Maximizing the Value of the Existing Seismic Data in Awali Field, by Utilizing Advanced 3D Processing Technology

As seismic processing technology advances, it always opens opportunities for further improvements of existing data-sets. This is especially important in the case of survey areas that may no longer be accessible for new seismic acquisition. The onshore Awali Field (in the Kingdom of Bahrain) is just such a case because, since the original acquisition of a 3D seismic data-set in 1998, subsequent massive urban development precludes any large-scale reshoot effort. The application of new 3D azimuth-friendly processing techniques to the Awali data-set has indeed substantially improved imaging of both shallow and deep reservoirs. Further, utilizing that subset of the data-volume that is near-surface/near-offset (in a ‘wide-azimuth’ sense) has provided better fracture characterization of key shallow oil reservoirs. Here, we describe the main processing steps that resulted in these image improvements, and we provide an example of how the azimuthal data improved fracture characterization.