Methods and underwater bases for using autonomous underwater vehicles for marine seismic surveys

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10787235-B2
Application number	US-201715837629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Mar 20, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A method for cycling autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that record seismic signals during a marine seismic survey. The method includes deploying plural current AUVs on the ocean bottom; recording the seismic signals during the marine seismic survey with plural current AUVs; releasing from an underwater base a new AUV to replace a corresponding current AUV from the plural current AUVs; recovering the current AUV; and continuing to record the seismic signals with the new AUV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for the deployment or retrieval of seismic nodes on or near the seabed, comprising
an underwater base coupled to a surface vessel, wherein the underwater base stores a plurality of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), wherein each of the AUVs comprises one or more seismic sensors and a propulsion system,
wherein the underwater base is configured to be lowered and raised from the surface vessel to a subsea position with the plurality of AUVs; and
wherein the underwater base comprises a control system for launching one or more of the plurality of AUVs from the underwater base.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the underwater base acts both as a launching base and a recovery base.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the underwater base comprises an inlet part for receiving the plurality of AUVs and a storing part for storing the plurality of AUVs.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the inlet part is configured to detect and identify an AUV during entrance into the underwater base.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the storing part comprises a chamber.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of AUVs are stacked in the storing part.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the underwater base comprises one or more stacks for storing the plurality of AUVs.

8. A method for the deployment of a plurality of seismic nodes on or near the seabed, comprising
storing a first plurality of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in an underwater base, wherein each AUV comprises one or more seismic sensors and a propulsion system;
lowering the underwater base from a surface vessel to a subsea location;
launching the first plurality of AUVs from the underwater base while the underwater base is coupled to the surface vessel; and
deploying each of the first plurality of AUVs at a position on the seabed.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the launching step is based on communications from the underwater base.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising guiding the first plurality of AUVs to one or more seabed locations based on communications provided by the underwater base.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising unlocking the first plurality of AUVs prior to launching them from the underwater base.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising maintaining with a heave compensated crane the underwater base during deployment of the first plurality of AUVs.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the launching step is performed sequentially for each of the first plurality of AUVs.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
lifting the underwater base to the surface vessel;
storing a second plurality of AUVs in the underwater base;
lowering the underwater base to a subsea position; and
launching the second plurality of AUVs from the underwater base.

15. A method for the retrieval of a plurality of seismic nodes on or near the seabed, comprising
deploying an underwater base from a surface vessel to a subsea location;
recovering a plurality of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) into the underwater base while the underwater base is coupled to the surface vessel, wherein each AUV comprises one or more seismic sensors and a propulsion system; and
lifting the underwater base from the subsea location to the surface vessel with the plurality of AUVs.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising guiding the plurality of AUVs to the underwater base based on communications provided by the underwater base.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising storing the plurality of AUVs in one or more stacks in the underwater base.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising detecting and identifying each of the plurality of AUVs as the AUV enters the underwater base.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising instructing each of the plurality of AUVs to turn off its propulsion system as the AUV enters the underwater base.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the recovery step is performed sequentially for each of the plurality of AUVs.

Assignees

• Seabed Geosolutions Bv

Inventors

• Lelaurin Antoine
• Grimsdale Jonathan
• Brizard Thierry

Classifications

• G01V1/3852

  to the seabed · CPC title

• B63G2008/008

  Docking stations for unmanned underwater vessels, or the like · CPC title

• B63G8/001 Primary

  Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations (self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42) · CPC title

• B63G2008/004

  autonomously operating · CPC title

• B63B27/16

  of lifts or hoists {(pilot lifts B63B27/146)} · CPC title