Guiding a Deep Water, Subsalt Exploration Well by Detailed Depth Imaging

Drilling subsalt exploration wells poses major challenges and difficulties. Despite the cost, the main operational risks include (1) over pressure and (2) incorrect depth prognosis of the major geological boundaries. Detailed depth imaging and velocity model building can extract valuable geological information about the subsurface. This information can be highly beneficial in the process of well design and during drilling, by providing important information about pore pressures, salt body geometries, position of the sedimentary inclusions inside the salt bodies, and estimations of the depths of key horizons.