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US 9,372,280 B2Granted
System and method for in-sea electrode conditioning
AssigneePGS Geophysical AS
InventorsAndras Robert Juhasz, Ulf Peter Lindqvist
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods and systems for conditioning electrodes while deployed in the sea with a marine electromagnetic survey system. An embodiment of the method may comprise deploying electrodes in seawater during a marine electromagnetic survey. The method further may comprise coupling at least one of the electrodes to a controllable current/voltage source while the electrodes are deployed in the seawater. The method further may comprise sending a first conditioning signal from the controllable current/voltage source to the at least one of the electrodes coupled to the controllable current/voltage source.
Claims22
A method, comprising:
- deploying electromagnetic sensor electrodes in seawater during a marine electromagnetic survey;
- coupling at least one of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes to a controllable current or voltage source while the electromagnetic sensor electrodes are deployed in the seawater, wherein the coupling at least one of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes to a controllable current or voltage source comprises:
- coupling at least of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes to a controllable current or voltage source and a first counter electrode, wherein the first counter electrode is not one of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes;
- and coupling another one of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes to the controllable current or voltage source and a second counter electrode, wherein the second counter electrode is not one of the electromagnetic sensors electrodes, while the electromagnetic sensor electrodes are deployed, and sending a second conditioning signal from controllable current or voltage source to the one of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes coupled to the second counter electrode;
- and
- sending a first conditioning signal from the controllable current or voltage source to the at least one of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes coupled to the controllable current or voltage source, wherein the first conditioning signal is sent from the controllable current or voltage source to the at least one of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes through one or more lines, wherein the one or more lines are coupled to the electromagnetic sensor electrodes and to the controllable current or voltage source.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- towing a survey cable in a body of seawater, wherein the survey cable comprises electromagnetic sensors disposed at spaced apart locations on the survey cable, counter electrodes disposed on the survey cable, and a controllable current or voltage source disposed on the survey cable, and wherein each of the electromagnetic sensors comprises Ag/AgCl-based electrodes;
- emitting energy from an energy source such that the energy interacts with one or more rock formations below a bottom of the body of seawater;
- detecting an energy change in the electromagnetic sensors after the energy has interacted with the one or more rock formations;
- coupling at least one of the Ag/AgCl-based electrodes to the controllable current/voltage source and at least one of the counter electrodes while towing the survey cable;
- and
- sending a first conditioning signal from the controllable current/voltage source to condition the at least one of the Ag/AgCl-based electrodes coupled to the controllable current/voltage source, wherein the first conditioning signal is sent from the controllable current/voltage source to the at least one of the Ag/AgCl-based electrodes through one or more lines.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- sensing one or more parameters with a pair of electromagnetic sensor electrodes while deployed in a body of water, wherein the pair of electromagnetic sensor electrodes are selectively coupled to sensor electronics and a controllable current or voltage source by way of a switch;
- forming a first electrode pair by coupling the controllable current/voltage source to one of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes and a counter electrode;
- and
- sending a direct current or alternating current signal to the first electrode pair through one or more lines that couple the controllable current or voltage source to the first electrode pair to remove material from surfaces of the one of the electromagnetic sensor electrodes in the first electrode pair.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.