Received Correlation Patents (Class 367/40)
  • Patent number: 11714208
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for gridding of subsurface salt structures include determining a predetermined area lacks three dimensional seismic coverage, generating a two dimensional seismic top salt interpretation for the predetermined area, generating a bathymetry elevation of the predetermined area, determining that at least one two dimensional seismic line intersects a bathymetric feature of interest, and determining a correlation coefficient between the two dimensional seismic top salt interpretation and the bathymetry elevation. The method may further include determining the correlation coefficient is greater than a predetermined threshold value, and applying the bathymetry elevation as an additional control for gridding top of the subsurface salt structure. The step of gridding the top of the subsurface salt structure may further include applying at least one of kriging with external drift (KED), polygon-based approaches, regression-kriging, and other geostatistical methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Hassan Abbas Almarzooq
  • Patent number: 11573346
    Abstract: A seismic attenuation quality factor Q is determined for seismic signals at intervals of subsurface formations between a seismic source at a marine level surface and one or more receivers of a well. Hydrophone and geophone data are obtained. A reference trace is generated from the hydrophone and geophone data. Vertical seismic profile (VSP) traces are received. First break picking of the VSP traces is performed. VSP data representing particle motion measured by a receiver of the well are generated. The reference trace is injected into the VSP data. A ratio of spectral amplitudes of a direct arrival event of the VSP data and the reference trace is determined. From the ratio, a quality factor Q is generated representing a time and depth compensated attenuation value of seismic signals between the seismic source at the marine level surface and the first receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Husain Salman Nasser, Jianjiang Chen
  • Patent number: 11448787
    Abstract: A fault indicator calculator, a method for determining a fault indicator, and a fault indicator calculating system are disclosed herein. One embodiment of a fault indicator calculator includes: 1) an interface configured to receive seismic data, and 2) a processor configured to scan a manifold-shaped operator through said seismic data at a range of dips and azimuths and calculate fault throws at various orientations of said dips and azimuths independent of determining other fault indicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Jesse Mathias Lomask, Kainan Wang, Arnab Saha
  • Patent number: 11391857
    Abstract: Systems and methods for attenuating residual acoustic energy in marine seismic data are disclosed. In one aspect, a number of gathers are recorded for consecutive activations of a marine source. Each recorded gather contains a record of acoustic reflections from a subterranean formation after activation of the source and residual acoustic energy from one or more previous activations of the source. The gathers are aligned to generate aligned gathers with the residual acoustic energy coherent between the aligned gathers and the reflections incoherent between the aligned gathers. A set of model gathers of the residual acoustic energy is generated from the aligned gathers. The model gathers are subtracted from one or more of the corresponding recorded gathers to generate one or more gathers with attenuated residual acoustic energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventor: Neil Turnbull
  • Patent number: 11262467
    Abstract: A seismic data acquisition unit includes circuitry to detect and digitize a seismic signal, and timing circuitry to control a time of acquisition of each sample of the seismic signal. The timing circuitry include a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), a local clock incremented by the VCO, and a reference time receiver. The timing circuitry powers on the reference time receiver to generate a reference time value based on signals received from a reference time source, and measures time deviation of the local clock from the reference time value. The timing circuitry determines an adjustment value to apply to the VCO over a time interval during which the reference time receiver is not powered on. The adjustment value is selected to gradually bring the local clock into synchronization with the reference time source over the time interval at a time that the reference time receiver is to be next powered on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Geospace Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Robbin Barnet Adams, James Michael Hallaman, Roy James, Samuel Anil Choudhari, Danny Sheen, Barry S. Basile, Ronny Raborn
  • Patent number: 11215434
