Experiments in Low Impact Seismic Acquisition for Oil Shale

The geophysical community is adjusting to new conditions in onshore geophysical operations a larger share of unconventional resource targets, higher resolution requirements, more environmental sensitivity in operations, continued improvement in health and safety, and everincreasing cost challenges. Shell Oil’s seismic acquisition method for Piceance Basin Oil Shale targets in Northwest Colorado was developed with these challenges in mind. Key enablers include dense sampling, cableless acquisition and a high-tech version of a low-tech idea – a man-portable weight-drop. Tests of this acquisition combo indicate acceptable data for Oil Shale targets with potential for major cost savings, lower exposure operations and a smaller environmental footprint.