Mini Basin Amplitude Play Looked for Seismic Anomalies, Ponded Sands

摘要

During the past two decades, converging technologies have dramatically lowered exploration risk and cost. Widespread use of 3-D seismic technology has steadily made it more affordable, and exploding computer power has made analysis of huge volumes of seismic data possible. Neither concept was new when this convergence began. Seismic signals were first used in the early part of the last century to create a picture of the subsurface; primitive computers came along soon after. Three-dimensional seismic technology could not have reached the value it has today as an exploration tool without the exponential growth of computing power that began in the mid-1980s. Together, these technologies form a powerful tool for finding oil and gas and monitoring reservoir performance. The steadily decreasing cost of computing power and seismic surveys has contributed to lower finding costs and higher exploration drilling success rates, putting more companies in reach of more opportunities. Dominion E&P and its predecessor CNG were among the first independents to enter the Gulf of Mexico's deep water. Since then, the industry has greatly enhanced its impressive array of exploration tools. Much of the Gulf is now covered with 3-D seismic surveys and the technology has become the driving force behind deepwater exploration.