    Abstract: A system (10) for wireless measurement of detonation of explosives (3) for detonation according to a timed sequence, the system comprising: an antenna (15, 16) for detecting electromagnetic emissions caused by detonation of the explosives and providing an electromagnetic signal representative of the electromagnetic emissions; a data logger (12) operatively connected to the antenna for logging the electromagnetic signal; a trigger for setting the data logger for logging the electromagnetic signal upon detonation of the explosives to produce a recorded blast record; and a comparison arrangement for comparing the timed sequence with the recorded blast record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: QMR (IP) PTY LTD
    Inventors: Alastair Courtenay Torrance, Gary Lindsay Cavanough
  • Patent number: 11209561
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and program product may model a subsurface formation by computing an iso-surface for an iso-value from a three-dimensional stratigraphic function (436) for a volume of interest in the subsurface formation, computing first and second strike traces (454, 456) following a topography of the computed iso-surface on respective first and second sides of a fault (452) in the volume of interest, extracting seismic data (458, 460) along the first and second strike traces, correlating the extracted seismic data along the first and second strike traces, and computing a fault displacement vector (C) for the fault from the correlated extracted seismic data along the first and second strike traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Jimmy Klinger, Martin Neumaier
  • Patent number: 11156741
    Abstract: Improved systematic inversion methodology applied to formation testing data interpretation with spherical, radial and/or cylindrical flow models is disclosed. A method of determining a parameter of a formation of interest at a desired location comprises directing a formation tester to the desired location in the formation of interest and obtaining data from the desired location in the formation of interest. The obtained data relates to a first parameter at the desired location of the formation of interest. The obtained data is regressed to determine a second parameter at the desired location of the formation of interest. Regressing the obtained data comprises using a method selected from a group consisting of a deterministic approach, a probabilistic approach, and an evolutionary approach.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Dingding Chen, Mark A. Proett, Li Gao, Christopher Michael Jones
  • Patent number: 10871585
    Abstract: A system is for processing seismic data for a geologic formation generated by an array of acoustic transducers responsive to an acoustic source. The system may include a seismic data storage device, and a processor cooperating with the seismic data storage device to generate correlations of data from the array of acoustic transducers based upon a current estimate for at least one of density and velocity of the geologic formation, and perform a linear optimization based upon a plurality of different combinations of the correlations to determine a given subset of correlations having a highest objective function associated therewith. The processor may also update the current estimate for at least one of density and velocity of the geologic formation based upon the given subset of correlations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: HARRIS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark D. Rahmes, Jessica L. Ascough, George W. Lemieux, Raquel M. Cohen
  • Patent number: 10451734
    Abstract: An object detecting apparatus includes a distance calculator that calculates a distance to the object, a wave height acquirer that acquires a respective peak value of the plurality of reflected waves, and multiple reflection determiner. When a reflected wave for which a first distance to the object is calculated to be the smallest in the reflected waves is defined as a first wave, and another reflected wave to which a second distance is calculated as twice or more integer times the first distance calculated for the first wave and a difference of the peak value relative to the first wave which is larger than a predetermined value is present in the reflected waves, the multiple reflection determiner determines that multiple reflection is occurring in a second wave or thereafter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 10429531
    Abstract: A method and product for reducing or eliminating noise in waveforms for the purpose of improving the subsequent acoustic log processing products. The present disclosure identifies the noise signature and removes the noise signature from the formation signal through a process of deconvolution. This product and method is particularly effective where the noise signal overlaps in the time domain and in the frequency domain with the formation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Inventor: Shreya Biswas Ley
  • Patent number: 10386519
