Seismic-While-Drilling in Kuwait Results and Applications

Abstract

During early 1994, Kuwait Oil Company and Schlumberger completed an extensive study of the Seismic-While-Drilling technique in two development wells in the Raudhatain field of North Kuwait. Seismic-While-Drilling records the energy radiated from a working drillbit (utilized as a seismic source), with receivers placed at the surface. This technology provides well seismic information such as checkshot and look ahead Vertical Seismic Profiling services at the wellsite, in real-time. The technique does not interfere with the drilling process nor does it require deploying any downhole hardware. The result of the study is that the Seismic-While-Drilling technique can work successfully in the Raudhatain field.