The Challenges of Seismic Acquisition in a National Park in Uganda

In the savanna in 2013, the Company’s technicians are doing everything they can to protect wildlife while conducting their seismic survey. Topographer Walter Yondi is taking part thanks to a new technology, wireless seismic acquisition.

TotalEnergies

Adam Turnbull en off
Seismic Superintendent
“There is a necessity today to discover oil in more and more challenging environment that we have to go to.”
We are presently conducting a seismic project of 402 sq kms in this challenging environment where we have a multitude of wildlife, so we are amalgamating our efforts incorporating doing a seismic project with the latest technology.

Adam Turnbull and Tom O.Okello (Uganda Wildlife Authority)
Hi Adam, Hi Tom

Tom
In the beginning when you started discussing this oil aspect of your 3D, we were a little bit sceptical about the impacts because we are looking at the intent, the lines and all that…

Adam
Nowhere in the world we’ve introduce so much technology of an advance level. The fact that we are using the cable less recording system for Seismic, again means there is no cable anywhere on the surface, so it’s very inconspicuous on the ground.

Walter Yondi
Topographer

I’m Walter Yondi, I’m the topographer of Total E&P Uganda. I want to show you what in terms of topography, what’s happens here. This is the reference point from which all measurement within the affiliate is done including well positioning, all positioning work must be tight to this point here.
When we choose the location of this point, we need to put it in the raise grounds so that the GPS can be able to send signals very far.
This vibrates is equipped with a GPS system in it.
It is at this point that they’re going to do the shooting, the sending of the waves. And that is where the GPS will be able to pick up the coordinates at the vertical of this point here.
So this is the Zeeland receivers. This is what we plant in the ground.
The point where they must be planted are really designed by the geophysicist. They give us the coordinates of those points and the work of this surveyor is to materialize the coordinates on the ground.

ADAM en off
We must always keep dialog, we must always explain what we are trying to do because there is a misconception or misperception of what we do in seismic.
On the islands themselves we are using unman aerial vehicles for the first time this allows us to overflight those islands and examine what is lying on the island. The UVE provides the eyes above the canopy to see how we are operating.
“By applying biodiversity, rules and regulations, ensuring that we comply to the ecology that we have set out from the beginning of this project, we will successfully achieve our mission. “

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