Methods and Systems for Efficiently Acquiring Towed Streamer Seismic Surveys

Abstract

Methods and systems for efficiently acquiring towed streamer marine seismic data are described. One method and system comprises positioning a plurality of source-only tow vessels and one or more source-streamer tow vessels to acquire a wide- and/or full-azimuth seismic survey without need for the spread to repeat a path once traversed. Another method and system allows surveying a sub-sea geologic feature using a marine seismic spread, the spread smartly negotiating at least one turn during the surveying, and shooting and recording during the turn. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, allowing a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

1 . A method comprising:
 (a) deploying a marine seismic spread comprising:
 (i) a plurality of source-only tow vessels each towing one or more marine seismic sources without streamers, and 
 (ii) two or more source-streamer tow vessels, each towing one or more marine seismic sources and a plurality of seismic streamers; and 
   (b) positioning the source-only tow vessels and the source-streamer tow vessels to acquire (i) a wide-azimuth seismic survey, (ii) a full-azimuth survey, or (iii) a wide-azimuth and full-azimuth survey without need for the spread to repeat a path once traversed.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the deploying the source-streamer tow vessels comprises deploying a single source-streamer tow vessel. 
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . (canceled) 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  comprising acquiring two source lines of marine seismic data simultaneously with split-spread configuration, comprising deploying a single source-streamer tow vessel towing a plurality of streamers, and deploying all of the source-only tow vessels on the starboard or all on the port side of the single source-streamer tow vessel to acquire a wide- and/or full azimuth seismic survey. 
   
   
       7 . (canceled) 
   
   
       8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  comprising controlling the one or more source-only tow vessels and/or the one or more source-streamer tow vessels with one or more controllers alone or in conjunction with other controllers. 
   
   
       10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the source-streamer tow vessel does not tow a source, or the source is inactive. 
   
   
       13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . (canceled) 
   
   
       15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . (canceled) 
   
   
       19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . (canceled) 
   
   
       21 . A method comprising:
 (a) deploying a towed streamer marine seismic spread comprising one or more sources and a streamer tow vessel towing one or more marine seismic streamers comprising a plurality of acoustic receivers, the streamer tow vessel optionally towing a source;   (b) surveying a sub-sea geologic feature using the marine seismic spread, the surveying comprising sailing the spread through at least one linear course and smartly negotiating at least one turn before or after the linear course; and   (c) shooting at least one source and recording reflections using at least some of the receivers from the sub-sea geologic feature during both the at least one linear course and the at least one turn.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the plurality of acoustic receivers are point receivers. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the smartly negotiating comprises positioning one or more receivers, positioning one or more sources, steering one or more streamers steering devices, one or more source array steering devices, one or more noise attenuation apparatus or systems, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the surveying comprises surveying a hydrocarbon deposit. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the at least one turn comprises a reversal. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23  comprising positioning the one or more receivers using an acoustic network. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23  comprising steering the one or more streamers with one or more steerable birds. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 23  comprising attenuating noise with one or more a digital filters. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 21  comprising controlling steering one or more vessels with one or more controllers alone or in conjunction with other controllers. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the one or more controllers comprises one or more controllers selected from PI, PD, PD, feed forward, cascade, internal feedback, model predictive, neural networks, Kalman filtering, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the one or more controllers comprises two or more controllers, each controller adapted to compute a residual equal to a difference in a tracking point 3D coordinate position and pre-plot track and a set point based on each residual, and wherein the tracking points are selected from a center of a source, a streamer front end center, and an imaginary tracking point between a source and the streamers. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  comprising shooting and recording reflections from the geologic feature during linear swaths. 
   
   
       33 . A method comprising:
 (a) deploying a towed streamer marine seismic spread comprising one or more sources and a streamer tow vessel towing one or more marine seismic streamers comprising a plurality of acoustic point receivers, and optionally towing a source;   (b) swath surveying a sub-sea geologic feature using the marine seismic spread while steering the one or more streamers with one or more steerable birds and positioning the plurality of receivers using an acoustic network during reversals; and   (c) shooting at least one source and recording reflections using at least some of the receivers from the sub-sea geologic feature during the reversals.   
   
   
       34 . A system comprising:
 (a) a towed streamer marine seismic spread comprising one or more sources and a streamer tow vessel adapted to tow one or more marine seismic streamers comprising a plurality of acoustic receivers, and optionally a source;   (b) the spread adapted to survey a sub-sea geologic deposit using a linear swath and equipped to smartly negotiate at least one turn before or after the linear swath using the towed streamer marine seismic spread.   
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the plurality of acoustic receivers are point receivers. 
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 34  comprising one or more receiver positioning apparatus or systems, one or more source positioning apparatus or systems, one or more streamer steering devices, one or more source array steering devices, one or more noise attenuation apparatus or systems, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the one or more receiver positioning apparatus or systems comprises an acoustic network. 
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the one or more streamer steering devices comprises one or more steerable birds. 
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 34  comprising one or more controllers adapted to control position of one or more tracking points, the tracking points selected from a center of a source, a streamer front end center, a streamer back end center, a tracking point somewhere between a center of source and a streamer front end center, a center of a plurality of streamers, and a front of any one streamer. 
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the system is adapted to shoot and record reflections from the geologic feature during linear swaths. 
   
   
       41 . A method comprising:
 (a) deploying a marine seismic spread in a split-spread configuration, the marine seismic spread comprising:
 (i) a plurality of source-only tow vessels, each towing one or more marine seismic sources without streamers, either all on the ports side or all on the starboard side of the spread, and 
 (ii) one or more source-streamer tow vessels, each towing one or more marine seismic sources and one or more seismic streamers; and 
 (iii) a single source-streamer tow vessel towing a plurality of streamers; 
   (b) positioning the plurality of source-only tow vessels and the one or more source-streamer tow vessels to acquire a wide- and/or full-azimuth seismic survey without need for the spread to repeat a path once traversed; and   (c) acquiring two source lines of marine seismic data simultaneously to acquire a wide- and/or full azimuth seismic survey.   
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the deploying of one or more source-streamer tow vessels comprises deploying a single source-streamer tow vessel. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 41  comprising deploying two or more streamer-source tow vessels each towing a plurality of streamers. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 41  comprising deploying two or more source-only tow vessels port of or starboard of and positioned ahead of the streamers, and deploying two more source-only tow vessels port of or starboard of and positioned behind the streamers. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 41  comprising deploying two or more sources utilizing the same source-only tow vessels. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 41  comprising controlling the one or more source-only tow vessels and/or the one or more source-streamer tow vessels with one or more controllers alone or in conjunction with other controllers. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the source-streamer tow vessel does not tow a source, or the source is inactive.