Land seismic devices, systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9588243-B2
Application number	US-201213680104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2012
Priority date	Nov 18, 2012
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods for land seismic. The devices include an above-ground storage tank in which an acoustic energy source is immersed in liquid. The above-ground storage tank may be portable, reusable, self-supporting and may lay flat when empty of liquid and rise on its own when being filled with liquid. The systems include the seismic source-storage tank device, one or more sensors for recording signals that are generated when the source is activated, and a processor for analyzing the recorded signals for geophysical information. The methods involve methods of inducing seismic waves using the seismic source-storage tank devices, and methods of conducting seismic surveys using the seismic source-storage tank devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A land seismic device, comprising:
an acoustic energy source;
a source controller to initiate discharge of the acoustic energy source;
an above-ground flattenable storage tank having a bottom, wherein the storage tank is configured to hold the acoustic energy source immersed in a volume of liquid and above the bottom of the storage tank; and
wherein an interior of the storage tank is provided with a baffle configured as an inner tank wherein a pressure wave of the acoustic energy source is absorbed by the baffle rather than directly by a wall of the storage tank.

2. A land seismic device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank is an onion storage tank.

3. A land seismic device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank rises and is self-supporting the storage tank fills with water.

4. A land seismic device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank is configured to withstand pressure generated when the acoustic energy source is activated, remaining intact and maintaining a similar source signature over repeated acoustic energy source activations.

5. A land seismic device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank has a top opening and the storage tank further comprises a splash guard around the top opening to contain liquid from overflowing when the acoustic energy source is activated.

6. A land seismic device according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic energy source is an air gun.

7. A land seismic device according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic energy source is more than one acoustic energy source and the source controller is configured for synchronization of the acoustic energy sources.

8. A land seismic system, comprising a land seismic device according to claim 1 ; one or more sensors for recording signals generated by activating the acoustic energy source; and a processor for analyzing the recorded signals for geophysical information.

9. A land seismic system according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more sensors are optical sensors.

10. A land seismic system according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more sensors are a distributed optical fiber vibration sensor.

11. A method for inducing seismic pulses, comprising: initiating a source of acoustic energy immersed in liquid contained in an above-ground flattenable storage tank;
wherein the storage tank rises and is self-supporting when filled with the liquid; and
wherein an interior of the storage tank is provided with a baffle configured as an inner tank wherein a pressure wave of the acoustic energy source is absorbed by the baffle rather than directly by a wall of the storage tank.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the storage tank is an onion tank and the source of acoustic energy is located beneath a top surface of the liquid and above a bottom of the tank.

13. A land seismic method, comprising:
initiating a source of acoustic energy immersed in liquid contained in an above-ground flattenable storage tank, wherein the storage tank rises and is self-supporting when filled with the liquid and
wherein an interior of the storage tank is provided with a baffle configured as an inner tank wherein a pressure wave of the acoustic energy source is absorbed by the baffle rather than directly by a wall of the storage tank;
using one or more sensors to record reflected signals generated by activating the source; and
analyzing data obtained from the recorded signals for geophysical information.

14. A land seismic method according to claim 13 , wherein the one or more sensors are located in a subsurface well.

15. A land seismic method according to 13 , wherein the one or more sensors are part of a drill string.

16. A land seismic method according to claim 13 , further comprising: preparing a well site, setting up the above-ground storage tank on the well site by filling the storage tank with the liquid, and immersing the acoustic energy source in the liquid in the storage tank.

17. A land seismic method according to claim 16 , further comprising laying a base floor down on the prepared site before setting up the above-ground storage tank.

18. A land seismic method according to claim 13 , wherein the method is multi-point surface location survey and the method further comprises setting up multiple land seismic devices comprising an acoustic energy source immersed in a volume of liquid contained in an above-ground storage tank.

19. A land seismic method according to claim 18 , wherein the multi-point location survey is according to a Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) configuration.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Clark Mike
• Mackie Duncan

Classifications

• G01V1/137 Primary

  which fluid escapes from the generator in a pulsating manner, e.g. for generating bursts {, airguns} · CPC title

• G01V2210/161

  Vertical seismic profiling [VSP] · CPC title

• G01V1/047

  Arrangements for coupling the generator to the ground · CPC title

• G01V1/42

  using generators in one well and receivers elsewhere or vice versa (G01V1/52 takes precedence) · CPC title