Heterodyned Seismic Source

• US 20100195434A1
• Filed: 01/25/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Conocophillips Company (ConocoPhillips)
• Original Assignee: Conocophillips Company (ConocoPhillips)
• Inventors: Menger, William M., Eick, Peter M., Brewer, Joel D.
• Application Number:
  US12/693,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20100195434A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/005 with exploration systems emitting special signals, e.g. frequency swept signals, pulse sequences or slip sweep arrangements

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for generating heterodyned seismic signals as well as methods of using the heterodyned signals and a system for generating the heterodyned seismic signals. The heterodyned signals can be used near sensitive marine animals because the source frequencies are ultrasonic and the heterodyned seismic signal is generated in a narrow beam.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating phase encoded heterodyned seismic signals comprising:

a) a frame for mounting two or more ultrasonic transducers,

b) one or more ultrasonic carrier transducers to generate a carrier frequency, and

c) one or more encoded ultrasonic transducers to generate an encoded ultrasonic signal,

wherein said frame places the ultrasonic transducers (b) and (c) at the precise distance to generate a heterodyned seismic signal, and the encoded ultrasonic signal (c) is shifted from the carrier frequency (b) by 0-1000 Hz.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said frame is a rectangle and said ultrasonic transducers (b) and (c) are spaced to create a rectangular heterodyned beam.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said frame is a geometric shape selected from the group consisting of a triangle, square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, circle, trapezoid, pyramid, parabola, cone, cylinder, or other symmetric shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transducer (b) comprises an electronic controller connected to one or more marine piezoelectric transducers with resonant frequencies of approximately 12 Khz driven to provide a steady resonant frequency signal of 12, 24, 28, 33 Khz, or a combinations thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transducer (c) comprises an electronic controller connected to one or more marine piezoelectric transducers with resonant frequencies of approximately 12 Khz driven to provide a steady resonant frequency signal of 12, 24, 28, 33 Khz, or a combination thereof wherein the transducer (c) generates encoded frequencies above and below the resonant frequency of the transducer (b).

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transducer (b) comprises a controller connected to one or more marine hydraulically actuated transducers with resonant frequencies of a 12 Khz driven to provide a steady resonant frequency signal of 12, 24, 28, 33 Khz, or a combinations thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transducer (c) comprises a controller connected to one or more marine hydraulically actuated transducers with resonant frequencies of approximately 12 Khz driven to provide a steady resonant frequency signal of 12, 24, 28, 33 Khz, or a combination thereof wherein the transducer (c) generates encoded frequencies above and below the resonant frequency of the transducer (b).

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transducers (b) and (c) are arrayed within a resonant chamber with sound dampening material on all external surfaces except for the downward-facing surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the framework housing transducers (b) and (c) is deployed using an underwater autonomous vehicle (UAV) that is deployed at a constant distance from the ocean floor on a controlled trajectory for each seismic survey.

10. A method of recording seismic data comprising:

a) deploying seismic recorders;

b) deploying an ultrasonic source for generating a phase encoded heterodyned seismic signal;

c) transmitting a phase encoded heterodyned seismic signal; and

d) recording phase encoded seismic data;

wherein said ultrasonic source for generating phase encoded seismic signal comprises (i) a frame for mounting two or more ultrasonic sources, (ii) one or more ultrasonic carrier sources, and (iii) one or more encoded ultrasonic sources, wherein said frame (i) places the ultrasonic sources (ii) and (iii) at the precise distance to generate a heterodyned seismic signal, and said encoded ultrasonic signal (iii) is shifted from the carrier frequency (ii) by 0-1000 Hz.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said frame is a rectangle and said ultrasonic transducers (b) and (c) are spaced to create a directional heterodyned beam.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said frame is a geometric shape selected from the group consisting of a triangle, square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, circle, trapezoid, pyramid, parabola, cone, cylinder, or other symmetric shape.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said transducer (b) comprises an electronic controller connected to one or more marine piezoelectric transducers with resonant frequencies of approximately 12 Khz driven to provide a steady resonant frequency signal of 12, 24, 28, 33 Khz, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said transducer (c) comprises an electronic controller connected to one or more marine piezoelectric transducers with resonant frequencies of approximately 12 Khz driven to provide a steady resonant frequency signal of 12, 24, 28, 33 Khz, or a combination thereof wherein the transducer (c) generates encoded frequencies above and below the resonant frequency of the transducer (b).

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said transducer (b) comprises a controller connected to one or more marine hydraulically actuated transducers with resonant frequencies of 12 Khz driven to provide a steady resonant frequency signal of 12, 24, 28, 33 Khz, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said transducer (c) comprises a controller connected to one or more marine hydraulically actuated transducers with resonant frequencies of approximately 12 Khz driven to provide a steady resonant frequency signal of 12, 24, 28, 33 Khz, or a combination thereof wherein the transducer (c) generates encoded frequencies above and below the resonant frequency of the transducer (b).

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said transducers (b) and (c) are arrayed within a resonant chamber with sound dampening material on all external surfaces except for the downward-facing surface.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the framework housing transducers (b) and (c) is deployed using an underwater autonomous vehicle (UAV) that is deployed at a constant distance from the ocean floor on a controlled trajectory for each seismic survey.

19. A system for generating a heterodyned seismic signal comprising:

a) a carrier ultrasonic source for generating one or more ultrasonic carrier signals,

b) an encoded ultrasonic source for generating one or more phase encoded ultrasonic signals,

c) a computer for generating a carrier and phase encoded ultrasonic signals that are heterodyned to generate one or more phase encoded seismic signals, and

wherein said ultrasonic source for generating phase encoded seismic signals comprises (i) a frame for mounting two or more ultrasonic sources, (ii) one or more ultrasonic carrier sources, and (iii) one or more encoded ultrasonic sources and said frame (i) places the ultrasonic sources (ii) and (iii) at the precise distance to generate a heterodyned seismic signal, and said encoded ultrasonic signal (iii) is shifted from the carrier frequency (ii) by 0-1000 Hz.

20. The heterodyned seismic signal generator of claim 19, wherein said computer comprises a graphical user interface, software for calculating phase encoded seismic signals corresponding to the ultrasonic sources required to generate said phase encoded seismic signals, and a controller for one or more ultrasonic sources.