Optimization of Safe Distance in Pursuing Seismic Data Acquisition through Oil Fields and Populated Areas

Abstract

Summary The present paper will focus on a mega single sensor 3D seismic survey, where different environments that needed to be covered. These includes producing oil fields, oil installations, refinery's, cities, farms and construction sites. Due to these changing as well as challenging environments, a safety standard had to be adopted to support vibrator and explosive sources for safe and successful completion of the project. Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) surveys were conducted using the DIN 4150 German Standard as a reference whenever the seismic operation approached to any oil field infrastructure, populated area or any possible vulnerable hazards. A total of 666 PPV measurements were conducted in multiple environments within the seismic survey boundary. Based on these tests a set of optimum possible safety distances were determined to oil installations, residential structures, construction sites and other infrastructures to ensure that the quality of the final seismic imaging is optimized and survey objective is achieved.