# US 2018/0321408 A1 · Automated lateral control of seismic streamers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0321408 A1 - Document ID: US20180321408A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/036,356 - Filed: 2018-07-16 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-14 - Assignees: PGS Geophysical AS - Applicants: PGS Geophysical AS - Inventors: Øyvind Hillesund; Torbjørn Ursin; Toralf Lund - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180321408A1 ## CPC - G01V 1/3826: {dynamic steering, e.g. by paravanes or birds} - G01V 1/3817: {Positioning of seismic devices} - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## Abstract In the field of marine geophysical surveying, systems and methods for controlling the spatial distribution or orientation of a geophysical sensor streamer or an array of geophysical sensor streamers towed behind a survey vessel are provided. Various techniques for changing the spatial distribution or orientation of such geophysical sensor streamers in response to changing conditions are provided. For example, crosscurrent conditions may be determined based on configuration data received from positioning devices along the length of a streamer, and a new desired orientation for the streamer may be determined based on the crosscurrent conditions. The new desired orientation may include a new desired feather angle for the streamer. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -20. (canceled) ### Claim 21 A system, comprising: a plurality of streamers that include deflecting devices configured to apply forces to respective streamers; a vessel configured to tow the streamers in a body of water; and a control system configured to: determine a desired orientation of the streamers based on information relating to crosscurrents in the body of water, wherein the desired orientation includes a desired feather angle that is determined to maintain a sum of respective forces applied by at least a subset of the deflecting devices below a threshold value; and adjust the streamers based on the desired orientation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the desired orientation includes the desired feather angle being applied to each of the plurality of streamers. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the at least a subset of the deflecting devices includes all of the deflecting devices. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein to determine the desired orientation, the control system is further configured to determine a desired orientation for a rear portion of at least one streamer based at least in part on information relating to crosscurrents at a forward portion of at least one streamer. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the desired orientation of the streamers includes each streamer being oriented in a straight line or an approximately straight line. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the control system is located on the vessel. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of streamers includes a plurality of geophysical sensors. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the information relating to crosscurrents in the body of water includes information indicative of direction and speed of crosscurrents at a plurality of positions along at least one of the plurality of streamers. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the desired feather angle is further determined such that a difference between the desired feather angle and a reference feather angle is minimized subject to the sum of the forces being maintained below the threshold value. ### Claim 30 A method of generating a geophysical data record, comprising: towing a plurality of streamers behind a vessel in a body of water, wherein the streamers have a plurality of deflecting devices arranged therealong, and wherein the streamers further include one or more geophysical sensors; receiving information regarding forces exerted by the plurality of deflecting devices; automatically determining a desired feather angle based on information regarding forces exerted by the plurality of deflecting devices, wherein the desired feather angle is determined to maintain a sum of the forces exerted by at least a subset of the plurality of deflecting devices below a threshold value; automatically adjusting at least one of the plurality of streamers, via the plurality of deflecting devices, to follow the determined desired feather angle; and during the towing, generating the geophysical data record, the geophysical data record including a record of signals detected by the one or more geophysical sensors stored in a manner suitable for later interpretation. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the desired feather angle is determined to minimize the sum. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the desired feather angle is determined relative to a reference axis that is a preplot direction of the vessel. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the desired feather angle is determined relative to a reference axis that is a front-end direction of at least one streamer. ### Claim 34 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the desired feather angle is further determined to reduce one or more instantaneous forces exerted by the plurality of deflecting devices. ### Claim 35 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the sum of the forces is a sum of time-averaged forces. ### Claim 36 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the information regarding forces is based at least in part on information relating to crosscurrents in the body of water. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, wherein the information relating to crosscurrents includes information indicative of direction and speed of crosscurrents at a plurality of positions along at least one of the plurality of streamers. ### Claim 38 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein automatically determining the desired feather angle is further performed such that a difference between the desired feather angle and a reference feather angle is minimized subject to the sum of the forces being maintained below the threshold value. ### Claim 39 A streamer control apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate with a plurality of positioning devices arranged along a plurality of streamers towed in a body of water, the plurality of positioning devices being configured to apply respective forces to the plurality of streamers; wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine, based on state information indicative of crosscurrent conditions, a desired orientation for the plurality of streamers that includes a feather angle that is determined to maintain a sum of at least a subset of the respective forces below a threshold value; and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust the plurality of positioning devices based on the desired orientation. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The streamer control apparatus of claim 39, wherein the state information further includes a present wing angle of at least one of the plurality of positioning devices. ### Claim 41 (depends on 39) The streamer control apparatus of claim 39, wherein the streamer control apparatus is further configured to adjust the plurality of positioning devices based on the desired orientation continuously or periodically. ### Claim 42 (depends on 39) The streamer control apparatus of claim 39, wherein the feather angle is determined to follow an average crosscurrent in the body of water. ### Claim 43 (depends on 39) The streamer control apparatus of claim 39, wherein the feather angle is automatically determined such that a difference between the feather angle and a reference feather angle is minimized while the sum is maintained below the threshold value. ### Claim 44 (depends on 39) The streamer control apparatus of claim 39, wherein to determine the desired orientation, the at least one processor is further configured to determine a desired orientation for a rear portion of at least one streamer based at least in part on information relating to crosscurrents at a forward portion of at least one streamer.