Low frequency and ultra low frequency seismic source having multiple operating heads for marine exploration
AssigneeSercel
InventorsStephen Chelminski, Joshua Ronen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seismic source having two or more operating heads with a firing chamber pressure vessel of compressed air for generating seismic oscillations at low and ultra-low frequencies (ULF) for marine seismic exploration. The multi-headed sound source increases low frequency signal in ranges from below 1 Hz to around 7 Hz to provide greater penetration of the seismic signal through complex overburden such as salt or basalt, improve velocity model building with methods such as Full Wave Inversion, improve the ability to build blocky reservoir models, and improve resolution by reducing side lobes.
Claims22
A seismic source for marine exploration comprising:
- a single firing chamber having a curved head, the single firing chamber extending along an axis and being configured to store compressed air;
- at least two operating heads attached externally to the curved head of the single firing chamber and each configured to fluidly communicate with the single firing chamber to receive the compressed air, the at least two operating heads extending along the axis, each having (1) discharge ports open at one end to an ambient and (2) a shuttle assembly configured to seal the single firing chamber;
- and
- a control module configured to fire the seismic source by releasing a seal of the shuttle assembly and discharging the compressed air from the single firing chamber to form an oscillating bubble seismic pulse from the release of air from the discharge ports of each of the at least two operating heads,
- wherein the at least two operating heads extend away from the curved head of the single firing chamber, along a same direction of the axis.
A seismic source for marine exploration comprising:
- a single firing chamber extending along an axis and configured to store compressed air;
- at least two operating heads attached externally to the single firing chamber and each configured to fluidly communicate with the single firing chamber to receive the compressed air, the at least two operating heads each having (1) discharge ports open at one end to an ambient and (2) a shuttle assembly configured to seal the firing chamber, each of the two at least two operating heads extending along the axis, on a same side of the single firing chamber;
- a control module configured to fire the seismic source by releasing a seal of the shuttle assembly and discharging the compressed air from the single firing chamber to form an oscillating bubble seismic pulse from the release of air from the discharge ports of each of the at least two operating heads,
- wherein the control module is centrally located along the axis, which is a center axis of the single firing chamber, between the at least two operating heads, and outside the single firing chamber, and
- wherein the at least two operating heads are radially spaced from a center point around which a tubular housing holds the control module.
A seismic source for marine exploration comprising:
- a firing chamber configured to store compressed air;
- at least two operating heads, each having (1) discharge ports open at one end to an ambient, and (2) a shuttle assembly configured to seal the firing chamber;
- and
- a control module configured to fire the seismic source by releasing a seal of the shuttle assembly and discharging the compressed air from the firing chamber to form an oscillating bubble seismic pulse from the release of air from the discharge ports of each of the at least two operating heads,
- wherein the control module is configured to fill each of the at least two operating heads with compressed air prior to filling the firing chamber with compressed air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.