STREAMER IS TOWED AT A DEPTH TO REDUCE NOISE
MARINE ENERGY SOURCE
1. AIRGUN : Compressed air at high pressure is forced out.
2. WATERGUN : Compressed water is forced out. The expelled water
creates a vacuum in its wake, resulting in an implosion.
3. BOOMER : Two metal plates are shoved apart by electric current,
creating a void space.
4. SPARKERS : Sparkers send an electric spark between two electrodes,
vaporizing the surrounding water and simulating an explosion.
5. AQUAPULSE : A submerged explosive source in which the waste gas
is ejected into the atmosphere.
6. VAPOURCHOC : which fires a bubble of superheated steam .
7. FLEXOTIR : Which detonates a charge in a porous steel cage.
AIR GUN ENERGY SOURCE
CLUSTER OF AIR GUNS- Volume ranging from 50 to 700 cubic inch
The most commonly used marine seismic source is the air
gun. This gun injects high-pressure air into the water.
The air guns consists of two chambers and a piston-like
apparatus called the shuttle. Air moves from one chamber to the
other through the shuttle.
Eventually, the pressure forces the shuttle upward, releasing
air into the water through vents.
As with explosive sources, the bubble effect creates
oscillations, but due to the small energy release, the bubble
effect lengthens the initial pulse instead of creating conflicting
pulses.
Air guns are generally used in arrays.
AIR GUN ENERGY SOURCE
TYPICALAIRGUN
Most widely used of all
nonexplosive sources is
air gun, due to its
simplicity, robustness and
reliability.
An air gun releases
compressed air into the
water at precisely
controlled time. This
rapidly/instant expanding
air bubble produces the
seismicshock.
-in
11 meter separation rope
With sliding collar attached to the lead
but fixed to the gun bulkhead
9 meter separation rope between sub -array
With sliding collars both end.
M/V SAGAR
SANDHANI
POSITION OF GUN ARRAY TOWED BY THE SHIP
OFFSHORE NAVIGATION & POSITIONING
It is a "constellation" of twenty-four 20,000km
high GPS satellites.
The satellites are distributed on 6 orbits, 4 per
orbit.
Every satellite makes a complete rotation of
the Earth every 12 hours.
Gives position in Lat , Long ( WGS-84 )
GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
Determining Position
Determining Position
Determining Position
PositionisBasedonTime
PositionisBasedonTime
T + 3
Distance between satellite
and receiver = 3 times the
speed of light
T
Signal leaves satellite
at time T
Signal is picked up by the
receiver at time T + 3
SourcesofSignalInterference
SourcesofSignalInterference
Earths Atmosphere
Solid Structures
Metal
Electro-magnetic Fields
DifferentialGPS
(DGPS)
DGPS Site
x+30, y+60
x+5, y-3
True coordinates =
x+0, y+0
Correction = x-5, y+3
DGPS correction = x+(30-5) and
y+(60+3)
True coordinates = x+25, y+63
x-5, y+3
RealTimeDifferentialGPS
RealTimeDifferentialGPS
DGPS Receiver
Receiver
GPS RECEIVERS
Leica GPS1200+
PLANNING OF SURVEY
1. 2D or 3D or 4D
2. TRANSITION ZONE OBC
3. SHALLOW WATER OR DEEP WATER
4. MULTI-COMPONENT ACQUISITION
ANTENNA
50.55m
VESSEL / STREAMER OFFSETS
CFG
COS
158.95 m
50 m
10m
STREAMER 1 (4600 mtrs)
STREAMER 2 (4600 mtrs)
90..5 m
300 m
100m
3 STRETCH
10m
ACQUISITION GEOMETRY
Streamer 1, 6000 mts.
Streamer 2, 6000 mts.
3 STRETCH
FOUR STREAMER Geometry
Inordertoacquire3Dseismicinasafeandeffectivemannerin shallowand
congestedareas,asforinstanceinGulfofMexico,OceanBottom Cable.
(OBC)isthepreferredacquisitiontechnique.
OBCalsooffersthebenefitofwideazimuthcoverageandadvancedrock
propertyanalysisduetomulticomponent recording.
OCEAN BOTTOM SURVEYS
Data Acquisition at Sea
MULTI-STREAMER ACQUISITION
CONVENTIONAL METHOD OF OFF-SHORE
DATA ACQUISITION
THE ACQUISITION PATH FOLLOWS A STRAIGHT LINE ( BLUE LINE )
THEN TURNS 180 DEGREES TO ACQUIRE DATA IN OPPOSITE
DIRECTION ( ORANGE ARROW )
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS & TECHNIQUES
1. WIDE AZIMUTH ACQUISITION
2. COIL SHOOTING
3. Q-MARINE ( High Density 3D )
4. GEO-STREAMER
WAZ - WIDE AZIMUTH DATA ACQUISITION
A FOUR VESSEL WIDE AZIMUTH ACQUISITION CONFIGURATION
COIL SHOOTING
SHOOTING SEISMIC SURVEYS IN CIRCLES
DIFFFERENT AZIMUTH SURVEYS
COMPARISON OF AZIMUTH
OFFSET DISTRIBUTION PLOTS
CALLED ROSE DIAGRAMS.
