Adaptive control of marine seismic streamers

• US 5,790,472 A
• Filed: 12/20/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: Western Atlas International Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Chambers, Ronald Edward, Workman, Ricky L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US08/771,049
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 367/16, 367/19, 367/20, 367/106, 367/130, 367/17, 114/253
• US Class Current: 367/19
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/66 Equipment specially adapted for towing underwater objects or vessels, e.g. fairings for tow-cables paravanes for dragging fishing nets A01K73/02; salvaging underwater vessels or objects B63C7/00; towed underwater vessels B63G8/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/201 Constructional details of seismic cables, e.g. streamers integrated optoseismic systems G01V1/226; line connectors in general H01R, transducer mountings in general G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3826 dynamic steering, e.g. by paravanes or birds

Abstract

A method for controlling the position and shape of marine seismic streamer cables, whereby a plurality of real time signals from a marine seismic data acquisition system and a plurality of threshold parameters from an input device are received. The real time signals are compared to the threshold parameters to determine if the streamer cables should be repositioned. The streamer cables are repositioned when the real time signals exceed the threshold parameters.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the position and shape of marine seismic streamer cables, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of real time signals, including hydrophone noise, from a marine seismic data acquisition system and a plurality of threshold parameters, including maximum allowable hydrophone noise, from an input device;

comparing the real time signals to the threshold parameters to determine if the streamer cables should be repositioned; and

repositioning the streamer cables when the real time hydrophone noise signal is within the maximum allowable hydrophone noise threshold and when the remaining real time signals exceed the threshold parameters.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the marine seismic data acquisition system further comprises:

a network solution system;

a seismic binning system; and

a seismic data recording system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the repositioning step further comprises the steps of:

calculating a position correction that will keep the streamer cables within the threshold parameters; and

sending the position correction to a streamer device controller for adjusting a plurality of streamer positioning devices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the receiving step further comprises the steps of:

receiving real time signals including streamer cable positions, streamer cable shapes, streamer cable separations, obstructive hazard positions, and subsurface seismic coverage; and

receiving threshold parameters including minimum allowable separations between streamer cables, minimum allowable separations between any streamer cable and an obstructive hazard, and minimum allowable subsurface seismic coverage;

and the sending step further comprises the steps of;

determining if the streamer cables are in an at risk situation; and

sending the position correction to the streamer device controller when the streamer cables are at risk.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the receiving step further comprises the step of:

receiving real time signals including recorded seismic data; and

the sending step further comprises the steps of;

determining if the streamer cables are in use for recording seismic data; and

sending the position correction to the streamer device controller when the streamer cables are not in use for recording seismic data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold parameter of maximum allowable hydrophone noise is a single noise threshold which is applied across the entire frequency spectrum of the seismic survey.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the single noise threshold is determined from measurements of background noise made on the streamer cable.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold parameter of maximum allowable hydrophone noise is a weighted noise threshold which varies and is applied as a function of the frequency spectrum of the seismic survey.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the weighted noise threshold is determined from measurements of background noise made on the streamer cable.

10. A system for controlling the position and shape of marine seismic streamer cables, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of real time signals, including streamer cable positions, streamer cable shapes, streamer cable separations, obstructive hazard positions, subsurface seismic coverage, recorded seismic data and hydrophone noise, from a marine seismic data acquisition system;

receiving a plurality of threshold parameters, including minimum allowable separations between streamer cables, minimum allowable separations between any streamer cable and an obstructive hazard, minimum allowable subsurface seismic coverage and maximum allowable hydrophone noise, from an input device;

calculating a position correction that will keep the streamer cables within the threshold parameters;

determining if the streamer cables are in an at risk situation;

sending the position correction to a streamer device controller for adjusting a plurality of streamer positioning devices when the streamer cables are in an at risk situation;

determining if the streamer cables are in use for recording seismic data;

sending the position correction to the streamer device controller when the streamer cables are not in use for recording seismic data;

determining if the real time signals of hydrophone noise are within the threshold parameters of maximum allowable hydrophone noise; and

sending the position correction to the streamer device controller when the real time hydrophone noise is within the maximum allowable hydrophone noise threshold.