Method and system for optimizing seismic data acquisition using compressed sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11269092-B2
Application number	US-201816014566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2018
Priority date	Jun 21, 2018
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems for seismic data acquisition in a survey area use compressed sensing and take into consideration operational limitations. The operational limitations may be related to the equipment used for the survey, the topography of the surveyed area or limitations that otherwise optimize the survey path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for performing seismic data acquisition in a survey area, the method comprising:
defining non-overlapping successive pavements along a survey path so as to cover the survey area;
sequentially determining activation points inside the non-overlapping successive pavements, respectively, wherein a current activation point in a pavement is selected if there is a set of activation points that starts with the current activation point and continues with a random point in each of a predetermined number of the non-overlapping successive pavements along the survey path, the set of activation points satisfying predetermined operational constraints, the predetermined operational constraints being due to limitations related to a motion of a seismic source from one activation point to a next activation point, and to a physical reality within each pavement; and
acquiring seismic data by generating seismic excitations at the determined activation points.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the limitations related to the motion include a minimum curvature of a source's path between adjacent activation points.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the limitations related to the motion include a maximum acute angle between successive segments defined by activation points in adjacent pavements.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
associating topographic information with the pavements, the topographic information being used to evaluate at least one of the predetermined operational constraints.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined operational constraints include a maximum tilt of a seismic source moving from one activation point to a next activation point, a current tilt being estimated based on the topographic information.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined operational constraints include avoiding one or more forbidden zones within at least one of the pavements, the forbidden zones being identified using the topographic information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pavements have rectangular shapes.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein an activation point in a pavement is selected from predetermined locations inside the pavement.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined locations form a sub-grid.

10. A seismic data acquisition system, comprising:
a seismic source configured to generate seismic excitations that propagate inside an explored underground formation;
receivers configured and placed to detect reflections of the seismic excitations emerging from the explored underground formation; and
a controller configured to guide the seismic source to activation points that the controller determines by:
defining non-overlapping successive pavements along a survey path so as to cover a survey area; and
sequentially determining the activation points inside the non-overlapping successive pavements along the survey path, wherein a current activation point in a pavement is selected if there is a set of activation points that starts with the current activation point and continues with a random point in each of a predetermined number of the non-overlapping successive pavements along the survey path, the set of activation points satisfying predetermined operational constraints, the predetermined operational constraints being due to limitations related to a motion of a seismic source from one activation point to a next activation point, and to a physical reality within each pavement.

11. The seismic data acquisition system of claim 10 , wherein the limitations include a minimum curvature of a source's path between adjacent activation points.

12. The seismic data acquisition system of claim 10 , wherein the limitations include a maximum acute angle between successive segments defined by activation points in successive pavements.

13. The seismic data acquisition system of claim 10 , wherein the controller associates topographic information with the pavements, the topographic information being used to evaluate at least one of the predetermined operational constraints.

14. The seismic data acquisition system of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined operational constraints include a current tilt being less than a maximum tilt of the seismic source moving from one activation point to a next activation point, the current tilt being estimated based on the topographic information.

15. The seismic data acquisition system of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined operational constraints include avoiding one or more forbidden zones within at least one of the pavements, the forbidden zones being identified using the topographic information.

16. The seismic data acquisition system of claim 10 , wherein an activation point in a pavement is selected from predetermined locations in the pavement.

17. The seismic data acquisition system of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined locations form a sub-grid.

18. A seismic survey design apparatus, comprising:
an interface configured to receive information about a survey area and operational constraints and to output commands for placing a seismic source at activation points; and
a processor connected to the interface and configured:
to define non-overlapping successive pavements along a survey path so as to cover the survey area; and
to successively determine the activation points of a seismic source inside pavements, respectively, wherein a current activation point in a pavement is determined as being one of the activation points if there is a set of activation points that starts with the current activation point followed and continues with a random point in each of a predetermined number of the non-overlapping successive pavements along the survey path, the set of activation points satisfying predetermined operational constraints, the predetermined operational constraints being due to limitations related to a motion of a seismic source from one activation point to a next activation point, and to a physical reality within each pavement.

19. The seismic data acquisition system of claim 10 , wherein
the seismic source is further configured to transmit information obtained by a direct observation during a survey, to the controller; and
the controller is further configured to update the activation points by taking into consideration additional operational constraints based on the information obtained by the direct observation during the survey.

20. The seismic survey design apparatus of claim 18 , wherein
the interface is further configured to receive information obtained by a direct observation during a survey; and
the processor is further configured to update the activation points by taking into consideration additional operational constraints based on the information obtained by the direct observation during the survey.

Assignees

• Cgg Services Sas
• Sercel Sas

Inventors

• Hardouin Paul
• Bianchi Thomas

Classifications

• G01V1/003 Primary

  Seismic data acquisition in general, e.g. survey design (G01V1/3808, G01V1/42 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01V2210/1293

  Sea · CPC title

• G01V2210/1295

  Land surface · CPC title

• G01V2210/1425

  Land surface · CPC title

• G01V2210/127

  Cooperating multiple sources · CPC title