Arctic Seismic Surveying Ice Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional marine seismic surveying in icy waters faces challenges such as ice interference, equipment damage, and operational difficulties due to ice floes, which have not been adequately addressed by existing methods.
Innovation Solution
A marine seismic survey system involving an escort vessel to break ice and protect seismic equipment, with a survey vessel towing seismic sources and streamers beneath the ice surface, using ice skegs to keep cables and lines submerged and prevent ice interference, and employing advanced navigation and monitoring systems to manage ice conditions dynamically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If seismic survey vessel operates in icy waters with conventional towing methods, then seismic data collection can be performed, but ice floes cause equipment damage and operational interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the seismic survey operation from surface-level towing to subsurface towing by positioning the seismic source and streamers below the ice layer. This dimensional change allows the equipment to operate in the open water column where ice floes cannot reach, thereby protecting equipment while maintaining continuous seismic data collection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary icebreaking vessel that operates ahead of the survey vessel to break ice and clear the survey path. This intermediary vessel handles the ice-related challenges, allowing the seismic survey equipment to operate in protected, ice-free waters and maintain continuous operation without direct ice contact
2Ease of manufacture
If seismic equipment is towed at surface level, then deployment is straightforward in open waters, but ice floes can become entangled and damage cables and towlines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the seismic source and streamers in the subsurface water column below the ice layer. This vertical repositioning removes the harmful ice interaction from the system while maintaining the towing functionality, as the equipment operates in the three-dimensional space beneath the ice ceiling
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by using the icebreaking vessel to clear ice floes and obstacles from the survey path before the seismic equipment enters the area. This preemptive ice removal prevents potential entanglement and damage to cables and towlines before they can occur
3Reliability
If survey vessel halts to handle ice conditions, then equipment safety is maintained, but survey operations are interrupted and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an icebreaking vessel as an intermediary that handles all ice-related challenges ahead of the survey vessel. This mediator absorbs the ice management tasks, allowing the survey vessel to maintain steady speed and continuous operation without halting for ice conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The icebreaking vessel performs preliminary icebreaking and path clearance actions before the survey vessel reaches problematic areas. This advance preparation ensures the survey vessel can proceed continuously through pre-cleared channels without needing to stop for ice management
Data Source
AI summary
A marine seismic survey is performed in icy waters by initially planning a survey track traversing a survey area. The initial track is planned based on initial ice conditions in the survey area having the icy waters. After preparing the system, a seismic system is deployed into the water from a survey vessel at the survey area. This is typically done in an area relatively free of ice. At least one escort vessel escorts the survey vessel as it traverses the survey track and obtains seismic data. The survey vessel tows the seismic system under the surface of the icy water to avoid the ice. All the while, systems and operators monitor the survey area along the survey track for actual ice conditions. In this way, the escort vessel can handling the actual ice conditions along the survey track so the survey vessel does not need to halt.