Unmanned marine vessel for node deployment and retrieval
AssigneeION Geophysical Corporation
InventorTimothy A. Dudley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An unmanned seismic vessel system can include a hull system configured to provide buoyancy and a storage apparatus configured for storing one or more seismic nodes, each seismic node having at least one seismic sensor configured to acquire seismic data. A deployment system can be configured for deploying the seismic nodes from the storage apparatus to the water column, where the seismic data are responsive to a seismic wavefield, with a controller configured to operate the deployment system so that the seismic nodes are automatically deployed in a seismic array.
Claims30
An unmanned seismic vessel system comprising:
- a hull system configured to provide buoyancy;
- a storage apparatus configured for storing one or more seismic nodes, each seismic node having at least one seismic sensor configured to acquire seismic data;
- a deployment system configured for deploying the seismic nodes from the storage apparatus to a water column, wherein the seismic data are responsive to a seismic wavefield;
- a controller configured to operate the deployment system, wherein the seismic nodes are automatically deployed in a seismic array;
- and
- one or more tow lugs coupled to the hull system, wherein the hull system is configured for towing through the water column during deployment of the seismic nodes and acquisition of the seismic data.
A method comprising:
- determining positional information for an unmanned seismic vessel, the unmanned seismic vessel comprising a hull system configured to provide buoyancy;
- navigating the unmanned seismic vessel with respect to a water column, based on the positional information;
- deploying one or more seismic receivers from the hull system to the water column, wherein each of the seismic receivers comprises at least one seismic sensor configured to acquire seismic data responsive to a seismic wavefield;
- providing precision timing information from the unmanned seismic vessel to the deployed seismic receivers;
- and
- storing the acquired seismic data, wherein the seismic data are associated with the precision timing information.
A seismic survey system comprising:
- a plurality of unmanned seismic vessels deployed in a water column, each unmanned seismic vessel comprising a hull system configured to provide buoyancy and a deployment system configured to deploy seismic nodes into the water column;
- and
- a plurality of the seismic nodes deployed from each unmanned seismic vessel, each of the seismic nodes comprising at least one seismic sensor configured to acquire seismic data;
- a seismic source configured to generate a seismic wavefield propagating through the water column, wherein the seismic data are responsive to reflections of the seismic wavefield from subsurface structures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.