DEPLOYMENT METHOD FOR OCEAN BOTTOM SEISMOMETERS

• US 20110286800A1
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magseis FF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Fyffe, Roger L., Fisseler, Glenn D., Ray, Clifford H., Thompson, James N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,632,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 405/158
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/00 Buoys floating decoys, e.g. for waterfowl A01M31/06; means for indicating the location of underwater objects B63C7/26; life-buoys, e.g. rings B63C9/08; mountings of acoustic transducer in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys G10K11/006; electric cables supported on or from floats H02G9/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/18 having means to control attitude or position, e.g. reaction surfaces or tether
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2211/02 Oceanography
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/00 Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects composition of chemical substances for use in breathing apparatus A62D9/00; swimming aids or equipment A63B31/00 - A63B35/00; submarines B63G8/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/004 autonomously operating
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/005 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/007 by means of a physical link to a base, e.g. wire, cable or umbilical
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/00 Underwater vessels, e.g. submarines; Equipment specially adapted thereforsubmarine hulls B63B3/13; diving chambers with mechanical link, e.g. cable, to a base B63C11/34; divers' sleds B63C11/46; torpedoes F42B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3852 to the seabed
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3861 control of source arrays, e.g. for far field control

Abstract

A method and apparatus for deployment and retrieval of ocean bottom seismic receivers. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a carrier containing a plurality of receivers attached to a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The carrier comprises a frame in which is mounted a structure for seating and releasing said receivers. The structure may comprise a movable carousel or a movable conveyor or fixed parallel rails or a barrel. In the case of the barrel, the receivers are axially stacked therein. The structure is disposed to deliver said receivers to a discharge port on said frame, where the receivers are removable from said carrier. The apparatus includes a discharge mechanism for removing said receivers from said carrier. In another embodiment, the method comprises the steps of loading a carrier with a plurality of receivers, attaching said carrier to an ROV, utilizing said ROV to transport the carrier from a surface vessel to a position adjacent the seabed and thereafter utilizing said ROV to remove receivers from said carrier and place the receivers on the seabed. In yet another embodiment, an ROV adjacent the seabed engages a deployment line extending from the vessel. The deployment line is used to guide receivers attached thereto down to the ROV for “on-time” delivery and placement on the seabed.

Claims

1-127. -127. (canceled)

128. A method for deployment of ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) units on the ocean floor, said method comprising:

a. providing a plurality of circular shaped, wireless, self-contained OBS units,

b. transporting said OBS units from a surface vessel to the ocean floor; and

c. utilizing an ROV to individually place the plurality of circular OBS units on the ocean floor,

d. wherein said placement is accomplished by engaging each circular shaped OBS unit coaxially with a suction cup and moving the OBS unit from a first location to the ocean floor.

129. The method of claim 128, wherein the step of transporting is accomplished with a carrier loaded with a plurality of OBS units.

130. The method of claim 129, wherein the ROV transports the carrier to the ocean floor.

131. The method of claim 128, wherein the suction cup is coaxially positioned utilizing a robotic arm secured to the ROV.

132. The method of claim 128, wherein the suction cup engages the substantially flat, top surface of the circular OBS units.

133. The method of claim 128, further comprising the steps of

a. providing a camera on said remotely operated vehicle;

b. providing an indicator on a OBS and activating said indicator to indicate the operational status of the OBS; and

c. utilizing said camera to view the indicator to ascertain the operational status of the OBS.

134. A system for deployment of ocean bottom seismometers (OBS), said system comprising:

a. a plurality of circular shaped, wireless, self-contained OBS units, each having an upper surface;

b. a carrier loaded with said circular shaped OBS units;

c. a ROV;

d. a robotic arm having a distal end and a proximal end, said proximal end attached to the ROV;

e. a suction mechanism attached to the distal end of the robotic arm, said suction mechanism disposed to engage the upper surface of an OBS.

135. The system of claim 134, wherein said carrier is attached to said ROV.

136. The system of claim 134, wherein said OBS unit comprises an external visual beacon and said ROV comprises a camera.