Automation in geophysical data acquisition: From ocean-bottom nodes to RoboNodes

Abstract

The future of seismic data acquisition clearly dictates increased sampling in both receiver and shot domains. A significant amount, almost 80%, of the total cost of an exploration and development seismic project is spent on data acquisition. It is, therefore, extremely important that we reduce acquisition-related costs and at the same time we strive to improve seismic data quality. Indeed, the number of seismic channels follows a form of Moore's law; that is, the number of channels laid out in the field is steadily increasing by an order of magnitude every 10 years (Figure 1) while the recent introduction of simultaneous sources provides improved spatial sampling in the shot domain. Figure 2 shows three time slices that clearly demonstrate the link between increased number of channels recorded and improved resolution and image quality.