Full-track Processing of a Marine Vibrator Pilot Survey: Key Learnings and Path Forward

The Marine Vibrator Joint Industry Project (MV JIP), supported by ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies, was established to explore marine vibrators as a sustainable alternative to traditional airgun sources for seismic surveys. In 2022, the project conducted a pilot survey to evaluate the Integrated Projector Node (IPN), a marine vibrator prototype developed and produced with General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences (APS). The survey evaluated the IPN across various deployment configurations, both stationary and moving, to explore different aspects such as sweep type, emission duration, number of IPNs, co-located shots, source spacing, shooting direction, repeatability and blending. To benchmark seismic quality, limited-volume airgun data was also acquired. Central to this study was the question: Can the IPN deliver seismic quality comparable to an airgun source? The project also sought to understand the potential benefits of the IPN in terms of 4D seismic repeatability and operational efficiency. Between March and December 2024, a comprehensive processing effort revealed key insights into the characterization of the IPN source. This presentation will highlight key findings, share best practices for processing marine vibrator data, and discuss the way forward for commercial applications.