Analytic Firing Patterns for Seismic Source Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seismic surveys face inefficiencies and challenges in designing marine seismic acquisition methods, particularly in controlling the properties of seismic signals and minimizing peak impulses and spectral notches, especially in Popcorn-type surveys.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a set of seismic sources arranged in subarrays, with an analytic firing pattern that adjusts firing times and subarray composition to optimize firing intervals, allowing for efficient and controlled source activations, and reconstructing seismic data to image the subsurface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional seismic survey methods are used, then subsurface imaging can be achieved, but survey efficiency is reduced and data quality deteriorates due to uncontrolled peak impulses and spectral notches
Solution Approach 1:
The seismic source array is divided into multiple subarrays that can be activated independently with different firing patterns. This segmentation allows control over the composite source signature by adjusting individual subarray contributions, thereby reducing spectral notches and improving data quality while maintaining survey efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The firing pattern is made dynamic by varying the activation timing of different subarrays according to an analytic function. This dynamic approach allows optimization of the composite source signature in the frequency domain, eliminating spectral notches while maintaining efficient survey acquisition
2Productivity
If source activation frequency is increased to improve survey efficiency, then productivity increases, but harmful peak impulses are generated that deteriorate data quality
Solution Approach 1:
The seismic sources are activated in periodic patterns with carefully controlled intervals. By using analytic firing patterns that distribute activations periodically across multiple subarrays, the method achieves high source activation rates while avoiding harmful peak impulses through proper temporal spacing
Solution Approach 2:
The firing pattern parameters (timing, duration, subarray activation sequence) are optimized to control the frequency domain characteristics of the composite source signature. By adjusting these parameters, the method eliminates spectral notches and controls peak impulses while maintaining high productivity
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple subarrays with different firing patterns are used, then spectral notches are minimized and data quality improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple subarrays are designed with identical hardware configurations but different firing patterns. This universality allows the same physical equipment to perform multiple functions by simply changing the activation sequence, thereby improving spectral control without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The firing patterns are pre-calculated using analytic functions to achieve desired spectral characteristics. By performing the optimization calculations beforehand, the actual survey execution becomes straightforward, reducing operational complexity while maintaining spectral control
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables more efficient use of seismic sources, controls seismic signal properties, and provides accurate subsurface imaging by minimizing peak impulses and spectral notches, improving data quality and survey efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The source of the down-going sound energy might come, for example, from explosions or seismic vibrators on land, or air guns in marine environments. Each time the source is activated, it generates a seismic signal that travels downward through the earth.
Implementation Method 2
A seismic survey represents an attempt to image or map the subsurface of the earth by sending sound energy down into the ground and recording the 'echoes' that return from the rock layers below.
Implementation Method 3
activating the first seismic source array according to one of a plurality of different firing patterns, the firing patterns comprising a plurality of different time intervals between the activation of each seismic source within the first seismic source array, wherein each firing pattern is optimized so as to minimize the output amplitude
Data Source
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AI summary
According to an embodiment, there is provided a system and method of collecting seismic data using a predetermined pattern of source activations that is intended to control the properties of the resulting seismic signal. One embodiment utilizes a seismic source array (or, more generally, any collection of controllable sources) to create a series of spaced apart in time source activations, with the spacing and number of such activations being used to shape the resulting signal. In one method of building sweeps, the guns are fired at an increasing rate (decreasing time separation) as time goes by. Other patterns may be generated by decreasing the firing rate as time goes by, or some combination of the foregoing. In an embodiment, the rate of the increase or decrease in the firing rate will change from pattern to pattern.