Reduced Marine Seismic Source Volume with Receiver-Side Acquisition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Marine seismic surveys cause acoustic pollution and hearing damage to marine mammals, and reducing the seismic source volume to mitigate this issue compromises the quality of seismic data, especially in low frequencies essential for imaging deeper targets.

Innovation Solution

Implementing receiver-side acquisition methods such as over/under streamers, sparse under marine acquisition, and multi-component streamers to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio in low frequencies, thereby compensating for the reduced source energy and maintaining seismic image quality without increasing the conventional source volume.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional seismic source volume is used, then seismic image quality is maintained, but acoustic pollution and hearing damage to marine mammals increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveacoustic pollutionVSAvoidseismic image quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The seismic survey system is divided into two independent acquisition systems: a reduced source volume system for minimizing acoustic pollution and a receiver-side acquisition system for capturing low frequency data. These two systems operate separately but their data are integrated during processing to produce a complete seismic image, resolving the contradiction between reducing harm and maintaining quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Data processing acts as an intermediary that combines the high frequency data from reduced source volume acquisition with the low frequency data from receiver-side acquisition. This intermediary processing step synthesizes a comprehensive seismic image that would require much larger source volume if obtained through conventional single-system acquisition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If seismic source volume is reduced, then acoustic pollution to marine mammals decreases, but low frequency data quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehearing damage to marine mammalsVSAvoidlow frequency data quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The frequency spectrum acquisition is segmented into two specialized systems: reduced source volume for high frequencies and receiver-side acquisition for low frequencies. Each system is optimized for its frequency range, allowing the reduced source to avoid acoustic pollution while the dedicated receiver system captures the low frequency data that would otherwise be lost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The receiver-side acquisition system changes the operational parameters (streamer depth, sensor configuration, processing methods) to optimize low frequency data capture. By adjusting these parameters, the system compensates for the reduced source energy at low frequencies, maintaining measurement precision without requiring increased source volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If reduced source volume is used, then source energy output decreases, but signal-to-noise ratio in low frequencies decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesource energy outputVSAvoidsignal-to-noise ratio

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The signal acquisition is segmented into two specialized systems: reduced source volume for high frequency signals and receiver-side acquisition for low frequency signals. This segmentation allows each system to optimize for its frequency range, with the receiver-side system using enhanced streamer configurations and processing to maintain signal-to-noise ratio despite the reduced overall source energy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The receiver-side acquisition system performs multiple functions: it captures low frequency data that the reduced source cannot provide effectively, and its data is integrated with the reduced source data to create a complete seismic image. This multi-functional approach allows the system to compensate for reduced source energy across the entire frequency spectrum.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9103934B2Method for reducing marine source volume while maintaining image quality

Publication Date: 2015.08.11 WESTERNGECO LLC

AI summary

A technique facilitates the acquisition of seismic data at a substantially reduced source volume. The methodology generally comprises conducting a seismic survey with seismic sources that have a reduced source volume to collect seismic data. The low frequency data which is lost due to the reduced source volume is replaced with data acquired from a complementary method, such as a receiver-side acquisition method. The two sets of data are combined to provide a comprehensive seismic survey image without requiring conventional seismic source volume.