Satellite communications with cableless seismographs

• US 8,296,067 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BP America Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: BP Corporation North America Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Ross, Allan A., Pfister, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Carol
• Application Number:
  US12/405,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 702/14, 702/150, 340/870.15, 340/825.36, 367/76, 367/77, 367/16, 367/78, 367/79, 367/55, 367/184, 367/183, 367/182, 367/19, 367/13, 342/352, 342/357.01, 342/357.13, 342/357.17, 342/450, 342/417, 342/360, 342/357.12, 342/443, 370/331, 455/451, 455/452.1, 73/18.5
• US Class Current: 702/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus

Abstract

According to a preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a system and method for using satellite communications satellites to control and receive data from a land cableless seismic system. The satellite transmission could transmit control signals (e.g. turn on/off) and receive signals from the remote seismograph units (seismic data, quality control parameters, status, location, etc.) which would subsequently be retransmitted to a processing center or other surface facility.

Claims

1. A method of seismic data collection, comprising the steps of:

(a) distributing a plurality of seismic sensors over a predetermined volume of the earth;

(b) transmitting at least one command code to each of said plurality of seismic sensors, thereby initiating a recording session by each of said plurality of seismic sensors;

(c) initiating at least one seismic source, thereby transmitting energy into said predetermined volume of the earth;

(d) sensing by each of said plurality of seismic sensors energy reflected from within said predetermined volume of the earth;

(e) transmitting from each of said seismic sensors to a communications satellite a signal representative of said reflected seismic energy sensed thereby; and

,

(f) transmitting from said communications satellite to a ground station any of said transmitted representations of said sensed seismic energy.

2. The method of seismic data collection according to claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the step of:

(b1) transmitting at least one command code from a communications satellite to each of said plurality of seismic sensors, thereby initiating a recording session by each of said plurality of seismic sensors.

3. The method of seismic data collection according to claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the step of:

(c1) initiating at least one active seismic source, thereby transmitting energy into said predetermined volume of the earth.

4. The method of seismic data collection according to claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the step of:

(e1) storing within each of said seismic sensors a representation of said reflected seismic energy sensed thereby, and,

(e2) transmitting from each of said seismic sensors to a communications satellite a signal representative of said stored reflected seismic energy.