oa Vibroseis or Dynamite: investigating source characteristics

A comparison of recently acquired seismic data in the Bowen Basin has highlighted inherent differences in signal content between dynamite and Vibroseis sources. This work was undertaken to assist selection of the source for proposed 2D and 3D seismic surveys in the Bowen Basin where recent drilling successes have revived interest in the hydrocarbon potential of the Permian sequence. Although comparisons between dynamite and Vibroseis sources have been made previously, the topic remains relevant because of developments in acquisition technology, the use of seismic source modelling and the area-dependency of seismic data quality.

The motivation for acquisition of further 2D and 3D seismic data in the Surat-Bowen Basin are petroleum discoveries in the Permian Tinowon Sandstone along the western flank of the Taroom Trough at Myall Creek, Churchie, Overston and Waggamba. Variable reservoir quality and extent make identification of Tinowon sands difficult and good quality, high resolution data are essential for exploration and development mapping of the prospective reservoir units. For this study, a pair of overlapping 2D seismic lines was selected, one recorded with a Vibroseis source in 1996 and the other with dynamite in 2000. Care was taken to select two modern lines with acquisition parameters that would minimise the attenuation of frequencies in the higher end of the signal spectrum, thus providing input data sets that would result in a valid Vibroseis-dynamite comparison.

Data processing was closely monitored to determine the effects of specific algorithms on signal content. Dynamite proved to have the greatest resolution in the Tinowon zone of interest, that is, around 1400 ms. Indeed, inspection of the signal spectra and particularly the bandpass filter panels on raw field records clearly showed that dynamite data contained higher frequencies and exhibited increased resolution relative to the Vibroseis data in the study area. Bandpass filtering is an effective means of evaluating seismic source characteristics.

Predictably, results showed that resolution of the dynamite and Vibroseis data converged with depth due to the natural frequency filter effect of the earth. Synthetic data produced from wavelets matching the Vibroseis and dynamite data demonstrated that the improved resolution expected from the dynamite source would improve imaging of the Permian section. Based on the results of this trial and other modelling, Origin Energy selected a dynamite source for their Myall Creek 3D survey. Mosaic Oil selected dynamite for both their 2003 2D and their 2004 3D seismic survey.