SIMULTANEOUS SHOOTING NODAL ACQUISITION SEISMIC SURVEY METHODS

• US 20140198607A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magseis FF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Etienne, Marc, Ray, Cliff, Thompson, James Nelson
• Granted Patent: US 9,360,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/15
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/247 Digital recording of seismic data, e.g. in acquisition units or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/38 specially adapted for water-covered areas G01V1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3852 to the seabed
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/1427 Sea bed

Abstract

A method of performing a seismic survey including: deploying nodal seismic sensors at positions in a survey region; activating a plurality of seismic sources; and using the nodal seismic sensors to record seismic signals generated in response to the activation of the plurality of signals.

Claims

1. A method of performing a seismic survey comprising:

deploying nodal seismic sensors at positions in a survey region;

activating a plurality of seismic sources; and

using the nodal seismic sensors to record seismic signals generated in response to the activation of the plurality of signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the nodal seismic sensors record blended seismic signals.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

repeatedly activating at least two of the plurality of seismic sources at times separated by a variable dither time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the dither time varies randomly or pseudo-randomly.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein at least some of the nodal seismic sensors are configured to continuously record seismic signals to generate seismic data during the step of repeatedly activating at least two of the seismic sources.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

retrieving the continuously recorded seismic data acquired during the step of repeatedly activating at least two of the seismic sources; and

processing the retrieved data to generate seismic gather data indicative of at least one common receiver gather.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising de-blending the seismic gather data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein de-blending the seismic gather data comprises enhancing data corresponding to activation of a first one of the seismic sources while diminishing data corresponding to activation of another one of the seismic sources.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein enhancing data corresponding to activation of the first one of the seismic sources comprises coherently combining data corresponding to multiple activations of the first one of the seismic sources using coherent data from at least a portion of the plurality of sensor nodes.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein diminishing data corresponding to activation of the second one of the seismic sources comprises incoherently combining data corresponding to multiple activations of the second one of the seismic sources using incoherent data from at least some of the nodal seismic sensors.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the nodal seismic sensors comprise ocean bottom sensors.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising deploying at least some of the ocean bottom sensors using a remotely operated vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising deploying at least some of the ocean bottom sensors using a node-on-a-rope system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the nodal seismic sensors are synchronized to standard time at a time they deployed.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the nodal seismic sensors are synchronized to standard time at a time they are recovered.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the nodal seismic sensors are synchronized to standard time at a time they are deployed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the nodal seismic sensors comprises a GPS receiver used to synchronize the at least one nodal seismic sensor to the standard time.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the nodal seismic sensors are deployed in a marine environment at a depth greater than 100 m.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the nodal seismic sensors are deployed in a marine environment at a depth greater than 500 m.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the nodal seismic sensors are deployed in a marine environment at a depth greater than 1000 m.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the nodal seismic sensors continuously record seismic data during deployment.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the plurality of seismic sources comprises:

obtaining a plurality of marine vessels, each vessel configured to transport at least one of the plurality of seismic sources; and

using the marine vessels to activate the seismic sources at a plurality of selected locations.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of the plurality of seismic sources comprises an air gun.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the nodal seismic sensors comprises at least one of:

a case;

at least one seismic sensor disposed within the case;

a clock disposed within the case;

a power source disposed within the case; and

a seismic data recorder disposed within the case.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one seismic sensor comprises a geophone.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one of the plurality of seismic sources comprises at least one air gun.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of seismic sources comprises at least one of:

a weight drop device;

a seismic vibrator device; and

an explosive source.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the plurality of seismic sources comprises:

modulating an output of each seismic source with a respective modulation signature indicative of an identity of the seismic source.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the seismic signals to generate survey data indicative of subsurface geological features in a survey region.

30. The method of claim 1, comprising:

outputting survey data.