Abstract:
An electromagnetic survey sensing device includes at least two electrodes disposed at spaced apart locations. An electrical to optical converter is electrically coupled to the at least two electrodes. The converter is configured to change a property of light from a source in response to voltage imparted across the at least two electrodes. The device includes an optical fiber optically coupled to an output of the electrical to optical converter, the optical fiber in optical communication with a detector.
Abstract:
A method for generating seismic energy for subsurface surveying includes operating a first seismic vibrator and operating at least a second seismic vibrator substantially contemporaneously with the operating the first seismic vibrator. A driver signal to each of the first and the at least a second seismic vibrators that are substantially uncorrelated with each other.
Abstract:
A method for detection of hydrocarbon bearing formations below the bottom of a body of water from seismic signals includes moving a plurality of spatially distributed seismic sensors in a body of water and detecting seismic signals including response to any seismic energy having frequencies down to proximate zero. The method includes stacking the acquired seismic signals from the plurality of the sensors in both longitudinal and transverse directions with respect to motion of the sensors in the body water. The stacked signals are analyzed for presence of passive seismic energy indicative of hydrocarbon bearing formations below the bottom of the body of water.
Abstract:
A seismic streamer includes a jacket covering an exterior of the streamer. At least one strength member extends along the length of and is disposed inside the jacket. At least one seismic sensor is disposed in a sensor spacer mounted to the at least one strength member. The streamer includes means for retaining the at least one sensor spacer to the at least one strength member. The means for retaining provides substantial acoustic isolation between the at least one spacer and the at least one strength member.
Abstract:
A marine seismic streamer steering device comprises at least two hinged sections pivotally coupled to each other and connected between two adjacent sections of the seismic streamer, and a bend control unit that controls bending of the hinged sections relative to the longitudinal axis of the seismic streamer. The steering device further comprises a roll sensor which determines rotational orientation of the body and transmits the orientation to the bend control unit, a lateral position sensor which determines lateral position of the body and transmits the lateral position to the bend control unit, and a depth sensor which determines depth of the body and transmits the depth to the bend control unit. The bend control unit then controls the bending of the hinged sections based on the transmitted rotational orientation, lateral position, and depth of the body.
Abstract:
A disclosed survey method includes towing geophysical survey streamers in a body of water and using sensors within the streamer to collect measurements that are then conveyed along the streamer to a recording station using at least one wireless transmission link. In some implementations at least one sensor is coupled to a wireless transceiver in a streamer to transmit geophysical survey measurement data along the streamer to a wireless base station. The base station receives the wirelessly transmitted seismic data and communicates it to a central recording station. Each segment of the streamer may contain a base station to collect wireless data from the sensors in that segment, and each base station may be coupled to the central recording station by wiring (e.g., copper or fiber optic). Other implementations employ ranges of sensors wired to local transceivers that form a peer-to-peer wireless network for communicating data to the central recording station.
Abstract:
A disclosed geophysical survey system includes one or more streamers having sensors powered by at least one energy harvesting device that converts vibratory motion of the streamers into electrical power. The vibratory motion may originate from a number of sources including, e.g., vortex shedding, drag fluctuation, breathing waves, and various flow noise sources including turbulent boundary layers. To increase conversion efficiency, the device may be designed with an adjustable resonance frequency. The design of the streamer electronics may incorporate the energy harvesting power source in a variety of ways, so as to reduce the amount of wiring mass that would otherwise be required along the length of the streamer.
Abstract:
A merged particle velocity signal is generated by combining a recorded vertical particle velocity signal, scaled in an upper frequency range using a time-dependent arrival angle as determined by cross-ghosting analysis, with a simulated particle velocity signal, calculated in a lower frequency range from a recorded pressure signal using a time-varying filter based on the time-dependent arrival angle. Combined pressure and vertical particle velocity signals are generated from the recorded pressure and merged particle velocity signals.
Abstract:
A disclosed seismic survey system includes one or more streamer(s) each having multiple spaced apart sensor units, and a data recording and control system. Each sensor unit receives a command from the data recording and control system, and operates in an enabled state or a disabled state dependent upon the command. The data recording and control system collects and stores data from enabled sensor units. The sensor units produce data when in the enabled state, and dissipate significantly less electrical power in the disabled state. A described sensor unit includes one or more sensor(s), an analog-to-digital converter, and a control unit that enables or disables the analog-to-digital converter dependent upon the command. A disclosed method for acquiring seismic survey data includes issuing an enable or disable command to each of multiple spaced apart sensor units, and receiving and storing data from those sensor units that are enabled.
Abstract:
A seismic source includes a flextensional shell defining a longer axis and a shorter axis and at least one driver coupled to the flextensional shell proximate an end of the shorter axis. The seismic source may be a component of a marine seismic survey system. The marine seismic survey system may be utilized in a method of marine seismic surveying.