SEISMIC CONSULTANCY SERVICES rpsgroup.com Improving data quality adding value
RPS Energy helps its clients develop natural energy resources across the asset life cycle. We combine our technical skills with an in-depth knowledge of environmental and health and safety issues to provide worldclass support for projects. This independent, flexible support has been used by clients in their operations all over the world for many years to help them achieve their project goals. We operate from regional offices in major petroleum centres in North America, Europe, Australia and South-East Asia as well as having local offices and agencies in many other countries worldwide. Cover photo: Harshad Mistry
SEISMIC OPERATIONS With in-depth expertise in the full range of 2D, 3D, 4D, wide azimuth, long offset and VSP operations, RPS provides support across all aspects of land, marine, OBC, OBN and TZ seismic operations in any environment. Our skills cover the technical, health and safety and environmental aspects of seismic programmes. Clients can use this expertise either as individual services or as a multidisciplinary package throughout the life cycle of a project. We maintain the flexibility and independence of approach that our clients require, whilst also having the scale and global presence to respond quickly to requests for additional personnel, different skills or ad hoc advice. Courtesy of PGS Project Planning Processing Technical Specifications Project Management Reconnaissance Environmental Impact Assessment Survey Design Permitting Reprocessing and Parameter Analysis Velocity control and Statics Processing QC Tendering & Procurement Specialist Processing HSE & Risk Management Seismic Operations Technical Support Technical Audit Start-up and Testing Quality Control and Assurance Positioning Q C and Processing Unexploded Ordnance Logistical Support Marine Mammal Observers Driver Training Operations Support rpsgroup.com/energy
PROJECT PLANNING & MANAGEMENT As the starting point for a successful seismic project, good planning needs in-depth technical and operational experience. Project management requires the appropriate experience and skills to co-ordinate input from the end-user, the seismic contractor and third parties. Some of our clients outsource the complete management of their projects to RPS, whilst others use our resources to assist their own teams by providing specific functional or geographic experience. Survey Design is a key area where we can help from in-field reconnaissance to parameter selection. Applying lessons learnt over many years, RPS designs 2D, 3D, 4D and multi- component land, marine and TZ surveys world-wide. A careful review of existing data along with geological and geophysical modelling is combined with practical experience enabling RPS to deliver the highest quality survey in a cost-effective manner. Tender Process Management needs a good understanding of the technical, commercial, logistical and HSE requirements of the survey. Our complete independence from contractor interests, together with our experience, allows us to provide appropriate and impartial advice at all times. HSE Risk Management is an important component of onshore and offshore seismic surveys. Over many years, RPS has developed a core capability in the whole sphere of risk management, allowing us to undertake or supervise environmental impact assessments, develop appropriate HSE management systems, and ensure that the necessary licences and permissions are obtained. These are often critical path issues and the timely delivery of such items can be key to a successful project. We have in-depth knowledge of environmental legislation and requirements in many countries and can help ensure that operations are planned and conducted within these legislative frameworks.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT High quality seismic data requires contractual acquisition parameters to be adhered to and all equipment to be working to specification. Seismic Quality Control / Technical Assurance is an important element in ensuring that data are acquired correctly. By placing first-class client representatives in the field we help ensure that the client s interests are properly represented on seismic crews and vessels. We have provided seismic quality control services for over 35 years and have numerous personnel engaged in land, marine and transition zone projects and borehole seismic surveys. Our expertise covers 2D, 3D, time lapse (4D), wireless nodal, ocean bottom cable (OBC), ocean bottom nodes (OBN) plus, multicomponent (4C) seismic projects. Onshore we have worked in all terrains from the Arctic to tropical rainforests. Offshore we have managed complex wide azimuth and multi-azimuth 3D projects. In addition to conventional recording, we also have experience of less common surveys such as permanent oil-field seismic monitoring systems, as well as gravity and magnetic surveys, and Controlled Source Electro Magnetic (CSEM) acquisition. Many of our projects have been in environmentally sensitive areas, including national parks and Natura 2000 conservation areas. Our consultants are very aware of the need to engage with all stakeholders and to maintain good public relations on behalf of client and contractor alike. equipment operates to the manufacturer s and contractual specifications. RPS has also developed instrument analysis software to enable the tests to be processed on-site. Navigation and Positioning is an essential component in ensuring optimum quality seismic data. RPS