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October 2009
Reducing the exploration cycle with effective onboard processing
First Break
BP’s first 3D marine survey in Libya’s Gulf of Sirt was one of the world’s largest, covering 17,000 km2. The company awarded Wavefield-Inseis and its subcontractor, Geotrace Technologies, the acquisition and onboard processing contract in June 2008 (Figure 1). The contract split the area into four tracts of approximately equal area and stipulated onboard processing, including 2D SRME and full pre-stack time migration with velocity model picking, within six weeks of last shot for each tract. The aim was to produce a high quality image for prospect identification and to enable the complete well planning process to begin in 2009 leading to early exploration drilling.
This paper seeks to show that exploration cycle times and image quality for vast surveys need not be overly limited by onboard processing constraints, provided that proper planning and investment are undertaken and that the appropriate levels of geophysical expertise and computer resources are available to meet project objectives. It is possible to deliver high quality, pre-stack time processing onboard while keeping pace with acquisition for very large surveys.
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