Patents Represented by Attorney Steven P. Arnold
  • Patent number: 4918668
    Abstract: A method of reducing horizontally propagating pressure waves in marine seismic exploration improves the signal-to-noise ratio at associated receivers and reduces interference at unassociated receivers. Marine vibrators are arranged into an array with a given separation between each vibrator, so that horizontally propagating pressure waves from the vibrators which generally traverse the array are out-of-phase at most frequencies of vibration. The amplitude output from each vibrator varies with the output frequency of each vibrator to maximize the cancellation of out-of-phase pressure waves along the array. A receiver, which usually includes a plurality of hydrophones disposed in a streamer, is spaced from the marine vibrators at a distance sufficient to establish the receiver as being in the far-field. The output of each of the marine vibrators is locked in phase and frequency with a known pilot signal so that downwardly propagating pressure waves are substantially unaffected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Halliburton Geophysical Services, Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Sallas