North Sea Exploration Opportunities

Improve data quality and fill in data gaps with discovery packages and integrated geophysical reprocessing services

After map with seismic blocks highlighted.

The vast library of WesternGeco multiclient data (left) is positioned to address the challenges in the North Sea production license blocks (right).

Whether you have submitted your applications for the available blocks in a UK licensing round or are rejuvenating your exploration portfolio, WesternGeco has the right geophysical products and services to help you make the best possible decision in the North Sea.

Our extensive multiclient library of 2D and 3D datasets help you fill in any data gaps, select an optimal 3D survey location, or reprocess to achieve a fit-for-purpose result.

We offer tailored reprocessing services using our advanced geophysical algorithms and workflows to address the complex geological and geophysical challenges in the North Sea.

WesternGeco has recently embarked in the revitalization of its 3D database and is undertaking broadband, prestack depth migration reprocessing, and reimaging projects over its Inner Moray Firth, Cavendish, and Ravenspurn datasets.

The processing sequences include source and receiver deghosting and full-wavefield inversion to leverage advances made in both signal processing and earth model building technology in recent years.

Accelerate decision making with discovery packages

To support your exploration ventures, WesternGeco have developed two discovery packages, which contain preloaded seismic data with tied and calibrated wells. Each package is a combination of publicly released 3D surveys and exclusive WesternGeco multiclient data. The data has been conditioned and merged to form one contiguous volume ready for framework regional interpretation and analysis.

Discrete seismic data packages, unprocessed.

Seamless merge of North Sea seismic data

Use the slider to compare 45 legacy public and WesternGeco multiclient 3D surveys in the Southern North Sea (before) with a seamless merge of North Sea datasets (after).

	Central North Sea Data Package	Southern North Sea Data Package
3D surveys	Central North Sea Data Package 45	South North Sea Data Package 12
Wells tied to seismic	Central North Sea Data Package 47+	South North Sea Data Package 48+
Total area	Central North Sea Data Package 14,414 km2	South North Sea Data Package 12,950 km2

Maximize the value of your 2D or 3D legacy data with reprocessing

With the constantly evolving developments in geophysical technology, reprocessing helps you extract the most value from your legacy 2D or 3D data.

We offer integrated reprocessing, imaging, and inversion workflows to address the issues associated with legacy datasets and the geological and geophysical challenges of the basin.

Improve seismic bandwidth with broadband processing

Our latest data conditioning workflows, including adaptive deghosting and 3D shallow-water multiple attenuation, give you improved resolution, reduced noise and multiple contamination, and better input for depth imaging and inversion.

Legacy 3D data before (left) and after (right) data adaptive deghosting and shallow-water demultiple. Signal-to-noise ratio is improved and low-frequency information is recovered. From Yanez et al., EAGE 2018.

Overburden details with simple initial models.

Overburden details (right) and captured by FWI, even with simple initial models (left). The comparison is demonstrated on a shallow depth slice (260 m) with velocity model overlaid on the seismic image. From Gupta et al., EAGE 2017.

Reduce interpretation uncertainty through imaging with multiples

Our approach to imaging with multiples eliminates crosstalk, which reduces your acquisition footprint and compensates for the lack of near angles recorded with typical towed-streamer geometries to provide you with reliable images for the interpretation and characterization of the shallow section.

Generate complex earth models with full-waveform inversion

With full waveform inversion (FWI), mature models, low frequencies, and long offsets are no longer required to produce high-resolution velocity models. Our FWI algorithms help you overcome your model-building challenges, greatly improving image quality especially in the shallow waters of the UK Continental Shelf, where complex overburden geology is common.

Obtain more reliable rock property inversions with least-squares migration in the image domain

Least-squares migration (LSM-i) uses point spread functions (PSFs) to correct for the spatial variation in illumination frequently observed in legacy datasets. After correction with LSM-i, seismic amplitudes are less affected by acquisition geometry and overburden geology and better reflect changes in subsurface properties. The result is a more reliable inversion to rock properties, ultimately reducing uncertainty in reservoir characterization.

Licensing rounds

The most relevant available data for bid rounds worldwide.

Gain access to the most relevant data available for bid rounds spanning the globe—from North America to the Middle East to Europe. Get the competitive advantage you need to select the best available prospects to meet the exploration goals of your operation.