Comparative ice drift and tow model analysis for target marine structure

• US 10,071,791 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concrete Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ION Geophysical Corporation
• Inventors: Gentle, Dave, Cameron, Scott, Kennedy, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, JESS G
• Application Number:
  US14/741,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20160001856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2211/06 Operation in ice-infested waters
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 43/18 preventing collision or grounding; reducing collision damage reducing pollution by collision B63B25/082
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 49/00 Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/38 specially adapted for water-covered areas G01V1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/02 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

A marine threat monitoring and defense system and method protects a target vessel in icy or other marine regions. The system uses communications, user interfaces, and data sources to identify marine obstacles (e.g., icebergs, ice floes, pack ice, etc.) near a target vessel performing set operations (e.g., a stationed structure performing drilling or production operations or a seismic survey vessel performing exploration operations with a planned route). The system monitors positions of these identified marine obstacles over time relative to the target vessel and predicts any potential threats. When a threat is predicted, the system plans deployment of support vessels, beacons, and the like to respond to the threat. For example, the system can direct a support vessel to divert the path or break up ice threatening the target vessel.

Claims

1. A marine threat modelling method for a target marine structure conducting a set operation in a body of water, the method comprising:

monitoring with a computer system a given position of an obstacle drifting relative to the target marine structure;

modeling with the computer system at least two different tow routes actively diverting the same obstacle over time from the given position to at least two different tow positions relative to the target marine structure by using at least two different tow models for calculating an active diversion of the same obstacle in each of the at least two different tow routes;

modelling with the computer system one or more altered drift tracks of the obstacle for each of the active diversions by using one or more drift models for calculating a passive drift of the obstacle over time form the at least two different tow positions of each of the active diversions;

presenting with the computer system the at least two different tow routes and the one or more altered drift tracks for each of the active diversions for comparison to one another; and

initiating with the computer system based on the comparison a tow operation to actively divert the obstacle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obstacle includes an iceberg, ice floe, pack ice, debris, plants, flotsam, jetsam, floating obstacles, submerged obstacles, marine animals, fish schools, whale pods, or a combination thereof;

and wherein the target marine structure is selected from the group consisting of a drilling structure, a drilling ship, a production structure, a production vessel, a production platform, a wellhead, a riser, an exploration structure, a seismic survey vessel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring with the computer system the given position of the obstacle comprises one or more of:

receiving the given position from at least one beacon deployed on the obstacle;

determining the given position from imaging data; and

obtaining manually-entered data of the given position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modeling with the computer system the at least two different tow routes comprises:

obtaining input data from one or more sources; and

producing output data representative of the at least two different tow routes by processing the obtained input data with an algorithm of each of the at least two different tow models.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting with the computer system the at least two different tow routes and the one or more altered drift tracks for each of the active diversions for comparison to one another comprises displaying the at least two different tow routes and the one or more altered drift tracks for each of the active diversions for visual comparison.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring with the computer system the given position of the obstacle comprises monitoring a plurality of the given position of the obstacle over time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

quantifying accuracy of each of the at least two different tow models based on the comparison; and

presenting the quantified accuracy.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

quantifying accuracy of each of the one or more drift models based on the comparison; and

presenting the quantified accuracy.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the given position of the obstacle comprises determining the given position by initially modelling one or more given drift tracks of the obstacle by using one or more drift models for calculating a passive drift of the obstacle over time.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising one or more of:

planning with the computer system a response to the one or more given drift tracks;

planning deployment of at least one resource in response to the one or more given drift tracks;

planning to divert the at least one obstacle by directing at least one vessel relative to the obstacle; and

planning to break the obstacle with the at least one vessel.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least two different tow models are applied to the given position and/or to at least one of the one or more given drift positions of the at least one obstacle on the one or more drift tracks.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein modeling with the computer system the one or more given drift tracks of the obstacle over time relative to the target marine structure comprises predicting with the computer system at least one threat to the target marine structure from at least one of the one or more given drift tracks of the obstacle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising planning with the computer system the tow operation as a response to the at least one predicted threat.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein predicting with the computer system the at least one threat to the target marine structure from the obstacle comprises:

determining an attribute of the obstacle of the threat; and

comparing the determined attribute to a limitation of the target marine structure.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the attribute is selected from the group consisting of a size, a distance, a speed, a shape, a depth, a track, a threat level, a time interval to move, and a time interval to break up.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the limitation of the target marine structure comprises one or more of:

a threshold of an impact sustainable by the target marine structure from the obstacle, a time interval required to cease the set operation conducted by the target marine structure; and

a time interval required to move the target marine structure away from the threat of the obstacle.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein modelling with the computer system the one or more altered drift tracks of the obstacle for each of the active diversions comprises modeling with the computer system the one or more altered drift tracks of the obstacle drifting from one or more of the at least two different tow positions of the at least two different tow routes by using one or more different drift models applied to the one or more of the at least two different tow positions for calculating the passive drift of the obstacle over time.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein using the one or more different drift models for calculating the passive drift of the at least one obstacle comprises selecting the one or more different drift models from a plurality of available drift models.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein selecting the one or more different drift models comprises receiving a user selection of the one or more drift models from the available drift models.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein modeling with the computer system the at least two different tow routes of the obstacle over time relative to the target marine structure comprises predicting with the computer system at least one first threat to the target marine structure from at least one of the at least two different tow routes of the obstacle.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein modeling with the computer system the one or more altered drift tracks of the obstacle over time relative to the target marine structure comprises predicting with the computer system at least one second threat to the target marine structure from at least one of the one or more altered drift tracks of the obstacle.

22. A programmable storage device having program instructions stored thereon for causing a programmable control device to perform a marine threat monitoring method for a target marine structure according to claim 1.

23. A marine threat modelling system for a target marine structure conducting a set operation in a body of water, the system comprising:

memory storing information about an obstacles relative to the target marine structure, the memory storing one or more drift models and storing at least two different tow models for calculating an active diversion; and

processing equipment operatively coupled to the memory and being configured to;

monitor a given position of the obstacle drifting relative to the target marine structure;

model at least two different tow routes actively diverting the same obstacle over time from the given position to at least two different tow positions relative to the target marine structure by using the at least two different tow models for calculating the active diversion of the same obstacle in each of the at least two different tow routes;

modelling with the computer system one or more altered drift tracks of the obstacle for each of the active diversions by using one or more drift models for calculating a passive drift of the obstacle over time form the at least two different tow positions of each of the active diversions;

present the at least two different tow routes and the one or more altered drift tracks for each of the active diversions for comparison to one another; and

initiate a tow operation to actively divert the obstacle based on the comparison.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein to monitor the given position of the obstacle, the processing equipment is configured to model one or more given drift tracks of the obstacle by using one or more drift models for calculating a passive drift of the obstacle over time to determine the given position.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein in modeling the one or more given drift tracks of the obstacle over time relative to the target marine structure, the processing equipment is configured to predict at least one threat to the target marine structure from at least one of the one or more given drift tracks of the obstacle.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein in modelling with the computer system the one or more altered drift tracks of the obstacle for each of the active diversions, the processing equipment is configured to model the one or more altered drift tracks of the obstacle drifting from one or more of the at least two different tow positions of the at least two different tow routes by using one or more different drift models applied to the one or more of the at least two different tow positions for calculating the passive drift of the obstacle over time.