    Abstract: A surface-consistent refraction analysis automatically derives near surface corrections during seismic data processing. Residual time lags are evaluated in multiple CMP-offset-azimuth bins by similarity analysis with a pilot trace where a correlation window is centered at the refracted arrival. The similarity analysis may take the form of computerized cross-correlation, or other criteria such as semblance. The residuals are then used to build a system of linear equations that is simultaneously inverted for surface-consistent shot and receiver time shift corrections plus a possible subsurface residual term. The refraction analysis steps are completely automated and require a fraction of the time needed for conventional near surface analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Daniele Colombo, Federico Miorelli
  • Patent number: 10317549
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically detecting and identifying seismic wave features in seismic data are provided. In general, the systems and methods utilize a nonparametric time series classification method to detect seismic wave features that may otherwise be difficult to automatically identify in seismic data. Instead of building a model by estimating parameters from the seismic data, the data itself is used to define a trained model. The systems and methods described here provide the ability to detect and identify seismic wave features with reasonably fast and extremely accurate results without needing to compute parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Christopher J. Rawles, Clifford H. Thurber
  • Patent number: 10209381
    Abstract: Systems and methods for wireless data acquisition in seismic monitoring systems are disclosed. The method includes obtaining a signal table for an emitted seismic signal, receiving seismic signal data from a receiver configured to transform seismic signals into seismic signal data, and storing the seismic signal data on a storage system. The method also includes determining a time span for the seismic signal data and generating a reduced data set based on the seismic signal data, the signal table, and the time span.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: CGG SERVICES SAS
    Inventors: Eric Forgues, Peter Maxwell, Jason Jurok, Julien Cotton
  • Patent number: 10168440
    Abstract: A method for determining an optimum spacing of seismic energy sources based on mutual admittance includes deploying a plurality of seismic energy sources along a source line, separated by a selected spacing. Seismic receivers are deployed along a receiver line orthogonal to the source line. Seismic energy is simultaneously transmitted from each of the plurality of seismic energy sources while recording signals from the seismic receivers. The transmitting and recording of signals is repeated for a plurality of different spacings between the energy sources. Seismic energy in the recorded signals is determined in separate time windows selected to represent reflected body wave signal, and source generated ground roll noise, respectively. A signal-to-noise ratio with respect to the spacing of the seismic energy sources is calculated and the optimum spacing between energy sources is selected based on the signal-to-noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: APACHE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert H. Brune, Michael Yates
  • Patent number: 9556723
    Abstract: A method of estimating position of a borehole includes: disposing an acoustic sensor in a first borehole in an earth formation, the acoustic sensor including a plurality of measurement locations disposed along a length of the first borehole; drilling a portion of a second borehole in the earth formation using a drilling assembly; taking distributed acoustic measurement data over a time period during the drilling by the plurality of measurement locations, the acoustic measurement data based at least in part due to an acoustic signal generated by the drilling assembly and detected by the plurality of measurement locations; processing the measurement data to estimate a distance between the drilling assembly and the acoustic sensor; and controlling directional parameters of the drilling based on the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Daniel T. Georgi, Sebastian Csutak
  • Patent number: 9429670
    Abstract: A system for collecting seismic data includes plural seismic sensors. The seismic sensors are buried underground. In one application, a first set of seismic sensors are buried at a first depth and a second set of seismic sensors are buried at a second depth. In another application, the sensors alternate along a line, one sensor from the first set and a next sensor from a second set. In still another application, the sensors are randomly distributed below the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: CGG SERVICES SA
    Inventors: Julien Cotton, Eric Forgues
  • Patent number: 9329292
    Abstract: There is provided herein a method of seismic acquisition that utilizes an arrangement of marine sources where each source is positioned at a water depth shallow enough for the surface ghost notch to fall at a frequency greater than or equal to the maximum radiated frequency of interest. If the marine seismic source has a ratio of signal bandwidth to maximum frequency that is less than one half, then it is possible to deploy it at a greater depth at which ghost notches fall below and above its frequency band but not in it. Further, by placing two or more sources at different depths for the same frequency, any undesired nulls in the radiation pattern caused by the deeper tow can be filled in.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Dellinger, Mark Harper
