Method of seismic surveying

• US 7,602,670 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Inventors: Jeffryes, Benjamin Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/944,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20080232194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 367/39, 367/40, 367/41
• US Class Current: 367/41
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/005 with exploration systems emitting special signals, e.g. frequency swept signals, pulse sequences or slip sweep arrangements

Abstract

A method enables the time required to complete a seismic survey and the noises recorded in the seismic data to be reduced. One aspect of the method includes actuating a first vibrator group to start a first sweep at time T0; and a second vibrator group to start a second sweep at time T1, wherein T0<T1<T0+S1+L, where S1 is a sweep time of the first vibrator group and L is a listening time; wherein the time between the first sweep and the second sweep is T1−T0≧((n−1)*f1*S1)/(n*(f1−f0)) where n is a natural number, f0 is the lower frequency limit of the vibrator sweep and f1 is the upper frequency limit of the vibrator sweep.

Claims

1. A method of seismic survey comprising:

actuating a first vibrator group to start a first sweep at time T0; and

actuating a second vibrator group to start a second sweep at time T1, wherein T0<

T1<

T0+S1+L, where S1 is a sweep time of the first vibrator group and L is a listening time;

wherein the time between the first sweep and the second sweep is TI−

T0≧

((n−

1)*f₁*S1)/(n*(f₁-f₀)) where n is a natural number, f₀ is the lower frequency limit of the vibrator sweep and f₁ is the upper frequency limit of the vibrator sweep.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first vibrator group and the second vibrator group comprises at least two vibrators.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising actuating the vibrator groups at least as many times as there are vibrators in the respective group.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

N is the number of vibrators in one of the first vibrator group and the second vibrator group, whichever has the most vibrators; and

actuating the vibrator groups to make at least N+1 sweeps.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising providing a phase change between sweeps.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising varying the delay time, T1−

T0, between a first sweep and a subsequent sweep.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising actuating a third vibrator group at time T2, where T1<

T2<

T1+S2+L, where S2 is a sweep time of the second vibrator group.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising recording an acquired data from which it is possible to estimate a harmonic noise.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising recording an acquired data from which it is possible to estimate a harmonic contribution to a preceding shot by convolving an earth response, as determined from a content of a fundamental sweep, with a harmonic output a vibrator of one or more of the first vibrator group and the second vibrator group.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising recording an acquired data from which it is possible to estimate a harmonic noise.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising recording an acquired data from which it is possible to estimate a harmonic noise by cross correlating the acquired data with the harmonic sweep.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising estimating from the acquired data the noise in the acquired data relating to the m^th harmonic, where m≦

n.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing a phase change between the first sweep and the second sweep.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein TI−

T0>

L.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one vibrator is in both the first vibrator group and the second vibrator group.

16. A seismic surveying arrangement comprising:

a plurality of vibrators; and

a control means adapted to initiate a first sweep of a first vibrator group at time TO and to initiate a second sweep of a second vibrator group at time T1, where T0<

T1<

T0+Si+L where S1 is the sweep time of the first vibrator group and L is the listening time;

the control means is further adapted to initiate the first sweep and the second sweep such that TI−

T0≧

((n−

1)*S1*f₁)/(n*(f₁-f₀)), where n is a natural number, f₀ is the lower frequency limit of the vibrator sweep and f₁ is the upper frequency limit of the vibrator sweep; and

at least one of the first vibrator group and the second vibrator group has more than one vibrator.

17. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the control means is adapted to actuate the vibrator groups at least as many times as there are vibrators in the respective group.

18. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

N is the number of vibrators in one of the first vibrator group and the second vibrator group, whichever has the most vibrators; and

the control means is adapted to actuate the vibrator groups to make at least N+1 shots.

19. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the control means is adapted to vary the delay time, TI−

T0, during subsequent sweep sequences.

20. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the control means is adapted to actuate a third vibrator group at time T2, where T1<

T2<

TI+S2+L, where S2 is a sweep time of the second vibrator group.

21. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the control means is adapted to provide a phase change between the first sweep and the second sweep.

22. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein TI−

T0>

L.

23. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one vibrator is in both the first vibrator group and the second vibrator group.