USA: PGS’ Crystal III Wide Azimuth Ready for Delivery

The PGS Crystal III Wide Azimuth survey illuminates and eliminates the unknown in East Breaks. This MultiClient survey is available now, in time for the highly anticipated Lease Sale 218 in the Western Gulf of Mexico on December 14, 2011.

This survey, which covers 485 OCS blocks, or 11,300km², in East Breaks and Alaminos Canyon provides never-before-seen wide azimuth imaging of the subsalt over the western portion of the Lower Tertiary Wilcox play. No subsalt wells have yet been drilled in this region.

The Wilcox Trend is the most active exploration play in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, with significant discoveries to the south of Crystal III in Alaminos Canyon (Great White) and to the east in Keathley Canyon (Kaskida, Tiber and Hadrian) and in Walker Ridge (Jack). Recent studies suggest that reservoir-quality Wilcox sediments may be present in East Breaks in a deepwater sandy fan environment. Oil and gas production from the Diana-Hoover and Nansen-Boomvang fields indicates that there is a functioning hydrocarbon charge and migration system in this area as well.

Imaging strategy tuned for complexity & depth

Exploration in the western Gulf of Mexico has been hampered by industry’s inability to accurately image deep structure with conventional 3D narrow-azimuth seismic data. The geology of this region includes tight compressional folding and multiple levels of salt sheets, diapirs and welds overlain by a massive Oligocene shale section. PGS is addressing this complexity with an imaging strategy focusing on TTI (Tilted Transverse Isotropy) Beam migration and RTM (Reverse Time Migration). Applied to state-of-the-art wide azimuth data, these products will enable for the first time confident prospecting for subsalt targets in an undrilled frontier portion of the exciting and promising Wilcox Trend.

The employment of our wide azimuth acquisition and imaging technology has resulted in crystal clear imaging of the Wilcox Trend in the East Breaks protraction, an area regarded as frontier given the complete lack of subsalt exploration activity to date. This survey will enable our customers to explore subsalt with confidence for the first time ever,” commented Nathan Oliver PGS MultiClient Regional President NSA.

The Crystal III survey has attracted substantial industry support and interest. Planning for the next generation of PGS’ wide azimuth adventure continues apace. With the permit now approved by the BOEMRE, Crystal IV will be coming soon.

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Source: PGS, August 25, 2011;