Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T21:51:47.390Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

5 - Full Tensor Gradiometry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2021

Hamish Wilson
Affiliation:
BluEnergy Ltd
Keith Nunn
Affiliation:
Nunngeo Consulting Ltd
Matt Luheshi
Affiliation:
Leptis E&P Ltd
Get access

Summary

The application of gravity gradient measurements to exploration has been growing over the past 20 years. The ability of tensor gradiometry instruments to greatly improve signal/noise when deployed on mobile platforms has transformed the usefulness of this technology. Airborne and marine Full Tensor Gradiometry (FTG) surveys have become an increasingly common part of the exploration and production toolkit. The ability of the modern instruments to provide high-resolution, spatial accuracy and very good signal/noise data has made this technology a more common part of integrated exploration and production management. The technology has a distinct cost advantage over seismic data acquisition and as such can deliver a competitive solution for imaging problems in some circumstances. There are now numerous published examples of effective use of FTG in the oil industry. The development of better instruments such as integration of direct contemporaneous measurement of conventional gravity is encouraging more interest in the technology. The potential for extending the use of FTG to reservoir monitoring and carbon dioxide sequestration assurance is likely to increase the popularity of the technology in future.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barnes, G., 2012. Interpolating the gravity field using full tensor gradient measurements. First Break, 30, 97101.Google Scholar
Barnes, G., 2018. The gravity module assembly used in airborne full tensor gradiometry surveys. Geophysical Prospecting, 67. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2478.12707.Google Scholar
Barnes, G. and Lumley, J., 2010. Noise analysis and reduction in full tensor gravity gradiometry data. In Lane, R. J. L., ed., Airborne Gravity 2010. Abstracts from the ASEG-PESA Airborne Gravity 2010 Workshop. Published jointly by Geoscience Australia and the Geological Survey of New South Wales, Geoscience Australia Record 2010/23 and GSNSW File GS2010/0457, 21–27.Google Scholar
Barnes, G. and Lumley, J., 2011. Processing gravity gradient data. Geophysics, 76(2), March–April, I33–47. DOI: 10.1190/1.3548548.Google Scholar
Bate, D., 2005. 4D reservoir volumetrics: A case study over the Izaute gas storage facility. First Break, 23, 6971.Google Scholar
Colombo, D. and McNeice, G. W., 2013. Subsalt imaging with full-tensor electromagnetics in the Red Sea. In Extended Abstract, EAGE Conference 2013, London, DOI: 10.3997/2214-4609.20130733.Google Scholar
Davies, M. A. and Martin, J., 2010. Application of gravity gradiometry in salt basin modelling. KAZGeo 2010: Proceedings of 1st EAGE International Geosciences Conference for Kazakhstan. EAGE EarthDocs.Google Scholar
DiFrancesco, D., 2007. EGM 2007 International Workshop, Innovation in EM, Grav and Mag Methods: Anew Perspective for Exploration, Capri, Italy, 15–18 April 2007.Google Scholar
DiFrancesco, D., 2011. The growth of airborne gravity gradiometry – and challenges for the future. InTwelfth International Congress of the Brazilian Geophysical SocietyGoogle Scholar
DiFrancesco, D., Meyer, T., Christensen, A. and Fitzgerald, D., 2009. Gravity gradiometry – today and tomorrow. In 11th SAGA Biennial Technical Meeting and Exhibition Proceedings, Swaziland, 16–18 September 2009, 80–3. DOI: 10.3997/2214-4609-pdb.241.difrancesco_paper1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiFrancesco, D. and Talwani, M., 2002. Time-lapse gravity gradiometry for reservoir monitoring. In Expanded Abstracts, 72nd Annual International Meeting, SEG, 787–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dransfield, M., 2010. Conforming Falcon® gravity and the global gravity anomaly. Geophysical Prospecting, 58(3), March, 469–83. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2478.2009.00830.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dransfield, M. H. and Christensen, A. N., 2013. Performance of airborne gravity gradiometers, Fugro Airborne Surveys. The Leading Edge, 909–22.Google Scholar
