Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Astrid S Kenyon

Douglas J Morrice

Ruven E Brooks

Peter W Mullarkey

Peter T Highnam

Peter H Canter

A system and method for optimizing logistical operations in land seismic surveys. The system and method for modeling and optimizing logistical operations problems in land seismic survey operations is implemented in a computer program running on a computer processor. A logistical problem is formulated with a set of decision variables and problem data and the problem is modeled as an objective function and a set of constraints, expressed in terms of the problem data and the decision variables. The objective function is solved subject to the constraints and an optimal solution is generated for the set of decision variables to optimize the logistical problem. Logistical problems that may be optimized using this approach include: minimization of total costs in the design and operations of a land seismic survey, routing of one or more source crews through a sequence of source location points, placement of recording stations in a survey, placement of source locations, source crew and vehicle routing, offsetting source locations from exclusion zones to avoid obstacles and determining the optimal amount of an expendable resource needed for the survey.

Method and system for optimizing logistical operations in land seismic surveys

A method and system for simulating and optimizing land seismic survey operations. The method and system utilizes spatially referenced data and nonspatial data relevant to land seismic survey operations such as high resolution satellite and airborne imagery and uses discrete event information about land seismic survey operation to simulate a land seismic survey. The output of the simulation is a detailed list of survey events. Mathematical optimization techniques are used to enhance the efficiency of the survey execution via optimal route planning and optimal allocation of survey logistical components. The invention uses a discrete event simulator which is an object-oriented software program with survey geometry objects that represent the survey design, resources objects that represent resources needed to conduct survey operations and manager objects to coordinate the resource objects within the specified survey geometry.

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Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

Astrid S Kenyon