Antifouling protective skin section for seismic survey equipment and related methods
AssigneeCgg Services SAS
InventorsRaphael MacQuin, Karine Desrues
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One or more portions of a streamer or other equipment of a seismic survey system (e.g., birds, buoys, deflectors, etc.) are covered with protective removable skin sections. A protective removable skin section includes a flexible sheet and a reversible closure system configured to join edges of the flexible sheet. The protective removable skin section may be mounted onboard of a vessel, when the equipment is deployed.
Claims20
A seismic equipment usable underwater for marine seismic surveys, the seismic equipment comprising:
- a first skin configured to separate an inside of the seismic equipment from surrounding water when the seismic equipment is submerged;
- a removable second skin section configured to cover a predetermined area of the first skin, the removable second skin section including
- a flexible sheet tailored or made of plural parts to cover the predetermined area and smooth a shape thereof;
- and
- a reversible closure system configured to join edges of the flexible sheet as the removable second skin is mounted over the predetermined area, wherein the reversible closure system is opened to separate the edges for removing the removable second skin from the predetermined area.
A marine seismic survey system, comprising:
- a seismic source;
- and
- a seismic equipment having
- a first skin configured to separate an inside of the seismic equipment from surrounding water when the seismic equipment is submerged;
- a removable second skin section configured to cover a predetermined area of the first skin, the removable second skin section including
- a flexible sheet tailored or made of plural parts to cover the predetermined area of the first skin and smooth a shape thereof;
- and
- a reversible closure system configured to join edges of the flexible sheet as the removable second skin is mounted over the predetermined area, wherein the reversible closure system is opened to separate the edges for removing the removable second skin from the predetermined area.
A method for preventing bio-fouling deposits on portions of an outer surface of a seismic equipment, the method comprising:
- mounting a protective removable skin section to cover a predetermined portion of the seismic equipment, the protective removable skin section including
- a flexible sheet tailored or made of plural parts to cover the predetermined portion of the seismic equipment and smooth a shape thereof, and
- a reversible closure system configured to join edges of the flexible sheet for the mounting of the protective removable skin section and to separate the edges for removing the protective removable skin section from the predetermined area;
- deploying the seismic equipment in water;
- recording seismic survey data;
- recovering the seismic equipment from the water;
- and
- opening the reversible closure system to separate the removable second skin section from the seismic equipment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.