Seismic data acquisition method and apparatus

• US 6,847,896 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1999
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Orban, Jacques Joseph Henri, Hatteland, Kjell
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US09/807,719
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 702/14, 367/118, 367/127, 367/129, 181/109
• US Class Current: 702/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/003 Seismic data acquisition in general, e.g. survey design G01V1/3808, G01V1/42 take precedence

Abstract

A method of acquiring seismic data adapted for a land or transition zone environment including placing a location identifier in a particular location, placing a seismic sensor near the location identifier, reading the location identifer using a seismic data cable, recording seismic data acquired by the seismic sensor using the seismic data cable, and assigning sensor position coordinates to the seismic data based on measured position coordinates of the location identifier. The invention also includes an apparatus adapted for seismic data acquisition in a land or transition zone environment including a location identifier, a seismic senor capable of being placed near the location identifier, a seismic data cable, means for reading the location identifier using the seismic data cable, means for recording seismic data acquired by the seismic sensor using the seismic data cable, and means for assigning sensor position coordinates to the seismic data based on measured position coordinates of the location identifier.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in seismic surveying in a land or transition zone environment, said apparatus comprising:

a positioning device;

a seismic sensor, capable of being placed near said positioning device; and

means for determining the distance between said seismic sensor and said positioning device using an airborne acoustic transmission between said positioning device and said seismic sensor.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said airborne acoustic transmission is produced by a speaker at said positioning device and received by a microphone at said seismic sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission received by said microphone at said seismic sensor is converted from analog to digital format using an analog to digital converter that is also used to convert seismic signals received by said seismic sensor from analog to digital format.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said airborne acoustic transmission received by said microphone at said seismic sensor is transmitted using a cable that is also used to transmit seismic data received by said seismic sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission is a spread spectrum acoustic signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission is a pulse frequency sweep, or digitally encoded sweep acoustic signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission is generated by signal generation circuitry that is also used to test said seismic sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air near said seismic sensor or said positioning device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a survey flag and wherein said positioning device is placed near said survey flag.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said positioning device is a first positioning device and further including a second positioning device and means for determining the distance between said second positioning device and said seismic sensor using an airborne acoustic transmission between said second positioning device and said seismic sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, farther including means for determining the distance between said first positioning device and said second positioning device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for determining the distance between said first positioning device and said second positioning device uses an airborne acoustic transmission between said first positioning device and said second positioning device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first positioning device and said second positioning device are connected by a cable.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second positioning device is placed at a predetermined azimuthal orientation with respect to said fit positioning device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further including means for confirming that said second positioning device has been placed at a predetermined azimuthal orientation with respect to said first positioning device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a seismic source signal is used to resolve the line symmetry ambiguity when determining the position of said seismic sensor with respect to said first positioning device and said second positioning device.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said seismic sensor is a first seismic sensor and further including additional seismic sensors and means for determining the distance between said additional seismic sensors and said positioning device using airborne acoustic transmission between said positioning device and said additional seismic sensors.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further including means for calculating a group center of gravity for said first seismic sensor and said additional seismic sensors.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further including means for determining whether said first seismic sensor and said additional seismic sensors have been laid out in a prescribed order.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said seismic sensor and said positioning device are located at a first seismic station and further including an additional positioning device located at a second seismic station and means for determining the distance between a device located at said first seismic station and a device located at said second seismic station.

21. A method for use in a seismic survey in a land or transition zone environment, said method comprising the steps of:

placing a positioning device in a particular location;

placing a seismic sensor near said positioning device; and

determining the distance between said seismic sensor and said positioning device using an airborne acoustic transmission between said positioning device and said seismic sensor.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission is produced by a speaker at said positioning device and received by a microphone at said seismic sensor.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission received by said microphone at said seismic sensor is converted from analog to digital format using an analog to digital converter that is also used to convert seismic signals received by said seismic sensor from analog to digital format.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission received by said microphone at said seismic sensor is transmitted using a cable that is also used to transmit seismic data received by said seismic sensor.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission is a spread spectrum acoustic signal.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission is a pulse, frequency sweep, or digitally encoded sweep acoustic signal.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said airborne acoustic transmission is generated by sisal generation circuitry that is also used to test said seismic sensor.

28. The method of claim 21, further including the step of measuring the temperature of the air near said seismic sensor or said positioning device.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein said positioning device is placed near a survey flag.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein said positioning device is a first positioning device and further including the step of determining the distance between a second positioning device and said seismic sensor using an airborne acoustic transmission between said second positioning device and said seismic sensor.

31. The method of claim 30, further including the step of determining the distance between said first positioning device and said second positioning device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said step of determining the distance between said first positioning device and said second positioning device uses an airborne acoustic transmission between said first positioning device and said second positioning device.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said first positioning device and said second positioning device are connected by a cable.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein said second positioning device is placed at a predetermined azimuthal orientation with respect to said first positioning device.

35. The method of claim 30, further including the step of confirming that said second positioning device has been placed at a predetermined azimuthal orientation with respect to said first positioning device.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein a seismic source signal is used to determine to resolve the line symmetry ambiguity when determining the position of said seismic sensor with respect to said fast positioning device and said second positioning device.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein said seismic sensor is a first seismic sensor and further including additional seismic sensors and the step of determining the distance between said additional seismic sensors and said positioning device using airborne acoustic transmissions between said positioning device and said additional seismic sensors.

38. The method of claim 37, further including the step of calculating a group center of gravity for said first seismic sensor and said additional seismic sensors.

39. The method of claim 37, further including the step of determining whether said first seismic sensor and said additional seismic sensors have been laid out in a prescribed order.

40. The method of claim 21, wherein said seismic sensor and said positioning device are located at a first seismic station and further including an additional positioning device located at a second seismic station and the step of determining the distance between a device located at said first seismic station and a device located at said second seismic station.

41. The method of claim 21, further including the steps of recording seismic data acquired by said seismic sensor and assigning sensor position coordinates to said seismic data based on said distance between said seismic sensor and said positioning device.

42. The method of claim 21, further including the step of calculating a deviation between actual seismic sensor position coordinates and planned seismic sensor position coordinates.

43. The method of claim 42, further including the step of compensating for said deviation between said actual seismic sensor position coordinates and said planned seismic sensor position coordinates.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said compensation step includes mathematically moving a group center of gravity from an actual position to a planned position.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said compensation step includes bypassing a digital ground roll removal process.