WorldOil

A complex, deepwater seismic survey produces high quality results

To produce the rapid turnaround and accuracy demanded of deepwater exploration 3D marine surveys, acquisition teams need the most advanced tools available to collect and process a significant amount of data while in the field. The following is the case history of a marine 3D reconnaissance survey that was conducted in deep water over a complex seabed and challenging target zone. In 2006, the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (Turkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortakligi, TPAO) contracted WesternGeco to collect and process data for the Kozlu exploration 3D seismic survey. Kozlu is located in the southwestern Turkish sector of the Black Sea, Fig. 1. The Kozlu area seabed is quite rugose. Over the 2,850-sq-km survey area, water depths vary from 1,100 to 2,200 m, giving seabed reflection times of 1.5 to 3 sec. In this difficult marine environment, TPAO required high-fidelity images of a complex target that included limestone reefs and shales.