4D-ready Marine Seismic Data

A new concept for the acquisition of time-lapse, 4D-ready towed-streamer seismic data is introduced. Time-lapse (or 4D) seismic has emerged as a valuable technique for reservoir management. Several successful examples (e.g. Cooper et al., 1999; Koster et al., 2000) have demonstrated the potential of the 4D technique in understanding the dynamic behaviour of the reservoir and its potential use within a reservoir management workflow. The requirements for repeatability and fidelity of the seismic data are significantly greater for 4D reservoir monitoring than for exploration surveys, because we are looking for relatively small changes in the reservoir’s seismic response. 4D-ready towed-streamer data requires better control of the seismic source signature, streamer geometry and recorded signal fidelity to ensure data repeatability and the reduction of the acquisition footprint.