Patents by Inventor Gregory Ernest Parkes

Gregory Ernest Parkes has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10989825
    Abstract: Seismic data are acquired using a seismic source comprising a plurality of seismic sub-sources disposed in a body of water at a plurality of depths and activated with different time delays. Far-field signatures are determined for the plurality of seismic sub-sources at each of the plurality of depths. A composite ghost-free far-field signature of the seismic source is determined from the far-field signatures for the plurality of seismic sub-sources at each of the plurality of depths and different time delays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventors: Gregory Ernest Parkes, Stian Hegna
  • Patent number: 10838095
    Abstract: Seismic data are acquired by actuating a first source at a first time and one or more additional seismic sources each with their own characteristic times with respect to a time of signal recording, the sources substantially collocated and at different depths. A first wavefield is determined that would occur if the first source were actuated at a selected time with respect to an initiation time of the recordings and being time adjusted for the water depth. One or more additional wavefields are determined that would occur if the one or more additional sources were each actuated at said selected time with respect to said initiation time, and being time adjusted for water depths of the one or more additional sources. The first wavefield and the one or more additional wavefields are combined to determine a deghosted source wavefield corresponding to actuation of a single seismic energy source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: PGS GEOPHYSICAL AS
    Inventors: Stian Hegna, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Patent number: 9684086
    Abstract: A method for marine seismic surveying includes separating up-going and down-going wavefields from seismic energy emitted by at least one marine seismic energy source. The separated up-going and down-going wavefields are propagated from the at least one marine seismic energy source to at least one of a water surface and a common reference depth. One of the up-going and down-going wavefields is phase shifted 180 degrees. The propagated, phase shifted up-going and down-going wavefields are summed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical, A.S.
    Inventors: Stian Hegna, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Publication number: 20160320510
    Abstract: Seismic data are acquired using a seismic source comprising a plurality of seismic sub-sources disposed in a body of water at a plurality of depths and activated with different time delays. Far-field signatures are determined for the plurality of seismic sub-sources at each of the plurality of depths. A composite ghost-free far-field signature of the seismic source is determined from the far-field signatures for the plurality of seismic sub-sources at each of the plurality of depths and different time delays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: PGS GEOPHYSICAL AS
    Inventors: GREGORY ERNEST PARKES, STIAN HEGNA
  • Patent number: 9411062
    Abstract: Seismic data are acquired using a seismic source comprising a plurality of seismic sub-sources disposed in a body of water at a plurality of depths and activated with different time delays. Far-field signatures are determined for the plurality of seismic sub-sources at each of the plurality of depths. A composite ghost-free far-field signature of the seismic source is determined from the far-field signatures for the plurality of seismic sub-sources at each of the plurality of depths and different time delays. A source response is removed from the seismic data using the far-field signatures of the seismic source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: PGS GEOPHYSICAL AS
    Inventors: Gregory Ernest Parkes, Stian Hegna
  • Publication number: 20160047930
    Abstract: A method for marine seismic surveying includes separating up-going and down-going wavefields from seismic energy emitted by at least one marine seismic energy source. The separated up-going and down-going wavefields are propagated from the at least one marine seismic energy source to at least one of a water surface and a common reference depth. One of the up-going and down-going wavefields is phase shifted 180 degrees. The propagated, phase shifted up-going and down-going wavefields are summed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Stian Hegna, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Patent number: 9110180
    Abstract: A method for acquisition and processing of marine seismic signals to extract up-going and down- going wave-fields from a seismic energy source includes deploying at least two marine seismic energy sources at different depths in a body of water. These seismic energy sources are actuated with known time delays that are varied from shot record to shot record. Seismic signals from sources deployed at different depths are recorded simultaneously, Seismic energy corresponding to each of the sources is extracted from the recorded seismic signals. Up-going and down-going wave-fields are extracted from the sources deployed at different depths using the extracted seismic energy therefrom. A method includes the separated up-going and down-going wave-fields are propagated to a water surface or a common reference, the up-going or the down-going wave-field is 180 degree phase shifted, and the signals from these modified up-going and down-going wave-fields are summed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventors: Stian Hegna, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Patent number: 8596409
    Abstract: A disclosed seismic source assembly includes a body having a cavity and a seismic source positioned in the cavity. The cavity is in fluid communication with the water via an aperture oriented in a first direction. One or more surfaces of the body define a water contact significantly larger than an area of the aperture and on a side opposite the first direction. A described method includes forming a source assembly by: providing a cavity having an aperture for transmitting seismic waves; rigidly attaching a base to a side of the cavity opposite the aperture, where a transverse area of the base is significantly larger than an area of the aperture; and positioning a seismic source in the cavity. The source assembly is submerged in the water and triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventors: Gregory Ernest Parkes, Stian Hegna
  • Patent number: 8600680
    Abstract: Recorded seismic data are represented as a convolution of operators representing a reflectivity series of the earth and a seismic wavelet. The recorded seismic wavelet is represented as a convolution of operators representing a receiver ghost, a source ghost, a ghost-free source system response, an earth filter response, and a receiver system response. The operator representing the receiver ghost is removed from the convolution representing the seismic wavelet. The operator representing the source ghost is removed from the convolution representing the seismic wavelet. The operator representing the ghost-free source response is removed from the convolution representing the seismic wavelet. The operator representing the earth filter response is removed from the convolution representing the seismic wavelet. The operator representing the seismic wavelet is removed from the convolution representing the recorded seismic data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventors: Gregory Ernest Parkes, Stian Hegna, Anthony James Day
  • Publication number: 20130201791
    Abstract: Seismic data are acquired using a seismic source comprising a plurality of seismic sub-sources disposed in a body of water at a plurality of depths and activated with different time delays. Far-field signatures are determined for the plurality of seismic sub-sources at each of the plurality of depths. A composite ghost-free far-field signature of the seismic source is determined from the far-field signatures for the plurality of seismic sub-sources at each of the plurality of depths and different time delays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Inventors: GREGORY ERNEST PARKES, STIAN HEGNA
  • Patent number: 8427901
    Abstract: A method for seismic exploration of subsurface rock formations includes actuating an impulsive seismic energy source proximate the rock formations. A non-impulsive seismic energy source is actuated. A near field waveform of each of the impulsive and non-impulsive seismic energy sources is detected. A far field waveform of the combined output of the impulsive and non-impulsive seismic energy sources is determined from the near field waveforms. An impulse response of the subsurface rock formations is determined by deconvolving the far field waveform with detected seismic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventors: Nils Lunde, Antoni Marjan Ziolkowski, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Publication number: 20130092469
    Abstract: A disclosed seismic source assembly includes a body having a cavity and a seismic source positioned in the cavity. The cavity is in fluid communication with the water via an aperture oriented in a first direction. One or more surfaces of the body define a water contact significantly larger than an area of the aperture and on a side opposite the first direction. A described method includes forming a source assembly by: providing a cavity having an aperture for transmitting seismic waves; rigidly attaching a base to a side of the cavity opposite the aperture, where a transverse area of the base is significantly larger than an area of the aperture; and positioning a seismic source in the cavity. The source assembly is submerged in the water and triggered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: PGS GEOPHYSICAL AS
    Inventors: Gregory Ernest PARKES, Stian Hegna
  • Patent number: 8345510
    Abstract: A method for acquisition and processing of marine seismic signals to extract up-going and down-going wave-fields from a seismic energy source includes deploying at least two marine seismic energy sources at different depths in a body of water. These seismic energy sources are actuated with known time delays that are varied from shot record to shot record. Seismic signals from sources deployed at different depths are recorded simultaneously. Seismic energy corresponding to each of the sources is extracted from the recorded seismic signals. Up-going and down-going wave-fields are extracted from the sources deployed at different depths using the extracted seismic energy therefrom. A method includes the separated up-going and down-going wave-fields are propagated to a water surface or a common reference, the up-going or the down-going wave-field is 180 degree phase shifted, and the signals from these modified up-going and down-going wave-fields are summed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventors: Stian Hegna, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Publication number: 20120259553
    Abstract: Recorded seismic data are represented as a convolution of operators representing a reflectivity series of the earth and a seismic wavelet. The recorded seismic wavelet is represented as a convolution of operators representing a receiver ghost, a source ghost, a ghost-free source system response, an earth filter response, and a receiver system response. The operator representing the receiver ghost is removed from the convolution representing the seismic wavelet. The operator representing the source ghost is removed from the convolution representing the seismic wavelet. The operator representing the ghost-free source response is removed from the convolution representing the seismic wavelet. The operator representing the earth filter response is removed from the convolution representing the seismic wavelet. The operator representing the seismic wavelet is removed from the convolution representing the recorded seismic data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Inventors: Gregory Ernest Parkes, Stian Hegna, Anthony James Day
  • Publication number: 20120033526
    Abstract: Seismic data are acquired by actuating a first source at a first time and one or more additional seismic sources each with their own characteristic times with respect to a time of signal recording, the sources substantially collocated and at different depths. A first wavefield is determined that would occur if the first source were actuated at a selected time with respect to an initiation time of the recordings and being time adjusted for the water depth. One or more additional wavefields are determined that would occur if the one or more additional sources were each actuated at said selected time with respect to said initiation time, and being time adjusted for water depths of the one or more additional sources. The first wavefield and the one or more additional wavefields are combined to determine a deghosted source wavefield corresponding to actuation of a single seismic energy source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventors: STIAN HEGNA, GREGORY ERNEST PARKES
  • Publication number: 20100008184
    Abstract: A method for acquisition and processing of marine seismic signals to extract up-going and down- going wave-fields from a seismic energy source includes deploying at least two marine seismic energy sources at different depths in a body of water. These seismic energy sources are actuated with known time delays that are varied from shot record to shot record. Seismic signals from sources deployed at different depths are recorded simultaneously. Seismic energy corresponding to each of the sources is extracted from the recorded seismic signals. Up-going and down-going wave-fields are extracted from the sources deployed at different depths using the extracted seismic energy therefrom. A method includes the separated up-going and down-going wave-fields are propagated to a water surface or a common reference, the up-going or the down-going wave-field is 180 degree phase shifted, and the signals from these modified up-going and down-going wave-fields are summed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Stian Hegna, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Patent number: 7518953
    Abstract: A method for determining a fault in a seismic air gun includes comparing a near field seismic signal measured during operation of the air gun to a reference near field signal and determining the existence of a fault in the air gun when a difference between the measured near field signal and the reference near field signal exceeds a selected threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventors: Stian Hegna, Anthony James Day, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Publication number: 20080175102
    Abstract: A method for determining a fault in a seismic air gun includes comparing a near field seismic signal measured during operation of the air gun to a reference near field signal and determining the existence of a fault in the air gun when a difference between the measured near field signal and the reference near field signal exceeds a selected threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Stian Hegna, Anthony James Day, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Patent number: 7218572
    Abstract: Physical parameters are measured for an array of seismic sources, preferably for each activation of the seismic sources. Calibration functions are obtained and the measured physical parameters and calibration functions are applied to a model, which generates a calibrated source signature for the array of seismic sources. Alternatively, the measured physical parameters are applied to a model, which generates a modeled source signature, and then the calibration functions are applied to the modeled source signature to generate the calibrated source signature. Alternatively, modeled source signatures are generated for each seismic source and then the calibration functions are applied to the modeled source signatures to generate a calibrated source signature for each seismic source. Then the calibrated source signatures for each seismic source are combined, preferably by linear superposition, to generate the calibrated source signature for the array of seismic sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: PGS Exploration (UK) Limited
    Inventor: Gregory Ernest Parkes