Walkaway seismic-while-drilling operation delineates salt dome

摘要

For an exploration and production company operating offshore Africa, the decision to use the Baker Hughes Seis-micTrak seismic-while-drilling (SWD) service for a walkaway vertical seismic profile (VSP) operation enabled successful salt boundary identification in an exploration well while reducing rig time and risk, compared to a conventional wireline operation. The 1,500-shot survey line that was run is believed to be the first operation of its type conducted in a logging-while-drilling (LWD) environment. The survey fulfilled all data requirements, enabled the operator's subsurface model to be updated, and successfully identified the salt boundary for optimal future well placements for hydrocarbon production.