New methods of improving seismic data to aid understanding of passive margin evolution: a series of case histories from offshore west of Ireland

Abstract

Abstract Deepwater sedimentary basins are attracting increased attention from the hydrocarbon industry and academia as they remain one of the last geological frontiers still to be fully explored and understood. As part of a regional project to understand basin development offshore Ireland, we have developed and tested new ways of improving seismic images, and of incorporating these improvements into geological interpretations. Here we illustrate this methodology using three case histories from the Porcupine, Slyne and Erris Basins. In each case, the first stage of the workflow consists of reprocessing a selection of key seismic data. Processing includes relative amplitude preservation and advanced demultiple and interpretation-driven pre-stack depth imaging. Interpretation of the data is assisted by incorporating products such as multiple models, pre-stack gathers, velocity models and attributes. Finally, we show how a velocity model can be inverted to exhumation estimates. The results and approach developed here can be applied to other deepwater exploration areas.