The use of miniaturised seismic sources for reduced environmental impact

Reducing the widths of seismic cutlines helps to minimise the environmental impact of acquiring seismic surveys. This can be accomplished by utilising miniaturised seismic sources, but not all small sources provide sufficient energy for imaging deeper oil sands reservoirs at the required resolution. In the winter of 2020, two independent 2D field trials were conducted to test the use of miniaturised seismic sources for imaging both shallow and deep oil sands reservoirs in Canada. This case study examines the results for frequency content and potential reduction in environmental impact as compared to conventional oil sands explosive sources. The resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of the seismic records from miniaturized seismic sources were matching and equivalent to the conventional seismic source.