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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Sub-sea seismic: Impact on exploration and production

Conference ·
OSTI ID:136623
The recently developed SUMIC technique enables the acquisition of high-quality shear wave data at the seabed. The additional information provided by the shear waves makes it easier to infer accurate geological information about the subsurface. The availability of shear wave data enhances the reliability of lithology and fluid predictions from seismic data. Furthermore, the shear waves have been successfully used to image reservoirs where gas saturation in the overburden completely distorts any imaging based on conventional seismic data. The technique has also demonstrated potential for improving the overall data and image quality in traditional ``bad data`` areas. Sub-sea shear wave technology has demonstrated potential for risk reduction in exploration through more accurate prospect definition. Reduced reservoir uncertainty may reduce the need for appraisal wells and thus make it possible to increase the net-present value of new fields by decreasing the time lapse from discovery to production. Finally, the improved reservoir description may facilitate more optimum reservoir management.
OSTI ID:
136623
Report Number(s):
CONF-950501--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English