Western Atlas International, Inc.

Ricky L Workman

Ronald E Chambers

Craig J Beasley

Michael W Norris

George William Wood

A system for supporting marine seismic equipment such as sensors and positioning equipment deployed behind a marine seismic vessel. The vessel tows a lattice like web instead of individual streamer cables to carry hydrophones, and can deploy a geophone supporting web from the vessel to rest on the sea floor. The web can be formed with individual conductor members for providing structural support and signal transmission capabilities. The lattice construction of the web provides for redundant signal transmission capabilities in the event of individual conductor failure. The web provides this enhanced signal transmission capability while permitting high density sensor placement.

Marine seismic web

A method for controlling the position and shape of marine seismic streamer cables, whereby a plurality of real time signals from a marine seismic data acquisition system and a plurality of threshold parameters from an input device are received. The real time signals are compared to the threshold parameters to determine if the streamer cables should be repositioned. The streamer cables are repositioned when the real time signals exceed the threshold parameters.

Adaptive control of marine seismic streamers

A distributed seismic data acquisition system includes a vast plurality of Autonomous Data Acquisition Modules (ADAM) to each of which are interconnected a subplurality of data-collection channels. Each data collection channel is comprised of an array of seismic sensors for continuously measuring seismic signals. The ADAMs include a GPS satellite receiver for providing geographic coordinates and system clock. Measured seismic signals are quantized and continuously downloaded to the respective interconnected ADAMs from the data-collection channels. The system includes both field testing capability as well means for transmitting the results of self tests. Provision is made for servicing the ADAMs at the end of a multi-day recording session and for harvesting and cataloging the recorded data. The seismic signals gathered by use of the distributed data-gathering system may be processed to provide a subsurface earth model.

Distributed seismic data-gathering system

This invention provides a method for examining the geometry of the disposition of a plurality of sources and receivers over an area to be surveyed with a view to optimizing the array to avoid data shadow zones and to optimize the resulting seismic image. The method depends upon studying the statistical distribution of dip polarity in dip bins along selected CMP azimuths.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Ricky L Workman