Elliott, J. E. and Braun, A., 2016. Gravity monitoring of 4D fluid migration in SAGD reservoirs: Forward modelling. CSEG Recorder, 41(01), 1621.Google Scholar
Furre, A.-K., Eiken, O., Alnes, H., Vevatne, J. N. and Kiaer, A. F., 2017. 20 years of monitoring CO2-injection at Sleipner. Energy Procedia, 114 (2017), 3916–26. DOI: 10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.1523.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Houghton, P., Nuttall, P., Cvetkovic, M. and Mazur, S., 2014. The role of potential fields as an early dataset to improve exploration in frontier areas. First Break, 32(4), April. DOI: 0.3997/1365-2397.32.4.74382,Google Scholar
Jackson, D., Helwig, J. H., Dinkelman, M. G., Silva, M. and Protacio, J. A. P., 2013. Integration of 2D seismic, gravity gradiometry, and magnetic data on a passive Margin – NE Greenland. In EAGE Conference 2013, Tu 09 04. DOI: 10.3997/2214-4609.20130443.Google Scholar
Jorgensen, G. J., Kisabeth, J. L. and Routh, P., 2006. The role of potential fields data and joint inverse modeling in the exploration of the Deep Water Gulf of Mexico Mini-Basin Province. Bell Geospace. www.bellgeospace.com/doc/frontiers_ed5_main_Jorgensen_lr.pdf .Google Scholar
Middlemiss, R. P., Samarelli, A., Paul, D. J., Hough, J., Rowan, S. and Hammond, G. D., 2016. Measurement of the Earth tides with a MEMS gravimeter. Nature, 53131, March. DOI:10.1038/nature17397.Google Scholar
Moore, D., Chowdhury, P. R. and Rudge, T., 2012. FALCON airborne gravity gradiometry provides a smarter exploration tool for unconventional and conventional hydrocarbons: case study from the Fitzroy Trough, onshore Canning Basin. In Mares, T. (ed.), Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium IV: Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, Special Publication, CD-ROM. www.spgindia.org/10_biennial_form/P114.pdfGoogle Scholar
Murphy, C. A., 2004. The Air-FTG™ airborne gravity gradiometer system, in R.J.L. Lane, ed., Airborne Gravity 2004. Abstracts from the ASEG-PESA Airborne Gravity 2004 Workshop. Geoscience Australia Record, 2004/18, 15.Google Scholar
Murphy, C. A., Mumaw, G. R. and Zuidweg, K., 2005. Regional target prospecting in the Faroe-Shetland Basin area using 3D-FTG Gravity data. In EAGE 67th Conference & Exhibition, Madrid, Spain, 13–16 June 2005. DOI: 10.3997/2214-4609-pdb.1.P503.Google Scholar
Nabighian, M. N., Ander, M. E., Grauch, V. J. S., et al. 2005. Historical development of the gravity method in exploration. Geophysics, 70(6), November–December; 63 ND–89ND, DOI: 10.1190/1.2133785.Google Scholar
O’Brien, J., Rodriguez, A., Sixta, D., Davies, M. A. and Houghton, P., 2005. Resolving the K-2 salt structure in the Gulf of Mexico. The Leading Edge, 24(4), 404–9. DOI: 10.1190/1.1901394.Google Scholar
Pengyu, L. and Guoqing, M., 2015. Balanced gradient methods for the interpretation of gravity tensor gradient data, Journal of Applied Geophysics, 121, October, 8492. DOI: 10.1016/j.jappgeo.2015.07.011.Google Scholar
Price, A. D., Cacheux, A., Chowdhury, P. R., Shields, G., Weber, J. and Yalamanchili, R., 2013. Airborne gravity gradient acquisition for oil exploration in Uganda. In Extended Abstract EAGE London Conference 2013. DOI: 10.3997/2214-4609.20130123.Google Scholar
Protacio, J. A., Watson, J., Van Kleef, F. and Jackson, D., 2010. The value of integration of gravity gradiometry with seismic and well data: An example from a frontal thrust zone of the UAE-Oman Fold Belt. Presented at EAGE Barcelona 2010. DOI: 10.3997/2214-4609.20149920.Google Scholar
Saad, A. H., 2006. Understanding gravity gradients: A tutorial. The Leading Edge, 25, 942–9. DOI: 10.1190/1.2335167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarkawi, I., Abeger, G., Tornero, J. L. and Abushaala, E., 2007. The Murzuq Basin, Libya - A Proven Petroleum System. In Extended Abstracts, EAGE 3rd North African/Mediterranean Petroleum & Geosciences Conference and Exhibition Tripoli, Libya, 26–28 February 2007. DOI: 10.3997/2214-4609.20146465.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×