Smart streamer recovery device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349393-A1
Application number	US-201615170684-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 1, 2016
Priority date	Jun 1, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for operating streamer recovery devices to retrieve seismic streamers, for example streamers that become severed from their towing vessels. The streamer recovery can be remotely activated to cause the streamer to surface where the streamer is more easily retrieved.

First claim

1 . A seismic streamer system comprising:
a recovery module configured for coupling to a seismic streamer deployed in a water column, the recovery module comprising an actuator coupled to a positive buoyancy element; a controller configured to trigger the actuator to deploy the positive buoyancy element in response to a recovery condition being met; wherein the positive buoyancy element is configured to raise at least a portion of the seismic streamer to a surface of the water column, when the recovery condition is met.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a steering module having at least one wing, fin or other control surface configured to steer the seismic streamer to a selected position or depth with respect to the surface of the water column, the steering module and recovery module sharing a common housing.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises a gas reservoir configured to inflate the positive buoyancy element when triggered by the controller.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an interface configured for communicating an external recovery signal indicating that the recovery condition is met.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the interface is communicatively coupled to a control computer configured to communicate the external recovery signal to the seismic streamer device via a network comprising one or more of an acoustic network, an electromagnetic network, an optical network, a radio frequency based network, and a Bluetooth network.

6 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a steering or depth control device coupled to the seismic streamer, the steering or depth control device configured to generate the external recovery signal for communication to the streamer device.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the interface is configured to receive the external control signal wirelessly via an inductive or capacitive signal, or a combination thereof.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the recovery condition comprises loss of communications between the controller and a network in communication with a seismic vessel towing the seismic streamer through the water column, the loss of communications persisting for a predetermined period of time.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the recovery condition is met by:
a pressure signal indicating at least a predefined depth of the seismic streamer or a portion thereof below the surface of the water column, the pressure signal persisting for a predetermined period of time; or a drift signal indicating substantial loss of tow speed of the seismic streamer with respect to the water column, for a predetermined period of time.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter or transceiver configured to generate a remote recovery signal for communication to other such seismic streamer devices, when the recovery condition is met.

11 . A seismic streamer apparatus comprising:
one or more seismic streamers, each seismic streamer having a plurality of seismic sensors configured for deployment in a water column; at least one recovery module disposed along each seismic streamer, each recovery module comprising an actuator coupled to a positive buoyancy device and a controller configured to trigger the actuator to deploy the positive buoyancy device in response to a recovery condition being met; wherein the positive buoyancy device is configured to raise at least a portion of the respective seismic streamer to a surface of the water column, when the recovery condition is met.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the seismic sensors include one or more of a hydrophone, a geophone, and a particle motion sensor, or a combination thereof.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each recovery module comprises a transceiver configured for receiving an external recovery signal from a remote processor, the external recovery signal indicating that the recovery condition is met.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the recovery condition is further met by loss of communications with the remote processor for a predetermined period of time.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the transceiver is further configured for communicating data signals over a network, the data signals including one or more of seismic data, temperature data, pressure data, and depth data.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the recovery condition is met by the pressure data indicating that a corresponding one of the seismic streamers is at or below predefined depth, for a predetermined period of time after loss of communications with the network.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a steering or depth control module coupled to one of the seismic streamers and in data communication with the recovery module, the steering or depth control module configured to determine whether the recovery condition is met.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the steering or depth control module and the recovery module are in wireless data communication via an inductive or capacitive signal, or a combination thereof.

19 . The apparatus of claim 11 , each recovery module comprising:
a transmitter or transceiver configured for generating a remote recovery signal indicating that the recovery condition is met; and a receiver or transceiver configured for receiving such a remote recovery signal from another such recovery module, wherein the controller triggers the actuator to deploy the positive buoyancy device.

20 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each recovery module comprises a steering system with one or more control surfaces actuated to steer the respective seismic streamer to a selected depth or position with respect to the surface of the water column, wherein the recovery module and steering system sharing a common housing.

21 . A marine seismic survey system comprising:
one or more seismic streamers configured for deploying a plurality of seismic sensors in a water column; one or more streamer devices disposed along each seismic streamer, each streamer device comprising an actuator coupled to a positive buoyancy module with a module controller configured to trigger the actuator in response to a recovery condition being met, wherein the positive buoyancy module deploys to raise at least a portion of the seismic streamer to a surface of the water column when the recovery condition is met; and a system controller in data communication with the streamer devices disposed along each seismic streamer, wherein the system controller is configured to determine whether the recovery condition is met.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the system controller is configured to selectively signal the streamer devices disposed along each seismic streamer in response to the recovery condition being met, wherein some of the module controllers trigger the respective positive buoyancy modules to raise the corresponding portions of one or more of the seismic streamers to the surface of the water column and others of the module controllers do not.

23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the module controller in each streamer device is configured to determine whether the recovery condition is met in response to loss of the communication with the system controller, wherein each of the streamer devices comprises a transceiver configured to communicate data indicative of the recovery condition being met with others of the streamer devices.

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Assignees

• Ion Geophysical Corp

Inventors

• Lambert Dale J

Classifications

• F16L1/126

  on or close to the surface · CPC title

• F16L1/24

  Floats; Weights · CPC title

• G01V1/3843 Primary

  Deployment of seismic devices, e.g. of streamers (equipment for marine deployment in general B63B) · CPC title

• G01V2001/207

  Buoyancy · CPC title

• G01V1/38

  specially adapted for water-covered areas (G01V1/28 takes precedence) · CPC title