Methods for controlling towed marine sensor array geometry

Abstract

A method for towing a streamer array includes moving a vessel along a body of water. Streamers are towed by vessel. A relative position is determined at selected points along each streamer with respect to the vessel. At least one of the streamers is deflected at at least one longitudinal position along the streamer in response to the determined positions to maintain the streamers in a selected geometry. The selected geometry is related to one of survey vessel heading, energy source trajectory, previously plotted sensor trajectory and a lateral separation related to distance from the towing vessel.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A method, comprising:
 towing a plurality of sensor streamers behind a survey vessel in a body of water;   accessing information that specifies a predetermined geodetic path;   determining relative positions at selected points along ones of the sensor streamers with respect to one or more adjacent streamers;   determining geodetic position of one or more points along one or more of the sensor streamers; and   laterally deflecting at least one sensor streamer at a plurality of positions based on the predetermined geodetic path, the relative positions, and the determined geodetic position of the one or more points, such that the at least one sensor streamer follows the predetermined geodetic path.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the predetermined geodetic path is determined based on geodetic paths of one or more sensor streamers in a prior survey pass. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the determining relative positions is performed using acoustic ranging via acoustic sensors disposed on ones of the sensor streamers. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the determining geodetic position is performed based on global positioning system (GPS) data. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: deflecting at least one sensor streamer in a vertical direction based on the predetermined geodetic path, the relative positions, and the determined geodetic position of the one or more points such that the at least one sensor streamer follows the predetermined geodetic path. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 receiving sensor data from the plurality of sensor streamers; and   storing the sensor data on a tangible, computer-readable medium.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the laterally deflecting is performed using selected wing angles for ones of a plurality of streamer control devices. 
     
     
         26 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that in response to execution by a computing system, cause the computing system to carry out operations comprising:
 towing a plurality of sensor streamers behind a survey vessel in a body of water;   accessing information that specifies a predetermined geodetic path;   determining relative positions at selected points along ones of the sensor streamers with respect to one or more adjacent streamers;   determining geodetic position of one or more points along one or more of the sensor streamers; and   laterally deflecting at least one sensor streamer at a plurality of positions based on the predetermined geodetic path, the relative positions, and the determined geodetic position of the one or more points, such that the at least one sensor streamer follows the predetermined geodetic path.   
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the predetermined geodetic path corresponds to previously-recorded geodetic paths of one or more sensor streamers in a prior survey pass. 
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the determining relative positions is performed using acoustic ranging. 
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the determining geodetic position is performed based on data from a satellite navigation system. 
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 deflecting at least one sensor streamer in a vertical direction based on the predetermined geodetic path, the relative positions, and the determined geodetic position of the one or more points such that the at least one sensor streamer follows the predetermined geodetic path.   
     
     
         31 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving sensor data from the plurality of sensor streamers; and   storing the sensor data on a tangible, computer-readable medium.   
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the operations further comprise selecting wing angles for ones of a plurality of streamer control devices to perform the laterally deflecting. 
     
     
         33 . A system, comprising:
 a plurality of sensor streamers configured to be towed behind the survey vessel in a body of water;   one or more storage element configured to store information that specifies a predetermined geodetic path;   survey equipment configured to:
 determine relative positions at selected points along ones of the sensor streamers with respect to one or more adjacent streamers; 
 determine geodetic position of one or more points along one or more of the sensor streamers; and 
 laterally deflect at least one sensor streamer at a plurality of positions based on the predetermined geodetic path, the relative positions, and the determined geodetic position of the one or more points, such that the at least one sensor streamer follows the predetermined geodetic path. 
   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the predetermined geodetic path corresponds to geodetic paths of one or more sensor streamers in a prior survey pass. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the survey equipment is configured to determine geodetic position based on global positioning system (GPS) data. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the survey equipment is configured to determine relative positions using acoustic ranging by acoustic sensors disposed on ones of the sensor streamers. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the survey equipment is configured to:
 receive sensor data from the plurality of sensor streamers; and   store the sensor data on a tangible, computer-readable medium.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the survey equipment is configured to: selecting angles for ones of a plurality of streamer control devices to laterally deflect the at least one sensor streamer.