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US 9,817,144 B2Granted
Smart streamer recovery device
AssigneeION Geophysical Corporation
InventorDale J. Lambert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for operating streamer recovery devices to retrieve seismic streamers, for example streamers that become severed from their towing vessels. The streamer recovery can be remotely activated to cause the streamer to surface where the streamer is more easily retrieved.
Claims26
A seismic streamer system comprising:
- a recovery module configured for coupling to a seismic streamer deployed in a water column, the recovery module comprising:
- an actuator coupled to a positive buoyancy element;
- a controller configured to trigger the actuator to deploy the positive buoyancy element in response to a recovery condition being met;
- and
- an interface configured for receiving an external recovery signal indicating that the recovery condition is met;
- a steering or depth control device coupled to the seismic streamer, the steering or depth control device configured to generate the external recovery signal, wherein the interface is configured to receive the external control signal generated by the steering or depth control device wirelessly via an inductive or capacitive signal, or a combination thereof;
- wherein the positive buoyancy element is configured to raise at least a portion of the seismic streamer to a surface of the water column, when the recovery condition is met.
4 more elements
A seismic streamer apparatus comprising:
- one or more seismic streamers, each seismic streamer having a plurality of seismic sensors configured for deployment in a water column;
- at least one recovery module disposed along each seismic streamer, each recovery module comprising:
- an actuator coupled to a positive buoyancy device and a controller configured to trigger the actuator to deploy the positive buoyancy device in response to a recovery condition being met;
- and
- a transceiver configured for receiving an external recovery signal indicating that the recovery condition is met
- a steering or depth control module coupled to one or more of the seismic streamers and in data communication at least one respective recovery module, the steering or depth control module configured to determine whether the recovery condition is met, wherein the steering or depth control module and the respective recovery module are in wireless data communication via an inductive or capacitive signal, or a combination thereof;
- wherein the positive buoyancy device is configured to raise at least a portion of the respective seismic streamer to a surface of the water column, when the recovery condition is met.
4 more elements
A marine seismic survey system comprising:
- one or more seismic streamers configured for deploying a plurality of seismic sensors in a water column;
- one or more streamer devices disposed along each seismic streamer, each streamer device comprising an actuator coupled to a positive buoyancy module with a module controller configured to trigger the actuator in response to a recovery condition being met, wherein the positive buoyancy module deploys to raise at least a portion of the seismic streamer to a surface of the water column when the recovery condition is met;
- and
- a system controller in data communication with at least one of the respective streamer devices disposed along each seismic streamer, wherein the system controller is configured to determine whether the recovery condition is met in response to loss of communications between the controller and a network in communication with a seismic vessel towing the one or more seismic streamers through the water column and a drift signal indicating substantial loss of tow speed of the respective seismic streamer through the water column, for a predetermined period of time.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.