Exploration and production areas in the desert can be characterized by sand dunes, hard sabkha deposits and buried wadis. In these areas, surface conditions and complex near-surface velocity zones can negatively impact seismic image quality. Ground roll, a type of low frequency, low velocity coherent noise created by energy source systems, can obscure the seismic signal and degrade the image.
In addition, as acoustic energy passes between hard (high velocity) and soft (low velocity) layers in the near-surface, seismic rays can “bend” (or refract) unpredictably. Conventional seismic methods are challenged in these situations. Seismic energy is often mapped to inaccurate subsurface reflection horizons, causing the final seismic image to be distorted.
Full-wave imaging techniques and technologies often deliver a more accurate subsurface image in desert environments. At the core of full-wave imaging is VectorSeis, the award-winning digital 3C MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) sensor. VectorSeis captures broadband seismic data with the highest vector fidelity available in the marketplace. Since VectorSeis has three orthogonally-mounted sensors, particle motion and time-arrival differences can be measured and analyzed at each VectorSeis station and across the entire spread. This enables geophysicists to more accurately map reflected seismic energy into the correct location in the subsurface, delivering higher resolution images of the subsurface, even for deep targets.
Full-wave imaging is about more than just the sensor. Combinations of innovative field acquisition techniques and processing technologies are necessary to solve desert operational and imaging challenges. ION offers a broad portfolio of technologies and services that are designed to enhance image quality and sustain field productivity in desert settings, including:
