Frequency, Penetration and

Resolution
HIGER HIGER FREQUENCY
HIGH LOW
FREQUENCY SIGNALS HAVE
RESOLUTION PENETRATION
SYSTEM SHORTER WAVE
LENGTHS AND ARE
ABLE TO
Every DISCRIMINATE PINGER AND CHIRP
measurement BETWEEN LAYERS
is needed to THAT ARE CLOSE
TOGETHER
completely
describe all BOOMER, SPARKER AND MINI AIR
properties GUN
LONGER SOUND
PULSE LENGTHS
LOWER
TRANSMIT MORE LOW HIGH
FREQUENCY
ENERGY AND RESOLUTION PENETRATION
SYSTEMS
YIELDS DEEPER
PENETRATION
1
Sub Bottom Profiler
Specifications

System characteristics of various classes of Sub bottom

profilers 2
 Pinger Acquisition

Transducer

Side Mounted Pole

Pinger is mounted (not towed)

Pinger Transducer is both TX
and RX
3

Hull Mounted Pole Pinger frequency is high

 Boomer Acquisition

Mini Streamer Frame Deployment

Boomer Plate with Catamaran

4
Mini Streamer-Hydrophone
Pinger Data

5
CHIRP Data

6
BOOMER data

7
SPARKER data

8
Mini Air Gun data

9
One survey boat can do many
different measurements
Typical Survey
boats can do 3
measurements at
the same time

10
2D HI-RES SEISMIC DATA

11
 Equipment Layout

Gun is typically 150 Cubic in or larger

96 channels is common (could be more)
Shot intervals typically 12.5m 12

Recording length: 2 sec, Sampling 1 ms

 Equipment deployment

GI Gun

Streamer Winch and Birds

Streamer

13

Streamer and birds deployment In Operation Tail Buoy

 Seabed condition
Seabed mapping
Bathymetry for topology
Continuous seismic lacks resolution
Magnetometer for metallic debris
LiDAR
Soil mechanics
Conventional core sampling (followed by
lab tests) and CPTs lacks coverage

14
 Bathymetry
Study of underwater depth of lake or
ocean floors to map topography only
Started as single beam echo sounders
or pingers that use 2 way travel time to
measure depth. 1D
Later swath were used to create 2D
maps in color giving depth of water. Red
is generally shallow and Blue is deep

15
 Seismic (Refraction)
Unlike Seismic reflection methods,
this method uses refraction data that
allows to calculate Vp for each soil
layer, thereby giving some estimate
of mechanical properties. This
information is compared with CPT
data
Typically an air-gun is used as
acoustic source along with
Hydrophones (about 48 in 30m
length) streamer. Towed by boat
Cannot be used for water depth
16
beyond 350m
 2D High resolution Seismic
site survey
Identification of potential drilling constraints and geo hazards
at the sub-seabed levels down to about 1000 m below
seabed

17
Using past well data as
reference

18
2DHR

2DHR
Interpretation
supplemented
with 3D Data

19
 Shallow Gas
Shallow gas is any hydrocarbon-bearing
zone which may be encountered at a depth
close to the surface or mudline.
Generally not possible to close-in and
contain a gas influx from a shallow zone
because weak formation integrity may lead
to breakdown.
Particularly hazardous when drilling offshore
from a fixed installation or jack-up.
Shallow gas-bearing zones are usually
normally pressured. However, the effective
increase in pore pressure due to gas
gradient can lead to underbalance when a
shallow gas zone is first penetrated.
Shallow gas is best predicted from Surface
seismic interpretation together with offset
geological and drilling data.
Shallow gas can be extremely hazardous,
especially if no specific plan of action is 20
prepared prior to spudding of the well.
Shallow Water Flows (SWF)
SWF sands can occur at water depths of
more than 400m
Usually found at depth of 250 -1000m
below the mudline
Flow typically increases with time
Sediments pile up at well-head
Formed when rapid sedimentation is
followed by a seal. The water gets trapped
Can be detected
by Vp/Vs ratio
analysis. Higher
values indicate
possible SWF
21
 Significance of SWF
In the deepwater arena, shallow water flows have been
documented since 1984 and have resulted in costly lost
operational time due to well control problems.
The most significant incident was at SHELLs URSA
Template development site in Mississippi Canyon Block
810. Twenty one partially drilled wells were lost as a result
of Shallow Water Flow
Sand Prediction and presence of abnormal pressures

Pore Pressure prediction, determination, estimate if over

pressure is possible (ROT: If sedimentation rate < 500 ft /
million years everywhere within the foot print, then over
pressure unlikely, if more then check seal quality for clues
Fracture gradient prediction : Requires accurate estimate22
of overburden and pore pressure
 Gas Hydrates
Gas Hydrate: Ice-like cage structure
that traps gases.
Several types & sizes of cage
structures formed by water molecules
Gas could be Methane, Carbon
Dioxide, Ethane, Butane, Propane,
Hydrogen Sulfide Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Concentrates gas with a ratio of ~

1:160 (One cubic foot of gas hydrate
contains 160 cubic feet of gas at
STP)
5 ingredients for hydrate formation :
Water, Gas, High Pressure, Low 23

Temperature, Nucleation site

 Identification of Hydrates

BSR = Bottom simulating reflector

The change in physical properties of sediment due to presence
of hydrates and underlying free gas enable detection of 24

hydrates due to velocity contrast.