A source-receiver geometry was designed for a 9C3D seismic survey in Montrail County, North Dakota, that will involve the largest number of active 3-component stations (1,800 to 2,100) ever attempted in an onshore U.S. multicomponent seismic survey. To achieve the data-acquisition objectives, 3-component geophone strings will be provided by the Bureau of Economic Geology, Dawson Geophysical, and Vecta Technology. Data acquisition will commence in late October 2003. The general objective of this study is to demonstrate the value of multicomponent seismic technology for exploring for subtle oolitic-bank reservoirs in the Mission Canyon Formation of the Williston Basin. The work tasks done during this report period concentrated on developing an optimal design for the seismic survey. This first semiannual report defines the geographical location and geometrical shape of the survey and documents the key acquisition parameters that will be implemented to yield high-fold, high-resolution 9-component seismic data.