US 8,818,730 B2 · Unique composite relatively adjusted pulse

Abstract

The invention relates to acquiring seismic data in either land or marine environments, but typically marine environments where a pulse-type source is fired in a distinctive composite pulse like a distinctive rumble. In a preferred embodiment, a number of pulse-type seismic sources, sometimes called an array, are fired in a distinctive composite pulse to be able to identify within the returning wavefield the energy resulting from the composite pulse. Firing the pulse-type sources creates an identifiable signature so that two or more marine seismic acquisition systems with source arrays can be acquiring seismic data concurrently and the peak energy delivered into the water will be less, which will reduce the irritation of seismic data acquisition to marine life.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A process for acquiring seismic data and providing information about geologic structures in the earth, wherein the process comprises:

a) providing a plurality of seismic receivers to receive seismic energy;
b) providing at least three pulse-type seismic sources to emit pulses of seismic energy into the earth, wherein no more than half of the plurality of seismic sources are fired in unison;
c) firing a plurality of pulse-type seismic sources in a planned timing sequence of pulses to define a composite pulse where the composite pulse is distinctive, detectable and separable from other seismic energy by one or more processing techniques;
d) receiving seismic energy at the seismic receivers;
e) recording seismic energy received by the seismic receivers;
and
f) processing the recorded seismic energy to separate the seismic energy to identify and separate the composite pulse from other seismic energy and create an image of the geologic structures in the earth below the seafloor.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Unique composite relatively adjusted pulse

Life of this patent

Unique composite relatively adjusted pulse

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26