Western Geophysical 3D Seismic Services Important in Discovery of Gulf of Mexico Giants

Western Geophysical, a division of Baker Hughes Incorporated, provided the 3D data acquisition, processing, and depth imaging for three recent giant discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico, Mad Dog, Atlantis, and Crazy Horse, all operated by BP Amoco, and one, which that BP Amoco estimates is the Gulf's largest deepwater discovery, Crazy Horse.

The Crazy Horse prospect is located at a water depth of 6,000 ft. in the Boarshead Basin and has an estimated discovered volume of at least a billion bbl of oil equivalent. Mobil is BP Amoco's partner on Crazy Horse.

"Pre-well, we had an excellent quality seismic data set," said Steve Peacock, BP Amoco vice president of exploration for the Gulf of Mexico.

Western Geophysical and BP Amoco worked in close collaboration to plan the data acquisition and processing, and build the velocity salt-model for prestack depth imaging in the technically challenging area. All three Gulf of Mexico discoveries reflect the increasing importance of depth imaging technologies such as those Western provides to detect reserves beneath salt and other complex formations.

Of the other two significant discoveries in the Gulf, BHP and Unocal are BP Amoco's partners on Mad Dog and BHP is BP Amoco's partner on Atlantis.