has positioning experts for both land and marine surveys. Onshore, surveyors provide QC and positioning/survey control audits. The surveyor monitors survey operations and audits equipment and procedures and ensures that all data are correctly linked to seismic trace/ header information. Offshore, we provide experienced navigation QC personnel and on-board QC systems to run in parallel with the contractor s system providing real time QC and verification of navigation integrity. We also offer office-based navigation QC processing. Our geomatics engineers receive the positioning data daily and process them in-house, providing verification that all P1 and P2 data sets are correct and that all parameters are in conformance with contractual requirements. We can also take old seismic navigation data sets and verify the integrity of data before reprocessing or integration into new data. Another important element of our services is the provision of independent technical audits. RPS audit engineers are senior consultants with years of experience with different seismic instrumentation, who use independent test equipment and software to check that recording rpsgroup.com/energy
OPERATIONS SUPPORT RPS Energy has developed a range of additional services to help ensure that seismic operations, whether onshore or offshore are conducted safely and in accordance with local legislation and guidelines. Marine Mammal Observers and Passive Acoustic Monitoring have become a familiar part of the crew and operation of a seismic vessel in order to mitigate any potential effect of underwater noise on marine species, particularly mammals, and many countries have legislated for this. RPS has highly trained observers who monitor the presence of marine mammals and help mitigate the effects of operations on these animals, whilst helping to ensure an efficient seismic survey. Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) is unfortunately a major safety concern for onshore and offshore operations. Many areas of the world harbour unexploded ordnance from previous conflicts, often in a degraded and unstable condition. RPS has developed management and QC services for UXO mitigation by using appropriately experienced specialists. By combining their own experience, often gained in the armed forces, with existing maps, local information, and sometimes on-ground survey, our personnel can determine likely areas of potential danger and identify dangerous items. This allows cost-effective use of clearance groups so that operations can proceed safely and in accordance with local regulations and international best practice. Archaeology is of frequent interest from both an operational and corporate social responsibility perspective. Land operations may take place in areas of archaeological significance and many countries have specific legal requirements in this respect. RPS employs archaeologists with broad experience in preserving sites of value and interest but who also understand seismic surveys. Their knowledge allows them to help formulate management plans so that work can proceed efficiently without compromising these sites. Logistics Support Land surveys are often undertaken in remote and hostile areas and environments. Extremes of topography and temperature as well as security issues are a challenge that must be managed to allow safe and effective operations. RPS has years of experience in working in these environments and provides logistics experts, mountaineers, transport specialists and communications specialists to assist with the smooth conduct of operation.
PROCESSING SUPPORT RPS provides experienced seismic data processing consultants for on-board or on-crew processing QC or for the final processing phase. Our processing personnel work with our navigation and source modelling specialists when appropriate to help ensure rapid turnaround times and define optimum quality data. Data Processing Supervision and Management helps ensure that contractors produce the best possible data for interpreters. RPS has provided support to seismic data processing projects for over 30 years. We have a worldwide team of experienced personnel engaged in land, marine and transition zone projects. RPS can provide expertise throughout all the key stages of a data processing project; procurement and tender design; supervision, QC and expert advice during the project. Specialist In-House Processing projects require a tailored data analysis and processing approach so that specific objectives are met. Frequently this is in areas such bandwidth extension, data conditioning for AVO, AVO analysis, and other advanced seismic analysis such as use of structural tensors for building fault probability volumes. We have the in-house expertise and software to undertake this type of analysis. On Crew Processing has developed with increasing computer power and software capability into an industry standard tool to generate quick-look volumes or to fast-track final processing. This approach helps monitor the suitability of parameters over diverse terrain and allows near real time decisions on data coverage to be made. This is an area that we have worked on since on-crew processing first became a possibility and we frequently provide experienced personnel to help ensure that the best possible quality is obtained. CMP Rays CRP Rays rpsgroup.com/energy
For more information about our Energy Services please contact: energy@rpsgroup.com UK USA Australia Canada Malaysia Middle East Norway Russia Singapore 48506 rpsgroup.com/energy