Ted Manning

Followers

Following

Public Views

Interests

Uploads

Papers by Ted Manning

The value of high-density blended OBN seismic for drilling and reservoir description at the Tangguh gas fields, Eastern Indonesia

The Leading Edge

The Tangguh gas fields in Eastern Indonesia are overlain by a complex overburden, including a thi... more The Tangguh gas fields in Eastern Indonesia are overlain by a complex overburden, including a thick, heavily faulted, and intensely karstified carbonate interval that tends to scatter and attenuate seismic energy. Development drilling is challenging, with the potential for pack-offs and stuck pipe when drilling into unstable, partially collapsed caves or karstified fault planes while on total losses. Ideally, these karst features are to be avoided when planning and drilling wells, but avoiding them depends on having a well-resolved seismic image. Historical towed-streamer and sparse ocean-bottom cable seismic is low fold and does not give a satisfactory image for well planning. Advances in ocean-bottom node technology, computer processing, and capacity coupled with efficient survey design and blended acquisition utilizing multiple source vessels allowed a step change in data density. This provided a new high-quality seismic image to support future development activities. The advanta...

Reducing the exploration cycle with effective onboard processing

First Break, Oct 1, 2009

Azimuthal Anisotropy Characterization Using 3D Multi-azimuth Towed Streamer Dataset

Understanding the spatial orientation of fractured reservoirs and the stress field around them is... more Understanding the spatial orientation of fractured reservoirs and the stress field around them is essential for the development of an oil reservoir. Fractures and stress create anisotropy effects that can be observed in seismic data. The preferred method for analysing anisotropy from data is the amplitude variation with offset and azimuth (AVOA). Because of the ambiguity in the directions obtained using this method, attenuation is increasingly being used to fully characterise these environments with confidence. This abstract demonstrates through a case study the potential of using attenuation variations with offset and azimuth (QVOA) from a multi-azimuth towed streamer dataset. The results show a dominant direction of maximum attenuation that could be related to the presence of the local stress field.

The Role and Value of Geophysical Studies to Design and Approve Dense ISS® OBS Survey Designs - A Review from Indonesia

Successfully demonstrating the value of a new, dense, wide azimuth Ocean Bottom Seismic (OBS) sur... more Successfully demonstrating the value of a new, dense, wide azimuth Ocean Bottom Seismic (OBS) survey design requires wide stakeholder engagement and consensus (technical, business, partner and government). In a sustained low-oil price environment this is an even greater challenge. In the case reviewed in this paper, shallow gas, thick karst, and a high current shallow water environment further complicate the technical challenge and it’s effective communication to stakeholders. This paper reviews the importance of multiple geophysical technical studies, leading to a successful approval to tender and award an optimized 820 sq.km wide azimuth, long offset, dense ISS® OBS survey. Initially, studies to understand the imaging challenges, then to optimize the design for efficiency and high end processing, and finally translate the expected data requirements impact (identified by the business) into a seismic promise.

Taking Ocean-bottom Seismic to the Next Level with Efficient Acquisition

78th EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2016, 2016

In recent years the seismic industry has seen an increasing emphasis from towed-streamer to ocean... more In recent years the seismic industry has seen an increasing emphasis from towed-streamer to ocean-bottom seismic (OBS) acquisition. Studies have also demonstrated how increasing trace density and azimuthal sampling result in improved imaging and better reservoir characterization (e.g. Ourabah et al, 2015). One advantage of OBS design is to provide full-azimuth imaging over complex geological settings; however despite OBS cost efficiency progress, the costs of these surveys remain considerably more expensive than towed-streamer methods. Time and motion studies have been used in this paper to analyse the impact of efficiencies that are achievable with OBS acquisition. The modelling suggests that a combination of advancements – in deployment speed, optimum patch geometries, source efficiency and bigger receiver inventories – would enable significant savings over traditional ocean-bottom surveys, reducing costs per trace by about 50% every two years. Incorporating these improvements together deliver the greatest impact on efficiency resulting in high-density, full-azimuth sampling becoming far more accessible.

Reviewing the Impact of Attenuation under Thick Karst and the Implications for Survey Design and Processing

81st EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2019, 2019

The Wolfspar® Field Trial: Testing a new paradigm for low-frequency 3-D velocity surveys

81st EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2019, 2019

To realize the vision of automatic velocity model building with full-waveform inversion, a paradi... more To realize the vision of automatic velocity model building with full-waveform inversion, a paradigm shift in the way seismic data are acquired is necessary. In December 2017 – January 2018 BP acquired 1000km of source lines over the deepwater sub-salt Mad Dog field in the US Gulf of Mexico using our prototype low-frequency source (LFS), Wolfspar. This was the first industry test of a new acquisition paradigm: a 3-D marine survey designed primarily for velocity-model building in areas of complex geology, using a source specifically designed for that task. It was a simultaneous-source survey, with two airguns and the LFS being recorded by the same ocean-bottom nodes. The Field Trial demonstrated that the source could operate for the required length of time for a 3-D survey, operate simultaneously with airguns without interfering with the airgun data or impacting operations, record low-frequency data at offsets wider than has been possible with airguns, and the resulting data could successfully be used for Full-Waveform Inversion to create an improved velocity model. We believe that the future of seismic acquisition in areas with complex geology will require bespoke surveys for velocity model building, and this experiment was a necessary first step.

Sparse Inversion of Simultaneous Sources

EAGE workshop on Developments in Land Seismic Acquisition for Exploration, 2010

Noise caused by the interference of seismic sources in simultaneous shooting is a barrier to the ... more Noise caused by the interference of seismic sources in simultaneous shooting is a barrier to the acceptance of this type of seismic acquisition. This paper presents a method that produces pre-stack data from blended acquisition data that are comparable to data from conventional acquisition. While filtering interference noise from the shots and the subsequent stacking of the data are effective in attenuating the interference on high fold wide azimuth ISS(TM) surveys, a high-quality separation of the interference from the pre-stack data would make the data more suitable for amplitude dependent analysis such as amplitude-versus-offset, time-lapse measurements and fracture detection. The high quality interference attenuation method presented here is achieved by using a sparse inversion process that solves a modified version of Berkhout’s matrix system, accurately separating source responses for good quality amplitude measurements. This produces seismic records in which the interference is attenuated to the point that it is well below the background noise. The success of this source separation step in the data processing of blended simultaneous source acquisition therefore further improves the data quality while retaining the lower cost and higher productivity of ISS(TM) acquisition compared with conventional acquisition.

Building a well-log scale 3D-geological model with rock properties embedded: A Trinidad finite-difference modeling study

SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts 2018, 2018

The nimble node — Million-channel land recording systems have arrived

The Leading Edge, 2019

A new nodal land acquisition system is being developed with successful field tests in both cold- ... more A new nodal land acquisition system is being developed with successful field tests in both cold- and hot-weather settings and is being compared against several existing industry acquisition systems. This nodal system differs from others in that it has been designed to deliver affordable high-quality seismic data with the lightest, smallest, and lowest-cost seismic channel system in the industry by significant margins. There are three main drivers for this innovation. First, it will significantly improve data quality by reducing the current cost barriers to acquiring high-density seismic surveys (i.e., full sampling in space, azimuth, and offset). Second, it will reduce the environmental footprint of land operations (less line clearance required). Third, it will improve the safety of land operations (fewer people and vehicles required per channel). All three have been achieved by dramatically reducing both the capital expenditure to build a one-million-channel highly portable recordi...

Acquisition and Processing of Multi Azimuth Towed Streamer

10th International Congress of the Brazilian Geophysical Society & EXPOGEF 2007, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 19-23 November 2007, 2007

The streamer Multi Azimuth technique is an extension of conventional marine towed-streamer acquis... more The streamer Multi Azimuth technique is an extension of conventional marine towed-streamer acquisition method. It is an attempt to overcome the lack of uniform illumination of the target due to irregular and complex target geology or a complex overburden. While this technique has not been in general use, an increase in the past few years has led to some impressive comparisons (see Kravik et al). As a result of increased use, several key aspects have been adopted for success and are discussed here. In addition, a few data examples are included to demonstrate benefits of this technique.

Multi-azimuth towed streamer 3D seismic in the Nile Delta, Egypt – processing solutions

First Break, 2007

Multi-azimuth or wide azimuth seismic is not a new technology, and has been with us for many year... more Multi-azimuth or wide azimuth seismic is not a new technology, and has been with us for many years in the form of land, and ocean bottom surveys. The literature is rich with examples of how high-fold multi-azimuth data can produce stunning improvements over their single azimuth 3D equivalents (Rogno et al., 1999, Keggin et al., 2002, Gaus and Hegna, 2003, Arntsen and Thompson, 2003, Riou et al., 2005, Manley et al., 2006, Michell et al., 2006). We know from theory and case histories that multi-azimuth data will lead to improved signal to noise, improved multiple attenuation and improved illumination. However, because of approximations in current processing technology, the processing of multi-azimuth data will leave errors in the final imaged results. Simple stacking of the data, though surprisingly robust makes assumptions about data consistency between surveys and will likely not result in the most optimal image. This paper shows how multi-azimuth (MAZ) towed streamer data is processed in the Nile Delta, looks at some of the issues highlighted above and discusses the initial processing sequence to improve the combined subsurface image.

Subsea Karst Detection and Imaging Improvement Using Full Waveform Inversion

78th EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2016, 2016

This paper describes the construction of a high-resolution anisotropic FWI model that is used to ... more This paper describes the construction of a high-resolution anisotropic FWI model that is used to help image a karstified carbonate layer (Faumai) and also to help define the underlying clastic reservoirs. The karst zones show extreme velocity rugosity. Conventional reflection tomography cannot resolve these anomalous velocities, and the seismic images below these karstified carbonates are distorted and are poor for interpretation. In 2009 an isotropic FWI algorithm, up to 7Hz, was applied to this OBC survey by BP. Image quality was significantly improved. However, in and below the karst formation, the FWI velocity resolution improved less. In 2015, anisotropic FWI, up to 12Hz including Q attenuation, was applied to this survey using the latest algorithms and methodologies. This paper presents the improved results and discusses the best strategies for determining the appropriate input data for FWI (diving-wave, reflection, or both), and depth limitation. The complete modelling required five components: diving-wave velocity updates to depths of 2200m; reflection waves included from 1600m onwards; derived anisotropic values; derived Q-model; and residual curvature tomography.

Dynamic-warping full-waveform inversion to overcome cycle skipping

SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts 2016, 2016

A case of Sl attenuation in 4D seismic data recorded with a permanently installed array

Geophysics, 2007

$Research paper thumbnail of The impact of ISS ® blending and source separation on refraction statics modeling$

The impact of ISS ® blending and source separation on refraction statics modeling

SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts 2013, 2013

A reliable statics model is often a key requirement in land seismic imaging. This model removes t... more A reliable statics model is often a key requirement in land seismic imaging. This model removes the effects of near surface velocity variations that can severely distort subsurface structures. One method to calculate these statics is based on picking first-break refraction energy on seismic records. We assess the ability to pick accurate first-breaks on data impacted by the interference of simultaneous sources, known as blending, associated with BP’s ISS seismic acquisition technology. The results of 2 case studies from the 2010 BP Libya seismic program are presented. We conclude that source blending from the ISS technique does not adversely impact refraction statics modeling. Randomized sweep times and varied source separations lead to low amounts of blending across the refractor offset range, and so increased production efficiency can be achieved whilst maintaining robust refraction picking. In areas of higher blending, the application of source separation techniques, such as the SSI algorithm, enhances first-break quality and improves the refraction statics solution.

Reduction of Acquisition Time Sharing in the North Sea by Seismic-Interference Attenuation

68th EAGE Conference and Exhibition incorporating SPE EUROPEC 2006, 2006

Download

High Productivity Cable Less Acquisition in Libya with the ISSN™ Technique - From Field Trial to a Production Survey

London 2013, 75th eage conference en exhibition incorporating SPE Europec, 2013

ABSTRACT The ISSN™ technique, the use of a cable-less nodal system deployed on a sparse regular g... more ABSTRACT The ISSN™ technique, the use of a cable-less nodal system deployed on a sparse regular gird in conjunction with the ISS® method of acquisition is introduced. The development of the technique from initial field trial using static spreads of nodes acquired in parallel with a production cabled survey through to a production test of the technique with a dedicated crew and 5 Vibrator trucks is presented. An overview is given of the assurance process followed to introduce this new technology during a Seismic exploration program. We then review the implementation of the technique at a full scale production survey in the BP Ghadames concession. The development of the processing strategy for the ISSN technique is reviewed and compared with the ISS method. We show that in moderate desert conditions where Vibroseis acquisition is possible, using a autonomous cable-less recording system with the ISS method allows for a step change reduction in HSSE exposure for land seismic vibrator crews while still acquiring good quality data at very high production rates.

Slicing and dicing HR seismic acquisition: Varied approaches to delivery of high-resolution 3D seismic data volumes for drilling-hazard studies

The Leading Edge, 2015

Experiences are described in delivering high-resolution 3D (HR3D) volumes to support the definiti... more Experiences are described in delivering high-resolution 3D (HR3D) volumes to support the definition of drilling hazards for exploration and development drilling in different geologic settings around the world using differing levels of acquisition and processing intensity. The robustness of the HR3D approach delivers high-resolution volumetric imaging for the study of potential drilling hazards. Through acquisition trials and processing simulations, starting with a single-streamer, single-source approach to acquisition of HR3D, data can be delivered at equivalent effort to standard HR2D approaches but as a volume that allows all the advantages of 3D spatial analysis to be applied. Increasing the acquisition intensity increases the quality of the final processed volume and allows more advanced analysis approaches to be applied to the data. Use of multistreamer and multisource approaches offers the opportunity to improve acquisition efficiency with careful consideration of spread desig...

Imaging the Deep Mediterranean Through Multi-Azimuth Seismic Acquisition and Processing

All Days, 2008

At a depth of around 3km across large areas of the Nile Delta in the Mediterranean, lies a thin b... more At a depth of around 3km across large areas of the Nile Delta in the Mediterranean, lies a thin but complex layer of partially eroded Miocene aged anhydrite and other facies, refered to as the Messinian. Wavefield distortion, attenuation and the generation of complex multiple diffraction noise cause the quality of the underlying seismic image to be highly variable (See Figure 1). Multi-azimuth (MAZ) seismic can help resolve these issues and improve the deep pre-Messinian image. Here we discuss the acquisition and processing flow of a MAZ streamer datasets and show some of the results. The initial data analysis shows that MAZ greatly improves general image quality, signal-to-noise ratio, lateral resolution, as well as suppressing diffracted and other multiples effectively. Issues and challenges around this approach are discussed.