Western Atlas International, Inc.

Western Geophysical Company of America

Other

I/o Exploration Products (u.s.a.), Inc.

Western Geophysical Co.

Otis A Johnston

Rick A Curto

Michael W Norris

Carl H Savit

William O McNeel

Ben B Thigpen

John Lloyd Paitson

Charles W Dick

Nathaniel K McPeek

Robert H Brink

E Eugene Crump

An apparatus for generating acoustic source energy in a liquid medium. A slotted cylinder has an interior volume filled with a fluid. An actuator selectively pressurizes the fluid to expand the slotted cylinder. Movement of the slotted cylinder due to expansion and contraction generates a pressure pulse in the liquid medium to create acoustic source energy. The device provides an acoustic source for marine seismic operations and for use downhole in a borehole.

Hydraulic slotted cylinder source

A seismic lead-in for a seismic streamer cable has been invented which, in certain aspects, has at least one stress member, the at least one stress member having an interior surface, a first sealing member adjacent the interior surface of the at least one stress member, at least one transmission element positioned within the at least one stress member, the at least one transmission element having an outer surface, a second sealing member adjacent the outer surface of the at least one transmission element, and a fluid in a space, the space defined by and between the first sealing member and the second sealing member. In one aspect the lead-in also includes a housing enclosing one or both ends of the lead-in. In one aspect the lead-in has a port through an end housing extending to the space for introducing fluid into the space and for removing it therefrom.

Pressurized lead-in for a seismic streamer cable

An apparatus and method for selectively locking the orientation of seismic data sensor capable of detecting data regarding a seismic event. A gimbal orients the sensor into a selected vertical orientation, and a switch operates a clutch to lock the sensor from further movement. A controller can identify a time interval correlating with a seismic event, and the controller operates the switch to lock the sensor before the seismic event begins. After the completion of the seismic event, the switch unlocks the sensor so that the gimbal can permit reorientation of the sensor. The locking mechanism eliminates noise associated with moving gimbal components and is suitable for land based and marine seismic operations.

Gimbal lock system for seismic sensors

This invention is a seismic source system for marine surveying using a small diameter hose bundle containing an electrical cable disposed within an air hose which is reinforced with torque-balanced layers of armor components and protective jacket and connected to a termination assembly at one end for connection to an electrical power supply, pressurized air supply and control system and connected to another termination assembly at the other end for connection to an air gun subarray comprising multiple air guns.

Seismic source system utilizing a small diameter hose bundle

The invention provides a floatation apparatus for maintaining a longitudinal object at a constant depth below the water surface in a body of water. Several airtight chambers are connected in a serial connection to form a string of air tight chambers. A one-way check valve is installed in the chamber at one end of the string while the other end chamber is connected to a nose piece. Air is continuously supplied to the check valve connected to the end chamber. A separate one-way check valve is installed between each pair of adjacent chambers in the string in a manner that air can pass between only in the direction from the air source to the nose member. The floatation apparatus is pivotaly connected to the longitudinal object at more than one place by means of parallel links. When the assembly of the floatation apparatus and the longitudinal object is placed in a body of water and towed behind a vessel, the floatation apparatus maintains the object at a constant depth and in a near straight-line position below the water surface.

Continuously-filled floatation apparatus

The invention provides a seismic transmitter source system which includes a floatation device that contains a plurality of air tight chambers in a serial connection. A separate one way check valve is placed between each adjacent pair of the chambers. Pressurized air is continuously supplied to an end chamber. The one-way check valves enable the air to pass to the remaining chambers in one direction. A transmitter subarray containing a plurality of spaced apart transmitters is suspended from the floatation device by means of severasl pivotly connected links. The front end of the transmitter array is connected to a point near the front end of the floatation device. During operation, the seismic transmitter source system is pulled from a tow point located at the front of the floatation device, pulling both the floatation device and the transmitter subarray in substantially a horizontal straight line position while maintaining the transmitter subarray at a near constant depth below the water surface.

Apparatus and method for use in marine seismic surveying

The invention is an apparatus for distributing a lubricant to the air guns in a single airline seismic air gun subarray which utilizes an air-lubricant mixture to operate and lubricate the air guns in the subarray. The air-lubricant mixture from the single airline is supplied to each air gun through a separate adapter and a cut-off valve. The lubricant tends to accumulate near the first several air guns, which wind up using most of the lubricant contained in the mixture while leaving no or very little lubricant for the remaining air guns. To prevent this uneven distribution of the lubricant, a lubricant metering device is placed in certain adapters to control the amount of the lubricant supplied to their associated air guns. Using the lubricant metering device to control the lubricant supply to the air guns in a subarray ensures that all the air guns receive adequate lubricant supply.

Apparatus for distributing lubricant to air guns in a single airline air

A ruggedized depth transducer for measuring ambient hydrostatic pressure adjacent an acoustic source wherein the transducer includes a housing having a depth sensor mounted therein. The housing further includes a bore for placing the depth sensor in fluid communication with the ambient pressure. Mounted within the housing bore are a series of mechanical filters for attenuating high-intensity pressure spikes generated by the acoustic source from damaging the depth sensor contained within the housing. The mechanical filters allow gradual changes in ambient pressure to pass into the bore and influence the depth sensor.

Depth transducer protective assembly

A two-axle, four-wheel-drive vehicle has separate hydraulic drive systems to drive the front and rear pairs of traction wheels. Each drive system includes a hydraulic motor that is powered by its own variable displacement pump. The torque developed by the motors, and the hydrostatic drive pressure, depend on the volume of fluid flow from the pumps. Under certain conditions, the hydrostatic drive pressure to the two motors becomes unbalanced. A torque equalizer valve is interconnected between the two hydraulic drive systems. When the equalizer valve senses a hydrostatic drive pressure difference between the two drive systems, it readjusts the displacement of the pump having the higher pressure by lowering the hydrostatic pilot pressure to restore the balance of hydrostatic drive pressures.

Torque equalizer for a hydraulically driven, four-wheel-drive vehicle

A seismic signal source apparatus is mounted on the bed of a vehicle by means of a support structure. The apparatus includes a base plate coupled to ground surface beneath the vehicle as well as a seismic signal transducer to inject sweep signals into the ground through the base plate. A restraining means is connected between the upper end of the transducer support structure and the vehicle bed to prevent rocking motion of the seismic signal source. The restraining means includes a double-acting hydraulic piston. The piston is provided with at least two spring-loaded, oppositely-directed check valves. The spring loaded valves open to allow the transducer base plate to adjust itself to the local ground contours when the transducer base plate is pressed to the ground by the weight of the vehicle. The valves remain closed during a sweep cycle to provide a rigid restraining link which prevents destructive rocking movements of the transducer and base plate during a sweep cycle.

Stabilized portable seismic signal transducer

A seismic exploration system for use on ice-covered waters is disclosed. The system comprises a housing which contains equipment such as an engine, a compressor, means for boring holes in the ice, and acoustic signal generating means that can be lowered into the water through holes in the ice. The housing is sufficiently lightweight that it easily can be transported from one location to another by helicopter or other aircraft. The heat generated by the engine is sufficient to provide a comfortable working environment for personnel within said housing and helps prevent freezing of equipment located within said housing.

Growing community of inventors

League City, TX, United States of America

Otis A Johnston