US 8,593,905 B2 · Marine seismic surveying in icy or obstructed waters

Abstract

A skeg mounts from the stern of a towing vessel and extends below the waterline. A channel in the skeg protects cables for steamers and a source of a seismic system deployed from the vessel. Tow points on the skeg lie below the water's surface and connect to towlines to support the steamers and source. A floatation device supports the source and tows below the water's surface to avoid ice floes. The streamers can have vehicles deployed thereon for controlling a position on the streamer. To facilitate locating the streamers, these vehicles on the streamers can be brought to the surface when clear of ice floes so that GPS readings can be obtained and communicated to a control system. After obtaining readings, the vehicles can be floated back under the surface. Deploying, using, and retrieving the system accounts for ice at the surface in icy regions. In addition, handling the seismic record can account for noise generated by ice impact events.

Claims76

Dependent claims

A marine seismic surveying apparatus for obstructed waters, the apparatus comprising:

a skeg mounting on a stern of a vessel, the skeg extending below the stern and defining at least one passage extending at least below a waterline of the vessel, the at least one passage protecting one or more cables of a marine seismic system passing from the vessel to below the waterline.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

12/719,783Filed 8 Mar 2010 · us provisional application

Priority

9 Mar 2009

Published

US 2010/0226204 A19 Sep 2010

Granted

26 Nov 2013

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

B63B 3/38
Hull parts: keels
B63B 3/14
Hulls characterised by their structure or component parts: hull parts
B63B 21/66
Towing or pushing equipment: equipment specially adapted for towing underwater objects or vessels, e.g. fairings for tow-cables
B63B 21/663
Equipment specially adapted for towing underwater objects or vessels, e.g. fairings for tow-cables: fairings

Family

Application61/158,698Us provisional application · filed 9 Mar 2009

Application61/246,367Us provisional application · filed 28 Sep 2009

Application61/261,329Us provisional application · filed 14 Nov 2009

US 2010/0226204 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Sep 2010

US 8,593,905 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Marine seismic surveying in icy or obstructed waters

Life of this patent

Marine seismic surveying in icy or obstructed waters

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims76