An introduction to this special section—offshore

摘要

In keeping with the tradition of aligning the theme of the special section in our April issue with the Offshore Technology Conference (to be held 2-5 May 2005 in Houston), we present five papers covering a wide range of applications of geophysical technology to exploration and production problems in offshore settings, and a short article that previews the OTC technical program. The first paper by O'Brien et al. is a detailed and well-illustrated study of the integration of gravity, 3D prestack depth-migrated seismic and well data to resolve the structure of K-2 Field in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. This paper includes not only a concise description of the theory of full tensor gradiometry (FTG) for measuring and analyzing gravity data, but also a specific comparison of depth imaging via Kirchhoff and wave-equation algorithms. The authors conclude that integration of these techniques is essential for accurate description of the complex subsalt structure of K-2, on the basis of which important field appraisal decisions will be made.