US Department of Interior
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Nexus Helps the US Department of Interior (DOI) Unveil Enhanced Seismic Data for Alaskan Outer Continental Shelf (AOCS)
About the Company
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) oversees the nation's natural resources and cultural heritage, supports scientific research, and upholds commitments to indigenous and island communities. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), a federal agency within the DOI, manages the development of energy and mineral resources on the United States Outer Continental Shelf.
Challenges and objectives
- BOEM needed to enhance the resolution of vintage seismic data to improve subsurface geological interpretations and ensure fair market valuation of oil and gas leases on Alaska's Outer Continental Shelf.
- Many areas of the U.S. Alaskan OCS have yet to be tested by exploration drilling, which relies heavily on outdated 2-D seismic data.
- The vintage seismic data available is low-resolution, collected 20 to 50 years ago, making accurate subsurface evaluations challenging.
- Unique geological features such as thin coal beds, highly variable seabed composition, and complex subsurface deformations hinder high-quality seismic imaging.
- The presence of strong tidal currents in the Cook Inlet introduces errors in survey geometries, complicating data processing.
- Reprocessing efforts are complicated by incomplete or missing navigation files, affecting data accuracy and interpretation.
Solution
- Nexus successfully processed all 2-D seismic reflection field data, relevant well velocities, and vintage stacked data, with initial data sets from the area within a month of contract award.
Results
- Nexus reviewed the reprocessed results with BOEM stakeholders, revealing a data set with substantially more detail and features than the legacy data.
- Nexus continues collaborating with NOAA/BOEM to process additional sets of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) seismic data in various regions along the United States coastline.