Experiences with full-azimuth acquisition in ocean bottom seismic

Abstract

The problem of collecting seismic data is rather like attending a football match, as described in the textbook ‘Introduction to petroleum seismology’ (Ikelle and Amundsen, 2005). Your view of the game depends not only on the lighting system of the stadium but also on where you are sitting. For example, a journalist may prefer to be in the stands where he or she will have a good view of the entire game, which is necessary for analyzing and reporting all of the moves and tactics. A photographer, however, may prefer to be near the touchline where he or she can immortalize the goals, even at the expense of not seeing the rest of the game. The ticket prices for these special positions may be more than that of a standard seat; but the extra cost will pay off handsomely. As in football matches, the view of the subsurface given by seismic data is determined by the location of the sound sources for ‘illuminating’ the area of interest, and the location and types of sensors that capture the ground motion caused by the passage of seismic waves.