SUBSALT EXPLORATION

Perhaps the greatest exploration challenge is posed by thick layers of salt in the subsurface. 

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Onshore and offshore E&P operators invest time and money to find notable subsalt discoveries facing with substantial difficulties in geophysics as they attempt to image deep structures beneath irregularly shaped salt bodies (horizontal salt layers may transform into subsurface pillows, allochthonous salt bodies and mountainous diapirs).

 

In salt seismic velocity contrast causes geophysical imaging problems that can mask underlying structures and prevent geoscientists from determining the location or extent of potential reservoirs. Insufficient quality of seismic data in subsoil posed significant challenges to drilling in land and sea.

 

However, Heliometric data shows that a significant improvement in data quality is possible. Integration of Heliometric data into seismic data advances processing techniques and helps geophysicists resolve problems that previously prevented imaging beneath the salt.

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One of the most problematic properties of salt is almost no permeability and porosity. For Helium gas migration, these characteristics of salts do not present any obstacle, since Helium molecules are very small and are able to penetrate salt layers as efficiently as in the case of effective clay sealing.

 

Moreover, faults created during extension of the salt and overlying sediments, in many cases, provide conduits for hydrocarbon migration to potential reservoir rocks above and can be identified by Helium Surveys.
 

With the aid of complementary non-seismic Heliometric Technology that evaluates hydrocarbon potential of the subsurface terrain, our geoscientists are building more comprehensive G+G+He models using deep data integration to improve subsalt resource evaluations, determine the viability of a prospect and de-risk drilling before moving a rig onto location. This data integration service is performed by our sister company Novel Prospecting Ltd. www.novelprospecting.com

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G+G+He data integration is more often used for exploring the subsalt deposits and have already proved to be helpful in identifying many subsalt plays.