The Marine Vibrator Joint Industry Project: four years on
Andrew Feltham 1 7 Marc Girard 2 Mike Jenkerson 3 Vladimir Nechayuk 3 Shari Griswold 4 Nick Henderson 5 Graham Johnson 61 Total E&P Research & Technology USA, LLC – Geophysics, 1201 Louisiana Street, Suite 1800, Houston, TX 77002, USA.
2 Total S.A., Centre Scientifique & Technique Jean Feger, Avenue Larribau, 64018, Pau Cedex, France.
3 ExxonMobil Exploration Co., 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring, TX 77389, USA.
4 Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., 150N. Dairy Ashford Building A, Houston, TX 77079, USA.
5 Shell Canada Ltd, 400 4th Avenue S.W. PO Box 100, Station M, Calgary T2P 2H5, Canada.
6 Sound Seismic Solutions, Inc., 18230 Knotty Green Dr., Houston, TX 77084, USA.
7 Corresponding author. Email: andrew.feltham@total.com
Exploration Geophysics 49(5) 675-687 https://doi.org/10.1071/EG17093
Submitted: 19 July 2017 Accepted: 11 October 2017 Published: 7 December 2017
Abstract
The Marine Vibrator Joint Industry Project (MVJIP), sponsored by Shell, Total and ExxonMobil, has been ongoing for four years. During this time significant progress has been made towards developing fully commercial marine vibrators. We begin by describing the history of, and need for, marine vibrator development, including the successes and shortcomings of the technology development before the MVJIP. Following this, we discuss the motivation for initiating the MVJIP, including the specifications required and initial phases of the project. Next, we move on to the vendors that are developing the different options. For each of the three vendors, we shall discuss their background with the technology, the type of technology being developed and their results to date. After discussing the vendors, we shall move on to the impact the MVJIP has had on the commercial marine vibrator industry. Finally, we will discuss our experiences to date and conclude with further work and the way forward for the project.
Key words: acquisition, marine, oil and gas exploration, seismic exploration, sources, vibroseis.
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