Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) says it has completed the first full-scale simultaneous acquisition of towed streamer EM and 2D GeoStreamer seismic.
The program consisted about 3000 line km of seismic and towed streamer EM data, acquired over a four week period this summer, in the Fastnet and Celtic Sea Basins offshore Ireland.
GeoStreamer technology reduces seismic noise and enables far better reservoir resolution and description, says PGS.
The new dataset will provide regional subsurface coverage, tying several wells across the basin, and aims to reduce the exploration risk across the basin.
The simultaneous acquisition of Electromagnetic (EM) data, using PGS' Towed Streamer EM system, maps the subsurface resistivity, enabling greater understanding of subsurface structures.
High resistivity is associated with oil and gas accumulations. This measurement can also be used to detect basement, carbonate and salt layers.
The first datasets for this multiclient acquisition will be available late Q2 2014.
Petroleum exploration activity is increasing within the Celtic Sea Basin, the Fastnet Basin, and the South Celtic Sea Basin offshore southwest Ireland.
PGS says vintage seismic data in the region is generally poor quality and has focused primarily on Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous plays.
Once processed, the new combined data aims to confirm the presence of deeper targets.
PGS says the GeoStreamer 2D data will also improve the resolution of shallower formations, including ties to the 400MM bbl Barryroe discovery.
The survey, as agreed with the Government of Ireland, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, represents a work program commitment in respect of Licensing Options 13/1 and 13/2.