EcoSeis: Environmental Footprint Reduction for Subsurface Exploration Programs

EcoSeis is an innovative land footprint reduction technology that allows oil and gas operators to sustainably acquire high-resolution seismic images of their resources. The technology is a ground-breaking collaboration that successfully brings environmental conservation and GHG accounting practices into the design and execution of data collection in the field. EcoSeis utilizes proprietary algorithms to rank biological, ecological and geographical surface information to automatically guide the creation of custom survey designs.

Field acquisition of subsurface data is often conducted in remote areas with varying terrain and habitat types. Historically, seismic exploration in forested regions has required the clearing of cutlines for safe access and equipment deployment resulting in numerous interconnected pathways. Decades of ecological research have uncovered the impact this work has on revegetation as well as the challenges it poses to sensitive species and habitats, such as woodland caribou in Canada’s boreal forests. Innovative land stewardship combined with recording equipment miniaturization was the spark that drove OptiSeis to envision and create EcoSeis in 2019, which can reduce the total amount of seismic line clearing by more than 50%.

OptiSeis Solutions Ltd. is the Canadian developer of the EcoSeis exploration footprint reduction design technology, which incorporates over a decade of OptiSeis’ seismic acquisition geometry research and a combined 100+ years of seismic acquisition, processing, interpretation, Geographic Information System (GIS), and environmental analysis experience. EcoSeis allows operators to focus on their environmental, GHG and subsurface targets, and helps companies deliver on their goals to provide environmentally sustainable and reliable energy for generations to come.