Planning Land 3-D Seismic Surveys

The management of an oil company needs to be familiar with the acquisition, processing, and interpretation requirements that a 3-D survey may place on its staff. If a company’s management has had prior exposure to 3-D seismic surveys, less education by the technical staff (usually the geophysicists) is necessary before recommending a 3-D survey. There may be some preconceived ideas as to the final products that might be delivered at various stages. It is important to emphasize that success or failure in a past 3-D survey may not necessarily be duplicated in future programs. Modifying the design, acquisition, and processing parameters can make significant improvements. Conversely, results may be less than expected if poor design parameters are chosen. <...>