Searcher Seismic announces that the ST9802 Ultracube 3D survey located on the Finnmark Platform in the Barents Sea is currently being fully reprocessed from field tapes.
The original processed 3D volume (1999 vintage) is missing many of today’s modern processing algorithms such as swell noise removal, surface related multiple elimination (SRME), hi-res radon demultiple, full pre-stack Kirchhoff migration, resulting in an extensive noise level and limited fault plane definitions over the entire recorded section (5.5 sec twt). By applying modern noise attenuation techniques, we will be able to reduce the application of the upfront low cut filter from 6hz to 3hz, which will give a further full octave of bandwidth, critical for any follow-on QI work. The output from the modern processing will also include angle stacks and final NMO corrected gathers for detailed amplitude work.
The 7131/4-1 (Guovca prospect) is the only exploration well drilled inside the 3D cube with the next closest well (7229/11-1) located 75 km towards NE. The Guovca prospect was drilled by Statoil in 2005 and is reported as dry with shows and residual fluorescence in the Realgrunnen subgroup.
The relative low frequent character and excessive noise levels in the original processed ST9802 3D Survey provides only a limited possibility to properly map the many interesting amplitude features observed on modern 2D surveys in the area. This in addition with the fact that the Guovca exploration well did not drill the deeper targets means the true hydrocarbon potential of the area is virtually unknown.
A full suite of additional deliverables is being produced during the processing allowing a thorough re-evaluation of the area.
[mappress] Press Release, October 19, 2012