  • Patent number: 9329291
    Abstract: A method for improving seismic images by correction of distortions in the underlying seismic data caused by a near-surface anomaly that produces a non-hyperbolic move-out component of the seismic reflection below the anomaly includes the steps of: a. redatuming the input seismic data to go from the surface to a target horizon using true one-way traveltime operators to provide a first new redatuming dataset; b. redatuming the input seismic data using hyperbolic one-way travel time operators to provide a second new redatuming dataset; and c. redatuming the combination of a first causal part of the first new redatuming dataset and an anti-causal second part of the second redatuming dataset to go from the target horizon back to the surface using hyperbolic one-way traveltime operators to provide a dataset that is referenced to the surface without an imprint of the anomaly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ali Ameen Al-Momin, Yi Luo, Tong W. Fei
  • Patent number: 9207346
    Abstract: Controlling towing speed of a sensor streamer. At least some of the of the embodiments are methods including: towing a sensor streamer through water at a towing speed; releasing interrogating energy within the water; recording energy received by the sensor streamer to create recorded energy; determining a value indicative of noise within the recorded energy; and changing the towing speed in real-time responsive to the value indicative of noise within the recorded energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventor: Neil H. R. Turnbull
  • Patent number: 9019115
    Abstract: There is provided a radar system that includes an emitter system (e.g., an antenna), configured to emit electromagnetic pulses and detect electromagnetic pulses, and a reflection target, placed opposite the emitter system. The emitter system and the reflection target define an area of interest. A controller is configured to identify a reflection from the reflection target and, if the reflection is not identified, to stop sending a radar check signal. The radar system may be part of a warning horn control system, where the radar check signal is used as a control input for activating a warning horn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Forrest H. Ballinger
  • Patent number: 8982668
    Abstract: In an embodiment a semiconductor device correlates a received signal with a known pattern. A correlation output is used as a basis for forming a confidence reference level. The confidence reference level and the correlation output are compared to identify a peak in the received signal indicating that a present signal state of the received signal contains the known pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Pavel Horsky, Ivan Koudar, Tomas Suchy
  • Patent number: 8838392
    Abstract: Passive seismic data is collected from measurements of seismic sensors in respective sensor assemblies, where the passive seismic data is based on measurements collected during periods when no active seismic source was activated. Attenuation of surface noise in the passive seismic data is performed using data from divergence sensors in at least some of the sensor assemblies. The passive seismic data with surface noise attenuated is output to allow for performing an operation related to a subterranean structure using the passive seismic data with the surface noise attenuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: WesternGeco L.L.C.
    Inventors: David Fraser Halliday, Everhard Muyzert, Pascal Edme
  • Publication number: 20140254317
    Abstract: A method for surveying, may include receiving, by a processor, first survey data from a first source, the first source comprising a first signal generated by a subsurface earth formation in response to a passive-source electromagnetic signal, wherein the electromagnetic signal is generated by an electroseismic or seismoelectric conversion of the passive-source electromagnetic signal. The method may also include receiving, by the processor, second survey data from a second source and processing the first survey data and the second survey data to determine one or more properties of a subsurface earth formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventors: Arthur Thompson, Alan Katz, Robert England, Mohammad Rahman, Naga P. Devineni
  • Patent number: 8781749
    Abstract: Noise may be filtered or attenuated from seismic data by building a four-dimensional volume using the acquired seismic data and then applying a random noise attenuation filter to the four-dimensional volume. The dimensions of the four-dimensional volume may include a trace number dimension, a time dimension, a shot number dimension, and a cable number dimension. The random noise attenuation filter may filter portions of the acquired seismic data if the seismic data is not correlated with respect to other seismic data in the four dimensional volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: WesternGeco L.L.C.
