METHOD FOR ACQUIRING MARINE SEISMIC DATA

• US 20130250720A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apache Corporation (APA Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Apache Corporation (APA Corp.)
• Inventors: Bahorich, Michael S., Monk, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,188,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/005 with exploration systems emitting special signals, e.g. frequency swept signals, pulse sequences or slip sweep arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3808 Seismic data acquisition, e.g. survey design
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3861 control of source arrays, e.g. for far field control
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/1212 Shot
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/127 Cooperating multiple sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/1293 Sea

Abstract

A method for acquiring marine seismic data includes towing a seismic energy source in a body of water and towing a seismic sensor at a selected distance from the seismic energy source. The seismic energy source is actuated a plurality of positions, a distance between each of the plurality of actuations being randomly different than any other such distance. Seismic energy detected by the seismic sensor is substantially continuously recorded through a plurality of actuations of the at least one seismic energy source. The recording includes recording a geodetic position of the at least one seismic energy source and the at least one seismic sensor at each actuation.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring marine seismic data, comprising:

towing at least one seismic energy source in a body of water;

actuating the at least one seismic energy source at a plurality of spatial positions, a distance between each of the plurality of actuations being randomly different than any other distance, the difference between successive distances being sufficiently large to enable detection of corresponding differences between a position of the at least one seismic energy source corresponding to each actuation; and

recording seismic energy detected by at least one seismic sensor substantially continuously through a plurality of actuations of the at least one seismic energy source, the recording comprising recording a geodetic position of the at least one seismic energy source and the at least one seismic sensor at each actuation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising actuating at least a second seismic energy source towed in the body of water at a known positional relationship with respect to the at least one seismic energy source;

actuating the at least a second seismic energy source, a distance between each of the plurality of actuations being randomly different than any other such distance; and

recording seismic energy detected by a plurality of seismic sensor substantially continuously through a plurality of actuations of the at least one seismic and at least a second energy source, the recording comprising recording a geodetic position of the seismic energy sources and the seismic sensors at each actuation.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising extracting seismic signals from the recorded seismic energy corresponding to individual actuations of the at least one seismic energy source.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the extracting comprises sorting the recorded seismic energy to at least one of common sensor position records and a common midpoint position records and attenuating energy in such records resulting from interfering source actuations by a random noise attenuation process.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the random noise attenuation process comprises F-X deconvolution.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one seismic energy source sources comprises a plurality of similarly configured sub arrays, wherein a subset of the plurality of sub arrays is actuated at each actuation spatial position.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each subset is selected on a random basis so that an effective position of the at least one seismic energy source is varied in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the towing between successive actuations of the at least one seismic energy source.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one seismic sensor is towed through the body of water.