Lightweight Nodes Bring New Opportunities

Summary The quality and usefulness of images and reservoir attributes obtained from land seismic surveys can be improved by increasing the density of traces acquired per square kilometre. Seismic survey designs must however reflect the practical reality and limitations of available equipment, operational logistics and cost, which leads to compromises in the designs used and the results obtained. On the receiver side, to significantly increase the acquired receiver count and trace density, the logistical barriers associated with existing receiver equipment must be eliminated. Experience acquiring many high-density surveys using cabled-telemetry recording equipment highlighted both the geophysical potential of point-source/point-receiver techniques, and the challenges of extending this technology beyond 250,00 channels using cabled-telemetry equipment. The introduction of new very small, light, and simple nodal receiver equipment enables such a paradigm shift in operational logistics. As operational barriers are eliminated the deployment of very large receiver spreads becomes practical, and the path opens towards more effective and flexible survey designs, delivering higher trace densities and improved seismic images.