f SeisMovieTM: a continuous land seismic monitoring system

To overcome the difficulties linked to source and surface noises in the near surface on 4D land seismic acquisition, CGGVeritas has developed a seismic monitoring technology called SeisMovieTM based on low-energy surface or buried sources operating continuously and simultaneously in conjunction with a network of permanent receivers' antennae. The antennae can be vertical when very high sensitivity is needed or horizontal when spatial information is necessary. As the sources and receivers are stationary and cemented, one of the major causes of non-repeatability (positioning and coupling differences) is removed. Furthermore, it was found that, unlike their surface counterpart, buried sources and buried receivers could be almost insensitive to weather changes and provide a far better repeatability. This system is fully automated and remotely controlled. This type of high-resolution seismic monitoring has the potential to optimize exploitation scenarios: tiny changes in the seismic response (a few microseconds and a few percent) can be measured and calibrated to direct reservoir measurements. On top of that, the SeisMovieTM technology allows active and passive seismic to be combined for continuous reservoir monitoring. We will present the results of a one month continuous experiment on a SAGD pilot site in Canada showing a high level of repeatability in an industrial context. The steam plant adjacent to the recording area and nearby drilling operations during this period did not prevent the system from being able to detect significant 4D seismic signals.