An ultrahigh-density high-resolution data set from the Hammerfest Basin is now available from PGS. PGS said it expects to extended the data set in 2020. Full-integrity data includes open acreage and resolves the challenges in this complex area through a combination of streamer setup and advanced imaging technologies.
The following key features are revealed with this data set, which extends from the Finnmark platform in the southwest into the Hammerfest Basin in the northeast:
- Deep marine sand deposits along the southern flank of the Hammerfest Basin show variable seismic amplitude anomalies.
- The combination of densely recorded data and high-end imaging technologies result in a high-resolution seismic image. At Top Kolmule, the tuning thickness is reduced down to approximately 8 m.
- Seismic amplitude anomalies are clearly identified within various stratigraphic units.
- Structural traps are revealed in the Realgrunnen sandstones and Triassic fluvial channel deposits in the Snadd and Kobbe formations.
Diving Deeper To Resolve the Challenges of the Barents Sea
Fig. 1—An extension to the Hammerfest acquisition is planned for 2020 (shown with orange outline).
As shown in Fig. 1, an acquisition configuration that combines novel streamer setup and advanced imaging technologies was designed as the best solution to resolve mixed depth targets in the Barents Sea.
Open Acreage Opportunities
PGS’ planned 2020 survey extension includes open acreage in the Barents Sea, and the overall area accounts for around half of the undiscovered resources on the Norwegian continental shelf, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
Key target areas for hydrocarbon plays in the southwestern Barents Sea are the shallow Kapp Toscana Group sandstones, the deeper middle Triassic Kobbe Formation sandstones, and potentially karstified Carboniferous/Permian carbonates. Proven discoveries made in both geological regimes show the great hydrocarbon potential of this area, but a key challenge in producing an accurate image of the subsurface is creating a reliable velocity model that accounts for the area’s complex geological regime.