MULTIPLE SEISMIC SIGNAL INVERSION

• US 20100208554A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conocophillips Company (ConocoPhillips)
• Original Assignee: Conocophillips Company (ConocoPhillips)
• Inventors: Chiu, Stephen K., Eick, Peter M., Brewer, Joel D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/153
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/362 Effecting static or dynamic corrections; Stacking
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/38 specially adapted for water-covered areas G01V1/28 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and equipment for acquiring and processing marine seismic data are disclosed that correct source movement during inversion. By correcting source movement during inversion, multiple data sets may be acquired independently during overlapping time periods thus reducing the number of sweeps required, generating greater amounts of data, and simplifying data processing.

Claims

1. A system for recording multiple marine seismic signals comprising:

a) two or more independent phase encoded vibrational seismic sweep sources configured to be towed by a boat, and

b) two or more seismic receivers configured to be towed by a boat,

wherein said two or more independent phase encoded sources transmit multiple simultaneous sources, and said independent phase encoded source receiver signals are separated and stacked during inversion of the recorded seismic signals.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said independent phase encoded seismic sources include ZENSEIS™

seismic, vibroseis, seismic vibrators, high fidelity vibratory seismic (HFVS), cascaded HFVS, combined HFVS, slipsweep, and combinations thereof, said sources being operated independently without coordinated synchronized signals.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said seismic sources are excited for a period of between 1 to 30 seconds.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the sources are spaced at a substantially common distance from one another, the receivers are spaced the same substantially common distance from one another and the points at which the sweeps are intitated are spaced at the same substantially common distance from one another.

5. The system according to claim 1 further including at least two streamers of receivers that are laterally offset from one another.

9. The method according to claim 1 further including at least two streamers of receivers that are laterally offset from one another to acquire three dimensional seismic data.

10. The method according to claim 1 where separating the signals includes separating signals at each receiver into separate source specific signals and taking these source-receiver pair signals and stacking them based on a substantially common location of the respective sources and receivers at the time of the respective sweep so as to correct for the motion of the sources, receivers and common mid points.

6. A method of recording multiple marine seismic signals comprising:

a) deploying two or more independent phase encoded vibrational seismic sources, and three or more seismic receivers into the water to be towed by a boat,

b) while in motion, transmitting multiple simultaneous sweep signals from the independent phase encoded seismic sources,

c) while in motion, recording multiple simultaneous phase encoded seismic signals (b),

d) separating and stacking the independent phase encoded seismic signals during inversion of the recorded seismic signals (c).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said independent phase encoded seismic sources include ZENSEIS™

seismic, vibroseis, seismic vibrators, high fidelity vibratory seismic (HFVS), cascaded HFVS, combined HFVS, slipsweep, and combinations thereof, said sources being operated independently without coordinated synchronized signals.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the sources are spaced at a substantially common distance from one another, the receivers are spaced the same substantially common distance from one another and the points at which the sweeps are intitated are spaced at the same substantially common distance from one another.