Passive seismic method measures wave fields
Published in
Hart's E&P
Date of publication
01 October 2006
Summary
Spectraseis has developed a new type of passive seismic method leveraging the low frequency ambient waves that are present everywhere in the Earth’s crust, continuously generated by natural events such as ocean wave movements and micro-tectonic activity. The company has performed extensive research and development to discover how these waves are shaped into specific wave-field patterns by hydrocarbon reservoirs. They discovered that source-driven oscillations and shear wave attenuation are two of the mechanisms at play. Advances in high sensitivity broadband instrumentation and signal processing methods have now allowed these spectral signatures to be accurately identified and mapped, providing an important new layer of information for exploration, appraisal and production decisions. With less than a decade of research completed, the company is certain that exciting new applications lie ahead.
