INTEGRATED APPROACH LEADS TO SUCCESSFUL 3D SEISMIC ACQUISITION ON BARROW ISLAND

Abstract

Barrow Island is a Class 'A' Nature Reserve off the northwest coast of Western Australia. West Australian Petroleum Pty Limited (WAPET) has conducted oil exploration and production activities on the island for the past 30 years. The Company recently completed an extensive 3D seismic pro­gram over the northern two thirds of the island. Two years of government liaison were required to ob­tain the necessary environmental approvals for the project to proceed. WAPET and its seismic contrac­tor utilised some of the latest Computer Aided Design (CAD) Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to assist in planning the project and combined this with extensive on-the-ground work to ensure the highest level of environmental protection in a very important ecosystem. The project illustrated the benefits of early planning, ongoing communica­tion, use of new technology, a multi-disciplinary approach and continuous improvement in environ­mental management.