Mitigation of Safety Risks in Pursuing Mega 3D Seismic Survey in Former Battle Field Area

The Gulf War conflict of 1991 turned Partitioned Zone (PZ) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait into a high-risk area with regards to Unexploded Ordnance(UXO) and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). A large national and international effort has previously cleared UXO/ERW from most of the country, but to date UXO/ERW is still found because of the dynamic nature of the environment. During 2014–16, a high resolution, multi-azimuth 3D seismic Survey was completed utilizing 168,000 UniQ channels, with 20 DX-80 vibrators, shooting flip flop with four fleets 24/7, covering approximately 4,612 km2 (5,346 km2 including the 2 zippers). The survey was planned to satisfy the geological objectives, safety and security threats, and restricted access due to oil production facilities. An innovative two-phase risk-based approach was implemented to ensure personnel and operational safety while maximizing seismic production. A total of 551 days was spent for UXO/ERW identification, with a total of 82 UXO found and destroyed. The seismic acquisition project of more than 100 vehicles and 600 personnel was completed without any incidents or accidents and a high standard of verification was maintained throughout the project execution.