Apparatus for in-situ cleaning of a seismic streamer cable
AssigneeFugro Norway AS
InventorsPeer Toftner, Denis Murphy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, method and apparatus providing uninterrupted cleaning of first and second parts of a deployed marine seismic streamer cable using one cleaner apparatus, the first and second parts located to respective sides of a bird attached to the streamer cable. The system comprises a connecting apparatus for connecting by a web or rung the bird to the streamer cable, and the cleaner apparatus provided with a slit open over the full length of the cleaner and adapted to let the web or rung pass from end to end of the cleaner, whereby the cleaner is allowed to pass from the first part to the second part without interrupting its cleaning action.
Claims4
A tubular cleaner 100, having cleaning means in its interior, and is provided with a slit 130 in a side wall, the slit running uninterrupted in the longitudinal direction of the tubular cleaner 100, from a front end 131 end to a rear end 132 of the cleaner 100.
A connecting apparatus 220 for connecting the bird 200 to the streamer cable 400 comprises an inner substantially annulus or ring shaped, optionally a substantially semi-annulus or semi-ring shaped, part 223 adapted to attach the connecting apparatus to the streamer cable 400, optionally by means of an adapter 250 affixed to the streamer cable, the inner part having an outer surface, a rung or web part 222 having an inner end rigidly attached at the outer surface of the inner part 223 and extending therefrom to an outer end in a substantially radial direction with respect a center axis of the inner part 223, and an outer substantially semi-annulus or semi-ring shaped part 221, being adapted at first 224 and second 225 ends thereof for attaching thereto respective parts of the bird that provide flotation, steering means and attitude control means, the outer part 221 having an inner surface at which the outer end of the rung or web part 222 is rigidly attached.
A method for continuous and uninterrupted cleaning continuous set of first and second parts of a deployed marine seismic streamer cable 400 having a bird device 200 attached at a point where the first parts transits into the second part, the method comprising connecting the bird device 200 to a connecting apparatus 220 comprising the inner part outer part 221, the web or rung 222 and inner part 223 as disclosed herein, attaching the connecting apparatus 220 to a marine seismic streamer cable 400, deploying the interconnected assembly of bird device 200, connecting apparatus 220 and marine seismic streamer cable 400 at sea and towing it by a vessel 300, applying a cleaner 100 having one or more slits 130 as disclosed herein to the cable at a first part of the marine seismic streamer cable 400 that is located closer to the vessel than the location of the deployed interconnected assembly, effecting the cleaner to travel by way of drag along the marine seismic streamer cable 400 in a direction away from the vessel 300, and when reaching the interconnected assembly, aligning the one or more slits with the web or rung 222, the web or rung 222 is guides through the one or more slits, whereby the cleaner 100 is passing the interconnected assembly, and the cleaner 100 entering a second part of the marine seismic streamer cable 400 that is located further from the vessel than the location of the deployed interconnected assembly and continues its travel along the second section for cleaning the second part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.