3D seismic survey design

Planning a seismic survey call for juggling four balls at once: getting the best illumination of the target at the lowest cost while obtaining data that will satisfy present and future demands. An investment in planning can mean the difference between data that make a field and data that are not interpretable. Attention is paid to two key ingredients of seismic survey planning: how to get a good signal, and how to balance signal quality with cost constraints. Two case studies are highlighted. 22 figs., 11 refs.