Method and apparatus for signal improvement in marine seismic exploration
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorWillem Huizer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of providing a marine seismic signal comprising the steps of: arranging a plurality of seismic sources into a seismic array having at least two seismic subarrays with each subarray having a plurality of seismic sources, towing the seismic array behind a vessel and operating the plurality of seismic sources such that the seismic array satisfies a predetermined relation which is a function of the operating pressure, gun volume and towing depth of the respective seismic sources in the respective subarrays.
Claims21
A method for improving signal strength from a seismic array having at least two subarrays, each such subarray containing a plurality of seismic sources comprising:
- characterizing each seismic source by parameters T.sub.A,N and T.sub.B,N where A and B are each a non-zero number representing a different preselected subarray and N is a non-zero number greater than one representing a preselected seismic source in said subarray, and where T is functionally related to at least one of the physical operating parameters of operating pressure, volume, or towing depth that characterize each seismic source, for a given parameter T, and
- modifying said seismic array to provide an improved primary-to-bubble ratio and signature shape of the signals from such an array by changing said at least one physical operating parameters for each seismic source to cause T to satisfy the relation, ##EQU9## where c.sub.N is a preselected constant, and T.sub.A,N .noteq.T.sub.B,N and A.noteq.B.
An apparatus for providing a marine seismic signal, comprising:
- a seismic array having at least two seismic subarrays with each of said seismic subarrays having a plurality of seismic sources, and each of said seismic sources characterized by parameters T.sub.A,N and T.sub.B,N where N is a non-zero number greater than one representing a preselected seismic source in a preselected subarray and A and B being each a non-zero number representing a different preselected subarray and wherein T is functionally related to at least one of the physical operating parameters of operating pressure, volume or towing depth that characterize each seismic source for a given parameter T and wherein said seismic array is arranged to satisfy the following relation to provide an improved primary-to-bubble ratio and signature shape of the signals from such an array ##EQU17## where c.sub.N represents a constant, and T.sub.A,N .noteq.T.sub.B,N and A.noteq.B.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.