Abstract: Disclosed are apparatuses, systems, and methods for urging matching rotational orientations of geophysical sensors in a marine geophysical streamer. An embodiment discloses a marine geophysical streamer comprising a jacket; spacers disposed longitudinally within the jacket, the spacers containing geophysical sensors; and an alignment preserver disposed within the jacket, the alignment preserver encompassing at least a portion of each of the spacers and configured to urge matching rotational orientations for the geophysical sensors.

Abstract: Embodiments relate generally to marine geophysical surveying. More particularly, embodiments relate to a wax application system for application of a wax coating to a surface of a streamer. An embodiment may comprise a marine geophysical survey system. The marine geophysical survey system may comprise a streamer and a wax application system operable to receive the streamer on deployment and apply a wax coating to the streamer as the streamer is being deployed from a survey vessel into a body of water.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for performing a 4D monitor marine seismic survey that repeats a previous survey. A number of sources may be used during the 4D monitor survey that differs from a number of sources that were used during the previous survey. Shot points from the previous survey are repeated by the 4D monitor survey, and additional shot points may be produced during the 4D monitor survey that were not produced during the previous survey. Embodiments enable efficiency and data quality improvements to be captured during 4D survey processes, while preserving repeatability.

Abstract: Recorded seismic data includes seismic traces having respective source orientation angles, where the source orientation angles represent deviations in seismic source orientation relative to an inline survey direction. A plurality of designature operators corresponding to respective designature orientation angles within a defined set of designature orientation angles may be generated. For a given member of the defined set of designature orientation angles, a corresponding designature operator may be applied to the recorded seismic data to generate designatured seismic data for the given designature orientation angle. For a given seismic trace having a given source orientation angle, the designatured seismic data may be interpolated to generate a designatured version of the given seismic trace. The results may be stored in a tangible, computer-readable medium.

Abstract: One or more first sensors may be configured to sense seismic signals and one or more second sensors may be configured to sense electromagnetic crosstalk signals. The second sensors are not responsive to the seismic signals. The data from the first and second sensors may be recorded as first data and second data, respectively. The first data may be modified based on the second data to remove the electromagnetic crosstalk noise form the seismic data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for marine surveying. A system includes: a standard-volume source element; a large-volume source element comprising an airgun having a volume greater than 1200 cubic inches; and a long-offset survey streamer. A method includes: towing a standard-volume source element; and towing a large-volume source element; activating the large-volume source element at large shotpoint intervals; and activating the standard-volume source element at standard shotpoint intervals, wherein the large shotpoint intervals are at least twice as long as the standard shotpoint intervals. A method includes: obtaining geophysical data for a subterranean formation; and processing the geophysical data to produce an image of the subterranean formation. A method includes: obtaining a firing plan for a plurality of seismic sources, wherein: a first seismic source of the plurality comprises a large-volume source element, and a second seismic source of the plurality consists of standard-volume source elements.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to deblending of sources in multi-source geophysical survey data, including marine or land-based data. Multiple sets of deblended receiver traces are generated by iteratively applying a coherency filter to estimated sets of deblended receiver traces and updating a residual until a termination condition is reached. In some embodiments, applying the coherency filter during a current iteration may include determining coefficients of the coherency filter based on estimated sets of deblended receiver traces from an immediately prior iteration. In further embodiments, applying the coherency filter may include applying a 3D projection filter, such as an fxy projection filter.

Abstract: A marine survey node can include a body to be deployed to a seabed, a marine survey receiver coupled to the body and to acquire marine survey data, and a soil sample module associated with the body to collect a soil sample from the seabed. A soil sample module can include a vessel, a first valve coupled to the vessel, and a spike coupled to the vessel. The spike can penetrate an earth surface. The first valve can maintain a pressure difference between the vessel and the spike when closed and equalize a pressure between the vessel and the spike when open. An inlet in the spike can equalize pressure between an inside of the spike and an outside of the spike and to collect a soil sample from the earth surface.

Abstract: An example system can comprise autonomous submarines and an auxiliary station including a power supply. Each autonomous submarine can include a respective power supply and a respective marine survey node coupled thereto. The auxiliary station can be configured to dock the autonomous submarines in a body of water and recharge the respective power supply of each of the autonomous submarines via the power supply of the auxiliary station. Each autonomous submarine can be configured to autonomously navigate from and return to the auxiliary station and position the respective marine survey node on an underwater surface.

Abstract: Methods and systems described herein are directed to determining properties of a subterranean formation using an acoustic wave-equation with a novel formulation in terms of a velocity model and a reflectivity model of the subterranean formation. The acoustic wave equation may be used with full-waveform inversion to build high-resolution velocity and reflectivity models of a subterranean formation. The acoustic wave equation may be also used with least-squares reverse time migration in the image and space domains, to build a reflectivity model of the subterranean formation with enhanced resolution and amplitude fidelity. The velocity and reflectivity models of materials that form the subterranean formation reveal the structure and lithology of features of the subterranean formation and may reveal the presence of oil and natural gas reservoirs.

Abstract: This disclosure is related generally to marine surveying. An apparatus for generation of seismic waves in a body of water may include a wave generator. The apparatus may further include a housing defining an internal chamber having an open end. The housing may include baffles positioned between the open end and the wave generator. The housing may further include a vent positioned on an opposite end of the housing from the baffles.

Abstract: Systems and computer readable media are described that actuate at least one marine seismic source according to a constrained sequence. The sequence exhibits an actuation time or distance interval between each actuation. The actuation time or distance interval corresponds to the sum of a nominal time or distance and a respective dither time or dither distance for each actuation. The sequence is constrained such that differences between consecutive dither times or dither distances remain within a threshold dither difference. Constraining the sequence according to the threshold dither difference enables increased bottom speeds for the source (i.e., increased speeds of the source relative to the seafloor), while still maintaining at least a minimum actuation time or distance interval for the source, taking into account both the nominal time or distance and the respective dither times or dither differences.

Abstract: This disclosure presents processes and systems for estimating a source wavelet from seismic data recorded in a seismic survey of a subterranean formation. In one aspect, a base wavelet is determined based on recorded seismic traces obtained in a seismic survey of a subterranean formation. Processes and systems include a phase-only wavelet based on the base wavelet and the recorded seismic data. An estimated source wavelet is obtained by convolving the base wavelet with the phase-only wavelet. Properties of the subterranean formation are determined based on the estimated source wavelet and the recorded seismic data.

Abstract: Disclosed are advantageous designs for highly-sparse seabed acquisition for imaging geological structure and/or monitoring reservoir production using sea surface reflections. The highly-sparse geometry designs may be adapted for imaging techniques using the primary and higher orders of sea surface reflection and may advantageously allow for the use of significantly fewer sensors than conventional seabed acquisition. The highly-sparse geometry designs may be relevant to 3D imaging, as well as 4D (“time-lapse”) imaging (where the fourth dimension is time). In accordance with embodiments of the invention, geophysical sensors may be arranged on a seabed to form an array of cells. Each cell in the array may have an interior region that contains no geophysical sensors and may be sufficiently large in area such that a 500 meter diameter circle may be inscribed therein.

Abstract: Noise can be attenuated in marine seismic data from a marine seismic survey. A first near-continuous measurement of a wavefield and a second near-continuous measurement of the wavefield recorded from a marine seismic survey can be equalized, a coherent portion of the equalized second near-continuous measurement can be collapsed, and a noise model can be derived. The noise model can be subtracted from the second near-continuous measurement.

Abstract: An inline source can be used for a marine survey. For example, a marine survey vessel can tow source units in line. The source units can be actuated near-continuously to cause a respective signal emitted by each of the source units to be uncorrelated with signals emitted by other of the source units.

Abstract: One or more first sensors may be configured to sense seismic signals and one or more second sensors may be configured to sense electromagnetic crosstalk signals. The second sensors are not responsive to the seismic signals. The data from the first and second sensors may be recorded as first data and second data, respectively. The first data may be modified based on the second data to remove the electromagnetic crosstalk noise form the seismic data.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a sensor cable that may be reconfigurable to have various combinations of seismic sensors. An apparatus may comprise a sensor cable and seismic sensors distributed throughout a volume of the sensor cable and along all three axes of the sensor cable, wherein the seismic sensors are assigned to sampling groups that are reconfigurable and not hardwired.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to deblending of sources in multi-source geophysical survey data, including marine or land-based data. Recorded data may be aligned to a primary source. A deblending procedure may be iteratively applied to produce a residual term and deblended estimates for the primary source and one or more secondary sources. Following an iteration of the deblending procedure, the resultant data may be sorted according to a domain that renders the one or more secondary sources incoherent with respect to the primary source. The domain used for sorting may be different from a domain used to sort during an immediately prior iteration. In embodiments, the deblending procedure may use coherency filtering, and the coherency filtering may be weighted according to a signal-to-noise metric generated from the data being deblended.

Abstract: An actuation location for actuation of a first source coupled to a first marine survey vessel relative to a position of a second marine survey vessel towing a receiver to enhance illumination of a subsurface location can be determined based on a survey route of the second marine survey vessel and a priori data of the subsurface location. The first marine survey vessel can be navigated along a survey route of the first marine survey vessel to the actuation location during a marine survey by changing at least a cross-line position or an in-line position of the first marine survey vessel relative to the survey route of the second marine survey vessel.