Delivery and recovery apparatus, method, and applications

Abstract

Machinery and methods are described whereby a free flying, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) can safely capture and take on board lightly managed seismic sensor devices (payload) while they are in-transit via a surface vessel in a (deep) water column. ROV payload can be replenished without the need for the ROV to return to the surface vessel to receive additional payload and to do so without the need for heavy launch and recovery machinery. The reverse process of returning payload from the ROV to the surface vessel is also disclosed.

Description

[0001] related application [0002] This application claims priority to US Application No. 61 / 736,803, filed December 13, 2012, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. technical field [0003] Embodiments of the present invention are generally in the field of marine seismic exploration. More specifically, devices and methods for more efficient and safer deployment, manipulation and recovery of payloads in unstable (marine) environments are disclosed. Background technique [0004] Seismic data has long been used in petroleum exploration and is increasingly being used not only in exploration but also in the production, development and exploitation of already producing fields and is often referred to in the art as "development seismic". [0005] In marine environments, seismic data is typically collected from surface vessels towing long receiver streamers and introducing energy using air guns towed behind the same surface vessel or a se...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

First, they tend to be large and heavy machines, making them expensive, maintenance-intensive, requiring a large amount of valuable deck space, and requiring their own launch and recovery system (LARS), while ROVs constitute the second large piece of machinery, which Has all these same disadvantages, plus consumes a lot of power and requires more resources on board

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