Seismic Sensor Array Rotation Noise Attenuation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional seismic surveys face challenges in effectively attenuating ground roll noise, which masks weaker near-vertical reflections from subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs, often requiring densely spaced geophones and traditional filtering techniques that limit sensor spacing and data quality.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating rotation sensors into seismic sensor units allows for increased spacing between sensors while maintaining data quality through the application of the multiple channel sampling theorem and polarization filtering, enabling more efficient interpolation and attenuation of ground roll noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional filtering techniques are used to attenuate ground roll noise, then ground roll attenuation is achieved, but sensor spacing is limited and data quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveground roll noiseVSAvoiddata quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of sensor spacing from densely spaced to widely spaced (e.g., 100-500 meters or more between sensors), fundamentally altering the acquisition geometry to enable ground roll attenuation through polarization filtering while maintaining data quality. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by making sensor spacing a variable that can be optimized rather than constrained by traditional filtering requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using traditional filtering techniques that process data after acquisition with limited sensor spacing, the patent inverts the approach by using polarization filtering that exploits the directional characteristics of ground roll waves. The method inverts the problem by spacing sensors widely and using the spatial polarization information to attenuate ground roll, rather than spacing sensors closely and using temporal filtering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Measurement precision

If densely spaced geophones are used to maintain data quality, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and deployment effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata qualityVSAvoidsensor deployment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent fundamentally changes the sensor spacing parameter from dense spacing (traditional approach) to wide spacing (100-500 meters or more), which directly reduces the number of sensors required and simplifies deployment while maintaining data quality through polarization filtering techniques that exploit the spatial distribution of widely spaced sensors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and utilizes the polarization information from widely spaced sensors to achieve ground roll attenuation, removing the need for dense sensor arrays. By taking out only the essential polarization filtering capability and applying it to widely spaced sensors, the system achieves data quality without the complexity of dense deployments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional filtering techniques are applied, then ground roll attenuation is achieved, but the number of sensors required increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveground roll noiseVSAvoidnumber of sensors
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the spatial distribution parameter of sensors from dense to wide spacing, which reduces the quantity of sensors needed. The polarization filtering technique processes data from these widely spaced sensors to achieve ground roll attenuation, thereby reducing the total number of sensors required compared to traditional filtering approaches that demand dense sensor arrays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces the dimension of spatial polarization by utilizing the directional information from widely spaced sensors. This dimensional approach to ground roll attenuation allows the system to achieve noise reduction with fewer sensors by exploiting the spatial arrangement and polarization characteristics rather than relying on dense sampling in all dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2394185B1Seismic acquisition method
Publication Date: 2021.12.01 SERVICES PETROLIERS SCHLUMBERGER SA
  • EP2394185B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2394185B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2394185B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

An apparatus includes an array of seismic sensor units that are adapted to acquire measurements in connection with a land surface-based seismic survey. Each seismic sensor unit includes a particle motion sensor and a rotation sensor.