An Integrated Regional Framework for Seismic Depth Imaging in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico

Regional geologic context is an important factor in the effective assessment of exploration risk in frontier areas such as the ultra-deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The use of regional frameworks has been reported during the prospect evaluation and discovery phases of several large deepwater fields in the Gulf of Mexico. This paper describes a new, fully integrated, region-wide seismic framework that addresses this need. The approach incorporates:<br>- Long offset, long record length, high resolution data acquisition.<br>- Integrated, area-wide subsurface model-building incorporating salt interpretive experience, seismic velocity estimation, and guidance from 3-D gravity control.<br>- Pre-stack depth imaging techniques. <br>A robust, integrated workflow with associated analytical tools has been designed to create a high quality seismic database that provides both regional scale and image detail in depth to support exploration understanding across this complex Gulf of Mexico geologic regime. We discuss the issues related to providing accurate seismic images in depth across this regionally consistent grid.