Using cameras in connection with a marine seismic survey

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9366774-B2
Application number	US-16812008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2008
Priority date	Jul 5, 2008
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A technique includes obtaining data indicative of images of a marine seismic source event, which are acquired by underwater cameras and processing the data to determine an attribute (a seismic bubble volume or motion, as non-limiting examples) that is associated with the seismic source event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
towing a seismic source, the seismic source comprising an air gun;
towing at least one seismic streamer including seismic sensors;
obtaining data indicative of at least one image of a marine seismic source event created by the air gun, the data being acquired by at least one underwater camera; and
processing the data to determine an attribute associated with the seismic source event,
wherein the seismic source event comprises an air bubble and the processing comprises determining an attribute of the seismic source event based at least in part on a volume of the air bubble.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of processing the data comprises processing the data to determine a motion of the seismic source event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of processing the data comprises processing the data to determine a volume of the seismic source event.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a signature of the seismic source event in response to the data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of processing the data comprises comparing the at least one image to at least one predetermined image pattern to detect failure of towed seismic equipment.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
automatically alerting an operator in response to the detection of the failure.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the failure comprises air leakage from air guns.

8. A system comprising:
at least one seismic source comprising an air gun to initiate a seismic source event in connection with a seismic survey in which the at least one seismic source is towed, the seismic source event comprising an air bubble; and
at least one camera mounted to the at least one seismic source and oriented to acquire data indicative of at least one image of the air bubble to allow a volume of the air bubble to be determined.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one camera is adapted to acquire at least one image indicative of a volume or a motion of the seismic source event.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one camera is adapted to acquire overlapping images.

11. A system comprising:
an interface to receive data indicative of at least one photographic image of a seismic source event created by an air gun during a seismic survey during which at least one seismic sensor and at least one air gun are towed and the at least one air gun creates the seismic source event; and
a processor to process the data to determine an attribute associated with the seismic source event,
wherein the seismic source event comprises an air bubble and the determination of the attribute comprises the processor determining a volume of the air bubble.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is adapted to process the data to determine a motion of the seismic source event.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is adapted to process the data to determine to determine a volume of the seismic source event.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
towed seismic equipment comprising seismic sources to generate the seismic source event and seismic sensors, wherein the processor is part of the towed seismic equipment.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is adapted to determine a signature of the seismic source event and further process the data based at least in part on the determined signature.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is adapted to compare the at least one image to at least one predetermined image pattern to detect seismic equipment failure.

17. An article comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed by a processor-based system cause the processor-based system to:
obtain data indicative of at least one photographic image of a seismic source event, the seismic source event comprising an air bubble; and
process the data to determine an attribute associated with the seismic source event, including determining a volume of the air bubble.

18. The article of claim 17 , the storage medium containing instructions that when activated cause the processor-based system to process the data to determine a motion of the seismic source event.

19. The article of claim 17 , the storage medium containing instructions that when activated cause the processor-based system to process the data to determine a volume of the seismic source event.

20. The article of claim 17 , the storage medium containing instructions that when activated cause the processor-based system to determine a signature of the seismic source in response to the data.

21. The article of claim 17 , the storage medium containing instructions that when activated cause the processor-based system to compare the at least one image to at least one predetermined image pattern to detect a seismic equipment failure.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing the data to determine a signature of the seismic source event; and
using the signature in the processing of the data to determine the attribute.

Assignees

• Welker Kenneth E
• Kristiansen Ottar
• Westerngeco Llc

Inventors

• Welker Kenneth E
• Kristiansen Ottar

Classifications

• H04N13/211

  using temporal multiplexing · CPC title

• G01V1/38 Primary

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

• H04N13/021

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/0239

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/239

  using two two-dimensional [2D] image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance (H04N13/243 takes precedence) · CPC title