Integrated seismic monitoring system and method

• US 10,705,232 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2019
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shell USA Incorporated (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Maas, Steven James, Bunn, James Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Murphy, Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US16/360,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20190285763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 367 37
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/18 Receiving elements, e.g. seismometer, geophone or torque detectors, for localised single point measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/20 Arrangements of receiving elements, e.g. geophone pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/226 Optoseismic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4415 Cables for special applications G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence

Abstract

An integrated seismic system and method for monitoring seismic parameters of a subsurface structure is provided. The integrated seismic system includes a base station; a plurality of mobile satellite nodes, each of the plurality of mobile satellite nodes having sensor stations for collecting seismic data from the subsurface structure; and a fiber optic cable extending from the base station to the plurality of mobile satellite nodes and operatively linking the plurality of mobile satellite nodes and the sensor stations; the base station comprising: a light source for sending a light through the fiber optic cable, the light being distributed to the sensor stations and, in the sensor stations, experiencing a change or phase shift related to a physical property being measured; and a seismic acquisition unit for receiving seismic signals from the plurality of mobile satellite nodes via the fiber optic cable and generating seismic parameters therefrom.

Claims

1. An integrated seismic system for monitoring seismic parameters of a subsurface structure, the integrated seismic system comprising:

a base station;

a plurality of mobile satellite nodes, each of the plurality of mobile satellite nodes having multiple array cables extending from the mobile satellite nodes and each of the multiple array cables being linked to multiple sensor stations for collecting seismic data from the subsurface structure; and

a fiber optic cable extending from the base station to the plurality of mobile satellite nodes and operatively linking the plurality of mobile satellite nodes and the sensor stations;

the base station comprising;

a light source for sending laser light through the fiber optic cable, the laser light being distributed to the sensor stations and, in the sensor stations, experiencing a change or phase shift related to a physical property being measured; and

a detector for receiving the laser light from the fiber optic cable and detecting changes in the laser light; and

each of the satellite nodes comprising;

a seismic acquisition unit for receiving optical signals in the laser light returning from the multiple sensor stations in the array cables that extend from the satellite node in which the seismic acquisition unit is housed, said seismic acquisition unit comprising spread and optoelectronics that extracts phase information induced by said change or phase shift from the returning laser light and converts the optical signals into seismic data, wherein said seismic acquisition unit is connected to the base station through said fiber optic cable to pass the seismic data to the base station.

2. The integrated seismic system of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic cable comprises a plurality of fiber optic sections coupled together into a continuous fiber optic cable.

3. The integrated seismic system of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic cable links the base station to the plurality of mobile satellite nodes in series.

4. The integrated seismic system of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic cable links the plurality of mobile satellite nodes to the base station in one of a looped configuration, a linear configuration, a star configuration, a concentric ring configuration and combinations thereof.