The use of autonomous systems in marine environments has increased in recent years and covers activities from oceanographic studies, environmental awareness, maritime surveillance, defense, and oil and gas. For oil and gas, the current applications are related to meteorological and oceanographic monitoring, hydrocarbon detection and mapping, subsea communication by means of acoustic modems, and localized real-time geomagnetic surveys. The concept of the three-dimensional sensor array was very recently introduced, specifically for autonomous marine vehicle applications to seismic acquisition. We show results from some of our field experiments and simulation studies to demonstrate the potential of this new type of seismic acquisition technology.
Advances in acquisition and processing technology help overcome imaging challenges in complex structural settings. The widespread adoption of wide-azimuth (WAZ) and the move towards full-azimuth (FAZ) acquisition geometries, both combined with increasing offsets, result in significantly improved illumination. Reduced compute cost and improved performance enabled reverse time migration (RTM) to emerge as the imaging algorithm of choice in such settings. Of course, an accurate velocity model is a key component in realizing the full potential of these acquisition geometries and algorithms. The trend is towards increasingly more complex anisotropic models, with a move from vertical transverse isotropy (VTI) to tilted transverse isotropy (TTI) and even orthorhombic. In the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), though the importance of defining an accurate anisotropic model in the supra-salt section cannot be understated, the largest contributing factor to a good image subsalt is often the correct delineation of the "salt body" itself. Without an accurate definition of the salt geometry, the subsalt image invariably remains distorted and poorly resolved. In this paper, we will focus on this portion of the depth imaging workflow and illustrate how the techniques of RTM scenario testing and image partitioning can be used in combination to both help define the salt geometry and improve the final post-migration image. We will describe a practical workflow and the key components that we feel are necessary for its success. In addition, we will illustrate a number of lessons learned during the course of recent projects executed in the GoM.
In any R&D projects, the researchers begin with a Proof-Of-Concept where the research proposal is subjected to scrutiny by a team of experts. If it passes muster, it is then nurtured through stages of development, piloting, deployment and ultimately, commercialization. In PETRONAS, the researchers' share of work has never been confined only at the lab. Once the work has been scientifically or technically proven at lab scale, they are pushed to the hard part of looking into the practicalities and economics of applying the technology into the real world. Piloting of a technology is a challenge for researchers who have to move beyond their comfort zone of "pure" research to look into a host of factors that determine the success of real life applications of their work. There are countless parameters to consider ranging from costs to risks. Researchers are also expected to forego their "dream" for a perfect technology and accept the imperfections with calculated risks in order to move the technology to the next level. They are anticipated to provide mitigation plans for the risks that come together with the technology deployment to meet every aspect of the safety requirements. The minds of the researchers have been instilled with one clear goal in their pursuits of technologies – bringing them beyond the lab to be deployed in the fields, where they can add values to the Businesses. To date, PETRONAS has successfully deployed more than 5 pilot plants on various R&D areas to several plant operating sites in Malaysia. This has kept the researcher teams busy and on their toes with the challenges and triumphs of seeing new technologies go live and subjected to real operating conditions. In every step of pushing a technology from lab to pilot and up to commercialization, the researchers have gained many important traits from the science, economics, engineering, operation and commercialization of the technology, hence, producing "all-rounded" researchers. The process pushes them to work and understand the requirements of not only their fellow researchers, but also those people of different backgrounds from engineers who turn their R&D concept to pilot unit to commercial personnel who needs convincing in order to sell their technology. Through researchers' involvements from lab-scale to pilot, and often up to commercialization of the technologies, a significant leval of knowledge and skill has been acquired together with the developments of tools and methods to successfully deliver new technologies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.