Arctic Oil & Gas Directory: CGGVeritas first 3-D multi-client survey in Alaska

As reported on the Finding Petroleum website March 9, CGGVeritas said that it has started its first ever 3-D multi-client survey on Alaska’s North Slope, near the Kuparuk and Alpine oil fields.

CGGVeritas is using high-productivity vibroseis acquisition for the first time in Alaska tundra. The technology has been used in the Middle East for many years, is designed to characterize rock properties for the emerging shale oil resource play on the North Slope and covers 133 square miles. The high density 3-D survey has more than 1,500 vibration points per square mile.

The data will be processed in CGGVeritas’ center in Calgary, with anisotropic prestack depth migration. The first migrated data is scheduled to be delivered in July 2012.

The companies funding the survey are not disclosed but CGGVeritas says that prefunding has been “high.”

“We are proud to see our Arctic crew return to the North Slope this winter to acquire our first multi-client survey in Alaska,” said Luc Schlumberger, executive vice president, Multi-Client & New Ventures, CGGVeritas. “Through our long-term commitment to the Arctic and aggressive summer upgrade and maintenance programs, we have the best equipment and expertise to safely deliver superior images of the subsurface to our clients.”

CGGVeritas has acquired proprietary surveys on the North Slope since 2001.