3D Acquisition Geometries as the Way to Overcome Drawbacks of Today's Seismic Exploration Technologies

The need for highly detailed investigation of complicated and small reservoirs as well as efficient extraction of residual resources from mature deposits has been constantly growing in recent years. This fact sets up new requirements to efficiency of implemented geophysical exploration methods and first of all seismic methods as the main tool for hydrocarbon reservoirs study. In this paper exploration abilities of modern land and borehole seismic are discussed. Their general features, resolution power and accuracy are mentioned and principal shortcomings are formulated. Integrated surface-downhole seismic acquisition geometries are proposed as the way to compensate specific drawbacks of land seismic and VSP. Case stories prove the efficiency of the new acquisition system.