Towed seismic node

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018348387-A1
Application number	US-201816025425-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Dec 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A marine seismic sensor system includes a seismic node having at least one seismic sensor. The sensor is configured for sampling seismic energy when towed through a water column on a rope. The coupling can be adapted to modulate transmission of acceleration from the rope to the seismic node.

First claim

1 . A seismic apparatus comprising:
a rope deployable in a water column and configured to be towed; and one or more seismic nodes coupled to the rope, wherein each of the one or more seismic nodes is disposed in a respective hydrodynamic body; each of the one or more seismic nodes comprising a respective seismic sensor configured for sampling seismic energy in the water column.

2 . The seismic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each respective hydrodynamic body provides different horizontal and vertical profiles adapted to preferentially capture acoustic or seismic energy propagating in a vertical direction with respect to acoustic or seismic energy propagating in a horizontal direction.

3 - 4 . (canceled)

5 . The seismic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rope comprises a passive strength component configured to tow the one or more seismic nodes through the water column, absent power or data communications between the rope and the one or more seismic nodes.

6 . The seismic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more seismic nodes comprise one or more steering nodes each having a respective controller configured to actuate respective control surfaces for positioning the respective one or more seismic nodes with respect to the water column.

7 . The seismic apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a deployment system having a winch configured for deploying the rope and a magazine configured for storing the one or more seismic nodes, wherein each of the one or more seismic nodes is coupled to the rope at a respective selected position for deployment into the water column.

8 . The seismic apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising an automated coupling mechanism adapted to couple the one or more seismic nodes to the rope according to a database of predefined configurations determining deployment of the one or more seismic nodes in different preselected positions along the rope.

9 - 10 . (canceled)

11 . A method comprising:
providing a plurality of seismic nodes, each of the seismic nodes having a seismic sensor configured for sampling seismic energy; coupling each of the plurality of seismic nodes to a rope, wherein the plurality of seismic nodes are distributed along a length of the rope; deploying the rope into a water column; towing the rope through the water column, with the plurality of seismic nodes distributed along the length of the rope; and sampling the seismic energy in the water column with the seismic nodes deployed to the water column along the length of the rope.

12 . (canceled)

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising actuating one or more control surfaces to maintain depth and lateral position of the plurality of seismic nodes within the water column when deployed along the rope.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising sampling a seismic wavefield with the plurality of seismic nodes deployed to the water column along the rope and with a plurality of ocean bottom nodes deployed below the water column, wherein the ocean bottom nodes sample the seismic wavefield at different offsets from the plurality of seismic nodes deployed along the rope.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of seismic nodes have different horizontal and vertical profiles with relatively greater horizontal surface area than vertical surface area, and further comprising selectively capturing, via the plurality of seismic nodes, acoustic energy propagating in a vertical direction through the water column with respect to a horizontal direction.

16 . A seismic sensor system comprising:
a seismic node having a hydrodynamic body with a seismic sensor; and a coupling between the seismic node and a rope; wherein the seismic sensor is configured for sampling seismic energy when the seismic node is deployed to a water column along the rope.

17 . The seismic sensor system of claim 16 , wherein the seismic node comprises an autonomous node having a power source, a clock, and memory for storing the seismic data, wherein the rope comprises a passive strength component configured for towing the autonomous seismic node through the water column absent power or data line communication between the rope and the seismic node.

18 . The seismic sensor system of claim 16 , wherein the hydrodynamic body has different horizontal and vertical profiles configured to preferentially capture acoustic energy propagating in a vertical direction through the water column with respect to acoustic energy propagating in a corresponding horizontal direction.

19 . The seismic sensor system of claim 16 , further comprising one or more active or passive control surfaces for positioning the seismic node when deployed to the water column along the rope.

20 . The seismic sensor system of claim 19 , further comprising a navigational system configured to generate navigational data representative of the positioning of the seismic node by the control surfaces.

21 - 23 . (canceled)

24 . The seismic sensor system of claim 16 , wherein the seismic sensor is spaced from the water column within the seismic node and further comprising one or more acoustic channels extending from the seismic sensor to the water column.

25 . The seismic sensor system of claim 16 , further comprising a passage in the seismic node adapted to engage the rope extending axially therethrough, wherein the coupling is configured to exert a net towing force oriented substantially along the rope extending through the passage.

26 . The seismic sensor system of claim 19 , wherein the control surfaces are active and further comprising a controller configured to actuate the control surfaces to position the seismic sensor system with respect to the water column.

27 . The seismic sensor system of claim 28 , further comprising a transceiver configured for communicating navigational data with the controller, wherein the navigational data describe the position of the seismic sensor when towed through the water column along the rope.

28 . The seismic apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the one or more seismic nodes comprise a control node configured to communicate navigational data to the steering node, the navigational data configured to determine the positioning of the steering node when towed through the water column along the rope.

Assignees

• Ion Geophysical Corp

Inventors

• Lambert Dale J

Classifications

• G01V1/168

  Deployment of receiver elements (G01V1/3843 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01V1/202 Primary

  Connectors, e.g. for force, signal or power · CPC title

• G01V1/186 Primary

  Hydrophones · CPC title

• G01V1/3843

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