SimSource

Improved Marine Data Quality and More Efficient Acquisition

SimSource simultaneous seismic source acquisition and processing technology from WesternGeco has been extensively and successfully field tested with very favorable results and is now commercially available.

Why Use Simultaneous Sources?

If we can successfully separate the signals from each source, then the subsurface can be sampled more effectively and efficiently. Moreover, having multiple sources simultaneously active in a survey provides other benefits, such as flexibility in survey geometries. There are many potential benefits to this aspect, but a timely one is enabling greater azimuthal diversity in marine surveys.

WesternGeco SimSource does not require source-signature encoding but relies on dithered source firing-times to allow for signal separation in data processing. We have developed several successful processing workflows and technologies to separate interfering signals and are focusing on enhancing these and developing new and more efficient separation techniques.

Survey Evaluation and Design

Because there are so many variables in designing a SimSource survey and the acquisition and processing technology is evolving very rapidly, WesternGeco recommends each proposed project be subject to an extensive survey evaluation and design phase in full collaboration with the client, considering the specific geophysical and geological objectives of the survey.

Areas of Application

• Conventional marine surveys
• Multi- wide and full-azimuth surveys
• Undershooting or surveying obstructed areas
• Ocean-bottom cable (OBC) surveys
• Node surveys
• Permanent installations
• Vertical seismic profiles (VSPs)

Benefits

• Increased fold.
• Increased azimuth distribution.
• Smoother azimuth distribution.
• Increased illumination.
• Decreased shot interval.
• Improved cross-line sampling.
• Improved multiple attenuation, velocity analysis, etc., for improved imaging.
• Longer shot records possible.
• Improved vessel efficiency.