US 12,742,902 B2Granted

Systems and methods for managing seismic data

AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company

InventorConstantinos Tsingas

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Abstract

Techniques for collecting seismic data include identifying seismic sources positioned on or under a first surface; identifying seismic sensors positioned on or under a second surface to form a seismic data collection area with the seismic sources; activating the seismic sources to generate a seismic signal; operating the seismic sensors to record a reflected seismic signal in response to the generated seismic signal; operating unmanned vehicles to travel to and within the seismic data collection area and collect the recorded reflected seismic signal from the seismic sensors; operating the unmanned vehicles to travel from the seismic data collection area to download the collected reflected seismic signal recorded from the seismic sensors; and operating the unmanned vehicles to return to or into the seismic data collection area to further collect at least one reflected seismic signal recorded from the seismic sensors.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A seismic data collection system, comprising:

a plurality of seismic sources positioned on or under a first surface, each of the plurality of seismic sources configured to generate at least one seismic signal;
a plurality of seismic sensors positioned on or under a second surface to form a seismic data collection area with the plurality of seismic sources, each of the plurality of seismic sensors configured to record at least one reflected seismic signal in response to the generated at least one seismic signal;
a plurality of unmanned vehicles configured to travel within and adjacent to the seismic data collection area, each of the unmanned vehicles configured to collect the recorded at least one reflected seismic signal from the plurality of seismic sensors;
and
a control system configured to perform operations, comprising:
instructing the plurality of unmanned vehicles to travel to and within the seismic data collection area;
instructing at least one of the plurality of unmanned vehicles to travel from the seismic data collection area to download the collected at least one reflected seismic signal recorded from the plurality of seismic sensors while at least one of the plurality of seismic sources is generating the at least one seismic signal and at least another of the plurality of unmanned vehicles is traveling within the seismic data collection area to collect at least another recorded reflected seismic signal from at least one of the plurality of seismic sensors;
and
instructing the at least one of the plurality of unmanned vehicles to return to or into the seismic data collection area to further collect at least one reflected seismic signal recorded from the plurality of seismic sensors.

6 more elements

A method for collecting seismic data, comprising:

identifying a plurality of seismic sources positioned on or under a first surface;
identifying a plurality of seismic sensors positioned on or under a second surface to form a seismic data collection area with the plurality of seismic sources;
activating at least one of the plurality of seismic sources to generate at least one seismic signal;
operating the plurality of seismic sensors to record at least one reflected seismic signal in response to the generated at least one seismic signal;
operating a plurality of unmanned vehicles to travel to and within the seismic data collection area and collect the recorded at least one reflected seismic signal from the plurality of seismic sensors;
operating at least one of the plurality of unmanned vehicles to travel from the seismic data collection area to download the collected at least one reflected seismic signal recorded from the plurality of seismic sensors;
while operating the at least one of the plurality of unmanned vehicles to travel from the seismic data collection area to download the collected at least one reflected seismic signal recorded from the plurality of seismic sensors:
operating at least one of the plurality of seismic sources to generate the at least one seismic signal, and
operating at least another of the plurality of unmanned vehicles to travel within the seismic data collection area to collect the recorded at least another reflected seismic signal from at least one of the plurality of seismic sensors;
and
operating the at least one of the plurality of unmanned vehicles to return to or into the seismic data collection area to further collect at least one reflected seismic signal recorded from the plurality of seismic sensors.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.