Abstract

Seismic data acquisition, especially 3-D data, plays a very important role in exploration for hydrocarbons. It is a dream come true to acquire an ideal 3-D volume because it is prohibitively costlier to acquire on a commercial scale. There are various geometries adopted for acquiring 3-D seismic data which are essentially a compromise made on certain parameters. These compromises are based on area of coverage, active channel requirement, zone of interest etc. The only compromise we do not want to make is on the quality of data to fulfill the Geological & Geophysical objectives. This paper suggests an innovative acquisition design to acquire 3-D seismic data, for focusing various zones of interest, in a cost effective way. A case study is also presented, implementing the geometry design. The effectiveness of the acquisition design, to satisfy the objectives, is brought out in the sections shown as example. This type of judicious mix of mini & maxi lines can be used in suitable combinations to focus the objective zones and acquire quality 3-D seismic data in cost-optimized manner