SUBTERRANEAN SURVEY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND TECHNIQUE

• US 20100039896A1
• Filed: 08/17/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Inventors: SMITH, BRIAN DAVID
• Granted Patent: US 8,837,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/76
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2200/14 Quality control

Abstract

A technique includes acquiring data, which is indicative of operations that are being conducted in connection with a subterranean survey. The technique includes communicating the data in real time over a long range communication network to allow at least one remote user to remotely observe the operations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring data indicative of operations being conducted in connection with a subterranean survey; and

communicating the data in real time over a long range communication network to allow at least one user to remotely observe the operations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subterranean survey comprises a seismic survey.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of acquiring the data comprises:

acquiring data indicative of at least one of the following;

global positioning satellite measurements, seismic measurements and crew communications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of communicating comprises communicating the data over the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the data from the long range communication network; and

processing the data to automatically and selectively route the data to a group of users based on detected data types.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of processing comprises:

selectively routing the data to employees of a seismic survey operator and a customer of the operator based on the data types.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the data from the long range communication network; and

displaying a comparison of performance metrics indicated by the data with predetermined performance thresholds.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a database to store data indicative of problems associated with performance metrics and associated solutions to the problems.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the data from the long range communication network; and

automatically comparing performance metrics indicated by the data with predetermined thresholds and selectively generating alarms based on the comparisons.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise operations associated with setting up the survey.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise operations occurring during the survey.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise operations occurring after the survey.

13. A system comprising:

a first subsystem being located in proximity to a site in which subterranean survey operations are being conducted; and

a second subsystem being remotely located with respect to the site,

wherein the first and second subsystems are adapted to communicate data in real time over a long range communication network to allow at least one user to remotely observe the operations.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the subterranean survey operations comprise seismic survey operations.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second subsystems are adapted to communicate data indicative of at least one of the following:

global positioning satellite measurements, seismic measurements and crew communications.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the second subsystem is adapted to process data received from the long range communication network automatically and selectively route the data to a group of users based on detected data types.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second subsystem is adapted to selectively route the data to employees of a seismic survey operator and a customer of the operator based on the data types.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the second subsystem is adapted to receive data from the long range communication network and display a comparison of performance metrics indicated by the data with predetermined performance thresholds.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the second subsystem comprises a database to store data indicative of problems associated with performance metrics and associated solutions to the problems.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the second subsystem is adapted to:

receive the data from the long range communication network; and

automatically compare performance metrics indicated by the data with predetermined thresholds and selectively generate alarms based on the comparisons.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations comprise at least one of the following:

an operation occurring before the survey, an operation occurring during the survey and an operation occurring after the survey.

22. An article comprising a computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor-based system cause the processor-based system to:

acquire data in real time from a long range communication network, the data being indicative of operations being conducted in connection with a subterranean survey; and

selectively route the data to a group of users based on detected data types.

23. The article of claim 22, wherein the storage medium stores instructions that when executed cause the processor-based system to selectively route the data to employees of a seismic survey operator and a customer of the operator based on the data types.

24. The article of claim 22, wherein the storage medium stores instructions that when executed by the processor-based system cause the processor-based system to display a comparison of performance metrics indicated by the data with predetermined performance thresholds.

25. The article of claim 22, wherein the storage medium stores instructions that when executed by the processor-based system cause the processor-based system to search a database for problems associated with performance metrics and associated solutions to the problems.

26. The article of claim 22, wherein the storage medium stores instructions that when executed by the processor-based system cause the processor-based system to automatically compare performance metrics indicated by the data with predetermined thresholds and selectively generate alarms based on the comparisons.

27. The article of claim 22, wherein the operations comprise at least one of the following:

an operation occurring before the survey, an operation occurring during the survey and an operation occurring after the survey.