NEAR SURFACE IMAGING AND HAZARD DETECTION

• US 20190331777A1
• Filed: 04/30/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magseis FF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Udengaard, Carsten
• Granted Patent: US 11,105,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/006 generating single signals by using more than one generator, e.g. beam steering or focusing arrays G01V1/13, G01V1/3861 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/02 Generating seismic energy G01V1/003 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/144 with functionally associated receivers, e.g. hydrophone and geophone pairs

Abstract

Systems and methods of near surface imaging and hazard detection with increased receiver spacing are provided. The system includes: a first string of one or more acoustic sources, a second string of one or more acoustic sources opposite the first string, a first one or more hydrophones mounted within a predetermined distance of the first string, and a second one or more hydrophones mounted within the predetermined distance of the second string. The first one or more hydrophones records an acoustic shot generated from the first string. The second one or more hydrophones records the acoustic shot and acoustic reflections corresponding to the acoustic shot. The system generates an image from the recorded acoustic shot and the acoustic reflections.

Claims

1. A system of seismic hazard detection with receiver spacing, comprising:

a first string of one or more acoustic sources and a second string of one or more acoustic sources opposite the first string;

a first one or more hydrophones mounted within a predetermined distance of the first string of one or more acoustic sources;

a second one or more hydrophones mounted within the predetermined distance of the second string of one or more acoustic sources;

the first one or more hydrophones to record an acoustic shot generated from a source on the first string of one or more acoustic sources;

the second one or more hydrophones to record the acoustic shot and acoustic reflections corresponding to the acoustic shot; and

a data processing system comprising one or more processors and memory to;

receive seismic data corresponding to the acoustic shot and the acoustic reflections recorded by the second one or more hydrophones; and

generate an image from the acoustic shot and the acoustic reflections with the seismic data recorded by the second one or more hydrophones mounted within the predetermined distance from the second string of one or more acoustic sources.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a separate hydrophone of the first one or more hydrophones mounted within the predetermined distance of each acoustic source of the string of one or more acoustic sources.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the data processing system to identify a characteristic of the source from the acoustic shot recorded by the first one or more hydrophones.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the data processing system to identify a characteristic of the source from the acoustic shot recorded by the second one or more hydrophones.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the first one or more hydrophones located less than or equal to 2 meters above at least one source on the first string of acoustic sources.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the second one or more hydrophones located less than or equal to 2 meters above at least one source on the second string of acoustic sources.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the second one or more hydrophones to generate a recording comprising the acoustic shot and the acoustic reflections corresponding to the acoustic shot, wherein a duration of the recording is at least 1 seconds.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the data processing system to generate, based on the acoustic reflections absent the acoustic shot, an image of a portion of earth below the first string of acoustic sources and the second string of acoustic sources.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the data processing system to generate an image of a portion of earth between receiver stations, the portion of the earth being within 1000 meters of an ocean bottom.

10. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the data processing system to identify, from an image generated based on the acoustic reflections absent the acoustic shot, a subsea feature.

11. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a third hydrophone located below the first string of acoustic sources; and

a fourth hydrophone located below the second string of acoustic sources.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the plurality of acoustic sources configured to operate in a flip flop dual source mode.

13. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the first string of acoustic sources having a first acoustic source, a second acoustic source adjacent to the first acoustic source, and a third acoustic source adjacent to the second acoustic source, the third acoustic source not adjacent to the first acoustic source; and

the second string of acoustic sources having a fourth acoustic source, a fifth acoustic source adjacent to the fourth acoustic source, and a sixth acoustic source adjacent to the fifth acoustic source, the sixth acoustic source not adjacent to the fourth acoustic source.

14. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the first string of acoustic sources having a first acoustic source and a second acoustic source adjacent to the first acoustic source;

the second string of acoustic sources having a third acoustic source and a fourth acoustic source adjacent to the third acoustic source,

wherein;

the first acoustic source is separated from the second acoustic source by at least 50 meters;

the third acoustic source is separated from the fourth acoustic source by at least 50 meters; and

any acoustic source on the first string of acoustic sources is separated from any acoustic source on the second string of acoustic sources by at least 50 meters.

15. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the first string of acoustic sources configured to trigger a shot on alternating acoustic sources of the first string of acoustic sources; and

the second string of acoustic sources configured to trigger a shot on alternating acoustic sources of the second string that are opposite acoustic sources on the first string of acoustic sources that are in standby.

16. A method of seismic hazard detection with receiver spacing, comprising:

providing a first string of one or more acoustic sources and a second string of one or more acoustic sources opposite the first string of one or more acoustic sources;

providing a first one or more hydrophones mounted within a predetermined distance of the first string of one or more acoustic sources;

providing a second one or more hydrophones mounted within the predetermined distance of the second string of one or more acoustic sources;

recording, by the first one or more hydrophones, an acoustic shot generated from a source on the first string of one or more acoustic sources;

recording, by the second one or more hydrophones, the acoustic shot and acoustic reflections corresponding to the acoustic shot;

receiving, by a data processing system comprising one or more processors and memory, seismic data corresponding to the acoustic shot and the acoustic reflections recorded by the second one or more hydrophones;

generating, by the data processing system for display via a display device, an image from the acoustic shot and the acoustic reflections with the seismic data recorded by the second one or more hydrophones within the predetermined distance from the second string of acoustic sources.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising:

identifying, by the data processing system, a characteristic of the source from the acoustic shot recorded by the second one or more hydrophones.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising:

generating, by the second one or more hydrophones, a recording comprising the acoustic shot and the acoustic reflections corresponding to the acoustic shot, wherein a duration of the recording is at least 2 seconds.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising:

generating, by the data processing system based on the acoustic reflections absent the acoustic shot, an image of a portion of earth below the first string of one or more acoustic sources and the second string of one or more acoustic sources.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising:

generating, by the data processing system, an image of a portion of earth between receiver stations, the portion of the earth being within 1000 meters of an ocean bottom.