ADVANTAGE OF WIDE AZIMUTH ACQUISITION
AZIMUTH OF OBSERVATION IMPACTS THE RESULTS
OF SEISMIC IMAGING THROUGH GEOLOGIC MEDIA
WITH COMPLEX GEOMETRIES.
HD3Ddeliversoptimumseismicimagequalityandresolution,virtuallyfreeof
processingartifacts. HD3Ddataproductsaddressanentirespectrumof
seismicexploration,production,andtimelapse(4D)reservoirmonitoring
challenges.
HIGH DENSITY 3D
Proprietary solid fill material ( BVF ) provides both reduced
self-noise and consistent buoyancy benefits.
BVF is a hydrocarbon-based material that cures into a solid
with specifically engineered properties.
SOLID STREAMER
The BVF material retains
its shape, demonstrating its
resistance to deformation.
GeoStreamer TwoSensorsareBetterthanOne
GeoStreamer represents the most significant advance in towed marine
streamer technology since its original invention 61 years ago. There have
beenmanyattemptstoimplementaviabledualsensorstreamerandallof
themhavefailed,withthenotableexceptionofthislatestonebyPGS.
IncreasedExplorationSuccess
GeoStreamer isdesignedtoprovidebetterimagingofbothlowandhigh
frequencies, recording both pressure and velocity fields during marine
seismic acquisition. In addition, the data is sampled in the quieter and
operationallymoreefficientenvironmentofadeepertow.
GEO-STREAMER
A wave is recorded by a hydrophone and a vertical velocity sensor.
The up-going wave is seen as a positive by both sensors while the
down-going wave is negative for the hydrophone and positive for the
velocity sensor.
Since the two sensors are collocated, they have identical ghost
period and can be summed to produce the up-going wave whilst the
difference produces the down-going wave.
GEO-STREAMER SENSORS
AA
MV SAGAR SANDHANI
(DEPARTMENTAL SEISMIC SURVEY VESSEL)
MV SAGAR SANDHANI
MV SAGAR SANDHANI
1. DUAL STREAMERS OF MAXIMUM LENGTH 6000
M EACH
2. DUAL SOURCE (1500 LL BOLT AIR GUN) 2538 CU. IN
AND 2000 PSI
3. ACQUISITION SYSTEM OF HANDLING 1008 CH
IN EACH STREAMER
4. ONLINE QC MONITORING SYSTEM
5. NAVIGATION SYSTEM
6. ONBOARD PROCESSING SYSTEM
ANTENNA
50.55m
VESSEL / STREAMER OFFSETS
CFG
COS
158.95 m
50 m
10m
STREAMER 1 (4600 mtrs)
STREAMER 2 (4600 mtrs)
90..5 m
300 m
100m
3 STRETCH
10m
ACQUISITION GEOMETRY
Streamer 1, 6000 mts.
Streamer 2,6000 mts.
3 STRETCH
2D SURVEY
3D SURVEY
2D VS 3D DATA ACQUISITION
IMAGE OF THE SUB-SURFACE
The control of the oceans is currently regulated by the 1982 Lawof the Sea
Convention that went into effect on November 16, 1994. This law defines
oceanic jurisdiction for all nations. It establishes the principle of a 200-
nautical-mile limit on a nation's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) whereby a
nation controls the undersea resources, primarily fishing and seabed
mining, for a distance of 200 nautical miles from its shore.
EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE
The diagram above shows a very simplified, basic outline of the important
distance markers for the international zones of jurisdiction over the
adjacent sea. The letter B is the low-water line along the coast and it
represents the baseline from which all seaward measurements are
determined. Be aware that international systems of measurement are
according to the metric system. This also includes all international
commerce.
The original metric system was based upon commonly found Earth
systems. The nautical mile was developed during the age of sailing and
has become the international system for measuring ocean (nautical)
distances. It is defined as one minute (1') of latitude or 1.15 miles. (A
degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles; a minute of latitude is 1/60th
of that.) That makes a nautical mile about 1,852 meters (6,076 feet) in
length or 18% longer than a statute mile, the measurement commonly
used in the English system (5,280 feet or 1,609 meters). Few Americans
realize that their "frequent flyer" miles are calculated in nautical miles and
not statute miles.
EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE