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Until now, noise attenuation and interpolation processes based on rank reduction needed spatially regular, or at least binned, data. Here, we show how the low-rank signal model in joint low-rank and sparse inversion (JLRSI), a recently proposed convex optimization framework for simultaneous random plus erratic noise attenuation and interpolation, can be extended to spatially irregular data by appropriately modifying the inverse problem formulation. Benefits of considering the true spatial locations of seismic traces for the quality of the signal reconstruction are illustrated on a three-dimensional regularization and interpolation example on real land data.

This article focuses on an area of the Ivorian part of the Tano Basin where no drilling has yet taken place. It describes the interpretation of a new multi-client BroadSeis™ 3D seismic survey covering this unexplored area, which has provided the basis for a geological review.

Building on our earlier Big Data paper at OTC in May 2015, this article in JPT October 2015 continues our push to demonstrate the use of Big Data in an Oil & Gas context. Well data from the UKCS were analysed to identify "bad hole" sections.

This study explores the predictive capability of an integrated geologic, petrologic, petrophysical and geophysical model based on detailed facies analysis of thirteen sediment cores expanded over 400 wireline log suites and 440 square miles of 3D seismic in the western Powder River Basin, Wyoming.

In this study on the Mowry and Muddy interval in the Powder River Basin, we have evaluated a number of the controlling factors on productivity and identified those regions with greater prospectivity across the basin. We have combined classic geological disciplines with robust geophysical analysis to deliver an integrated geoscience solution.

An integrated, multi-disciplinary approach of correlating core facies to petrophysical wireline facies to seismic facies for tight unconventional sandstones is presented along with the results of a simultaneous, geostatistical seismic inversion. This integrated approach results in an improved understanding of the spatial distribution, geometry, and internal architecture of reservoir characteristics.

Time-lapse seismic surveys are intended to measure changes in the subsurface related to reservoir production. Accurately estimation of the reservoir-level requires prior corrections to layers above the reservoir, including the water layer. Water layer changes can be attributed to ocean tides and water velocity changes, which require offset- and depth-dependent timing corrections. These can be difficult to estimate in shallow water marine streamer data sets; thus we developed a completely data-driven method that reduces timing differences and is effective in both shallow and deep water.

Subsalt imaging is challenging at the Thunder Horse field in the Gulf of Mexico primarily because of the salt canopy overlying roughly 75% of the structure. Since the Thunder Horse discovery, advancements in seismic acquisition techniques and imaging technologies have helped improve subsalt imaging. The latest successful application is from a tilted transverse isotropy (TTI) reverse time migration (RTM) project combining two wide azimuth towed streamer (WATS) data sets and three narrow azimuth towed streamer (NATS) data sets. We present the results from this project to showcase some key contributors to the dramatic structural image improvements with better defined three-way events and a higher signal-to-noise ratio (S/N).

High-quality and well-positioned seismic data are key requirements of the decision-making process to recover the remaining and bypassed hydrocarbons in mature areas. A great deal of seismic exploration has taken place within the Central North Sea, using a variety of acquisition configurations including the latest broadband solutions. Through decades of exploration, most surveys in this mature basin have been reprocessed multiple times as techniques have evolved and, every so often, significant advances in technology warrant the application of these new approaches in a wholesale way. This is what CGG has recently achieved with new seismic acquisition and reprocessing of key multi-client surveys covering the entire Central Graben in the North Sea.