Company Filing History:
Years Active: 2013-2019
Title: The Innovative Contributions of Mike Burnham
Introduction
Mike Burnham is a notable inventor based in Houston, TX, who has made significant contributions to the field of marine seismic surveying. With a total of 4 patents to his name, Burnham's work focuses on enhancing the efficiency and safety of seismic operations in challenging icy environments.
Latest Patents
One of Burnham's latest patents is centered around marine seismic surveying in icy or obstructed waters. This invention features a skeg that mounts from the stern of a towing vessel and extends below the waterline. The skeg includes a channel that protects cables for steamers and a source of a seismic system deployed from the vessel. Tow points on the skeg lie below the water's surface and connect to towlines to support the steamers and source. A flotation device supports the source and tows it below the water's surface to avoid ice floes. The streamers can have vehicles deployed on them for controlling their position. These vehicles can be brought to the surface when clear of ice floes to obtain GPS readings, which are communicated to a control system. After obtaining readings, the vehicles can be floated back under the surface. This system accounts for ice at the surface in icy regions and handles seismic records while considering noise generated by ice impact events.
Another significant patent involves Arctic seismic surveying operations. In this invention, a marine seismic survey is performed in icy waters by initially planning a survey track that traverses a survey area. The track is planned based on initial ice conditions in the survey area. After preparing the system, a seismic system is deployed into the water from a survey vessel. This is typically done in an area relatively free of ice. An escort vessel accompanies the survey vessel as it traverses the survey track and obtains seismic data. The survey vessel tows the seismic system under the surface of the icy water to avoid ice, while systems and operators monitor the survey area for actual ice conditions. This approach allows the escort vessel to manage the ice conditions along the survey track, ensuring that the survey vessel does not need to halt.
Career Highlights
Mike Burnham is currently employed at Ion Geophysical Corporation, where he continues to innovate in the field of marine seismic surveying. His work has been instrumental in advancing techniques that improve the safety and effectiveness of seismic operations in icy waters.
Collaborations
Throughout his career