Seismic data – information to locate oil and natural gas deposits, both to aid in exploration for new deposits and to manage or enhance production from known reservoirs. To gather seismic data, an energy source is used to send sound waves into the subsurface strata. These waves are reflected back to the surface by underground formations, where they are detected by geophones which digitize and record the reflected waves. Computers are then used to process the raw data to develop an image of underground formations.

Reservoir models – computer models constructed of a petroleum reservoir for the purposes of improving estimation of reserves and making decisions regarding the development of the oil field.

Seismic Imaging of an Oil Reservoir