Title: Real-time wireless seismic data acquisition

Speaker: Dr. Ahmed Bader

Abstract:
There has been recently a clear inclination in the onshore seismic industry towards scaling up the swath sizes of surveyed areas. Such a trend is consistently associated with a demand by end-users for higher survey resolutions which is manifested in the deployment of more geophones per unit area. It is also manifested in higher sampling rates consequently generating a “data tsunami”. Having said that, seismic survey contractors are under immense pressure to reduce their price points. This is largely driven by the fall of oil prices. As such, contractors are actively seeking solutions that shall reduce the size of field crews (manpower and vehicular fleet) as well as shorten the time needed to complete the survey. In other words, there is an active quest for conducting seismic surveys at lower operational expenses (OPEX).

In this talk, we advocate the use of wireless technology as a viable tool for lowering survey OPEX. We first motivate the value proposition of wireless data acquisition in comparison to cabled solutions. We then offer a wide-angle view of various flavors of wireless seismic data acquisition solutions while pinpointing their shortcomings, particularly in terms of reliability, timeliness, and scalability. The differentiated value proposition of real-time wireless acquisition is then emphasized. We then outline the key design objectives for an optimized real-time wireless solution while highlighting the inherently Pareto-optimal nature of the problem. The talk will specifically underline the shortcomings of commercially off-the-shelf (COTS) wireless technologies in meeting the design objectives.

Based on analytical results obtained, a 20-unit proof-of-concept (PoC) test-bed was built at KAUST. Some key findings, lessons learned, and field test results using the PoC test-bed will be shared with the audience. The talk is concluded with an insight into potential commercialization venues for the developed real-time wireless technology.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Bader has nearly 10 years of industrial experience working on developing projects and products in the wide area of wireless networks. Since early 2013, he has been a Research Fellow at KAUST where his research interests are in the field of large-scale wireless networks. He was the top contributor to three successful applied research proposals with a total value of more than USD 613K. In addition to his research duties, Dr. Bader has recently founded a wireless M2M solutions startup with Prof. Mohamed-Slim Alouini. Before KAUST, he was a Wireless Technology Specialist with Emerson (a Global-500 company) where he was managing Emerson’s wireless technology in six Middle Eastern countries. Prior to joining Emerson in 2011, Dr. Bader was a Wireless Access Networks Manger with Dubai-based VTEL Group; a USD 1B company focused on building wireless broadband networks in emerging markets. Dr. Bader was particularly responsible for the roll-out of wireless networks in seven different countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Dr. Bader earned his PhD from Télécom ParisTech (École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications), his MS degree from The Ohio State University in USA, and BS degree from Jordan University, all in Electrical Engineering. Dr. Bader is the first author of 7 IEEE peer-reviewed journal papers, 10 conference papers, and the first inventor in 5 patent applications.

Pizza and Refreshments will also be served at the seminar.

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