3D CSEM for Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Barents Sea

Large multi-client 3D CSEM surveys have been acquired in the Barents Sea in 2008 and 2010. This data has been used by oil companies in Norwegian license application rounds to support their geological models and prospects. We show case examples where 3D resistivity models obtained by inverting CSEM data help locate areas of interest and update prospect risks. Despite the challenges often associated with the Barents Sea, such as a complex overburden and large resistivity anisotropy, the producing Snøhvit Field is imaged as a CSEM anomaly with the correct burial depth and lateral extension. This shows that CSEM data can be an important exploration tool in the Barents Sea.