Point-receiver seismic data offers new approach to managing onshore E&P development cycle

WesternGeco explain how the ‘interleaving’ of seismic surveys provides benefits in terms of time saved between exploration and development as well as reduced investment in seismic data acquisition over the asset life cycle.  The traditional cycle of land seismic exploration first employs a broad regional 2D seismic exploration survey with widely spaced seismic lines. After initial interpretation, a further 2D grid of intersecting lines is acquired over large areas of interest. This grid would normally have lines intersecting every few kilometers or closer. Following up on these programmes there is often a need for 3D surveys to image discovered structures of interest in greater detail to provide information for well planning. 3D surveys may subsequently be repeated several times through the life of the field to successively improve the subsurface image and, hence, help guide the reservoir management process. This article demonstrates a solution for two of the main drawbacks to this traditional cycle of acquiring land seismic data: the time taken to move through the seismic exploration cycle, and the inefficient use of seismic surveys through the life cycle of an asset.