MARINE SEISMIC ACQUISITION
ARGAS has acquired marine data from the Qatar peninsula to the Iraqi border. We have simultaneously operated the world’s largest Ocean Bottom Cable Crews (2010-2013) which acquired 14,351 km² of high quality 3D four component (4C) seismic data covering Saudi Arabia and the Partitioned Neutral Zone with Kuwait. We acquired our first 3D marine survey in the Arabian Gulf in 2008 and since then we have increased our capabilities dramatically. On the shallow water and transition side of our operations, in 2009, we acquired a 15-month 3D two-component (2C) transition zone survey in the Arabian Gulf for Saudi Aramco. We also acquired a 2D-2C shallow water survey offshore Kuwait, utilizing 50 kilometers of Sercel 408 ULS cable with a 50-meter receiver point interval and an airgun source.
Our marine and Ocean Bottom Cable crews were equipped with:
- Over 140 kilometers of SeaRay 300 Ocean Bottom Cable, with receiver points at 50 meter intervals – these cables are very robust and therefore perfect for use in ocean going vessels.
- Over 80 kilometers of SeaRay 300 Ocean Bottom Cable, with receiver points at intervals of 25 meters.
- Two source arrays (6 Sercel G-gun strings) per crew which allowed flip flop shooting, dramatically increasing source productivity. A powerful source combined with clean acoustic performance provided excellent data quality.
- Gator command and control navigation systems with a 4D module developed specifically for ARGAS. With it, ARGAS could track individual vessels in real time using a suite of controls which provided optimized vessel management.
Our other capabilities also include 2D and 3D Marine streamer services with the support of our partner CGG. ARGAS undertook a series of 3D streamer surveys in 2008 and 2009 in the Saudi waters off the Arabian Gulf, prior to the acquisition of the OBC projects.
TRANSITION ZONE AND SHALLOW WATER ACQUISITION
Our capabilities in transition zone and shallow water acquisition include:
Two master/slaved recording systems:
- Sercel 408 ULS for offshore – designed for optimal performance on smaller boats
- Sercel 428 in transition zone (WPSR cables) – high channel counts and world-class flexibility
- Sercel 428 on land (STPL cable)
Three source types:
- Two shallow water source vessels using airgun arrays in flip-flop mode, therefore increasing source productivity
- Shot-hole drilling/explosives
- Vibroseis
Three receiver types:
- Hydrophones
- Marsh geophones
- Land geophones