Orthogonal Wide Azimuth Acquisition and Imaging - A Case History

Wide azimuth (WAZ) data is now firmly established as a key element in subsalt exploration and production in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The next challenge is to further improve subsalt images in areas with existing WAZ coverage. Orthogonal WAZ acquisition – acquiring a second WAZ dataset over existing WAZ data – provides near full-azimuth (FAZ) coverage while utilizing existing data. A case study being performed in the GoM demonstrates that orthogonal WAZ data provides significant imaging uplift and brings added benefit to the tomography and model building steps.