    Inventor: Craig Beasley
  • Patent number: 8681911
    Abstract: Provided is an identification signal analyzing apparatus and method for compensating power of a channel profile occurring at a conventional identification signal analyzing apparatus by using a power compensation. The identification signal analyzing apparatus includes: an identification signal generator for generating an identification signal identical to a known identification signal inserted by a transmission device; a partial correlator for calculating a correlation value between a received signal including the known identification signal inserted by the transmission device and the identification signal generated by the identification signal generator through a partial correlation; a power compensator for compensating power of the correlation value calculated by the partial correlator; and a channel profile extractor for extracting a channel profile from the correlation value compensated by the power compensator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jae-Young Lee, Sung-Ik Park, Ho-Min Eum, Jae-Hyun Seo, Heung-Mook Kim, Jong-Soo Lim, Soo-In Lee
  • Patent number: 8611185
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and an antenna for active and/or passive seismic survey, such as a particular geometric layout of a plurality of vibration sensors, each one of adequate sensitivity, to be used with signal correlation in seismic surveys with or without an artificial wave source. In particular, the invention concerns a specific geometric layout of four vibration sensors, set along an alignment at positions, with one position chosen so that the antenna covers the desired wavelength interval. The sum of the signal correlations of all possible sensor couples allows a uniform sampling of all the spatial wavelengths that such an antenna defines, producing an accurate measure of the elastic and anelastic parameters of the subsoil and of the vibrational modes of a construction with the minimum possible number of sensors and minimum physical dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Inventor: Francesco Mulargia
  • Patent number: 8553496
    Abstract: Seismic acquisition systems are disclosed that allow contemporaneous seismic sources to be separated from a composite signal comprising two or more constituent seismic sources. In some embodiments, a representation of the composite signal may be developed that includes a noise contribution of undesired signals present in the composite signal. Additionally, an operator, referred to herein as an “annihilator”, may be developed such that it may be conditioned and inverted to minimize undesired noise contributions in the composite signal. This inversion may assist in recovering the constituent seismic sources from the composite signal. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the accuracy with which the constituent source measurements are approximated may be increased by implementing them as random sweeps having a conventional length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Ion Geophysical Corporation
    Inventors: Marvin Glen Michael Decker, Gary Arthur Sitton, Robert Ian Bloor
  • Publication number: 20130028051
    Abstract: There is provided herein a method of passive seismic acquisition that utilizes real time or near real time computation to reduce the volume of data that must be moved from the field to the processing center. Much of the computation that is traditionally applied to passive source data can be done in a streaming fashion. The raw data that passes through a field system can be processed in manageable pieces, after which the original data can be discarded and the intermediate results accumulated and periodically saved. These saved intermediate results are at least two, more likely three, orders of magnitude smaller than the raw data they are derived from. Such a volume of data is trivial to store, transport or transmit, allowing passive seismic acquisition to be practically used for continuous near-real-time seismic surveillance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicants: BP Norge AS, BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Olav Inge Barkved, Joseph Anthony Dellinger, John Etgen
  • Patent number: 8331192
    Abstract: The technologies described herein include systems and methods for performing a first seismic survey and performing a second seismic survey after a predetermined amount of time has lapsed between the first seismic survey and the second seismic survey. The shot times and the shot positions of the second seismic survey may be substantially the same as the shot times and the shot positions of the first seismic survey. After performing the seismic surveys, seismic data generated by the first seismic survey may be processed to generate a first image, and seismic data generated by the second seismic survey may be processed to generate a second image. After generating the first and second images, a difference between the first image and the second image may be computed to generate a time lapse difference image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: WesternGeco L.L.C.
    Inventors: Johan O. A. Robertsson, Dirk-Jan Van Manen, David Halliday, Robert Laws
  • Patent number: 8218394
    Abstract: A method of imaging the Earth's subsurface using passive seismic interferometry tomography includes detecting seismic signals from within the Earth's subsurface over a time period using an array of seismic sensors, the seismic signals being generated by seismic events within the Earth's subsurface. The method further includes adaptively velocity filtering the detected signals. The method further includes cross-correlating the velocity filtered seismic signals to obtain a reflectivity series at a position of each of the seismic sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Microseismic, Inc.
    Inventors: Chuntao Liang, Michael P. Thornton, Peter M. Duncan
  • Publication number: 20120140594
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided related to seismic sensor data. Seismic sensor signaling is digitally sampled in accordance with a local clock and without synchronization to standardized time. Timestamp data is used to synthesize data correspondent to an artificial stimulus waveform. Cross-correlation of the synthesized data with the seismic sensor data yields a correlation result. The correlation result can be scaled to an original starting time for the seismic data sampling. The scaled correlation result can be stored in computer-accessible media and subject to further processing or interpretation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: David M. Cook, Ran-Fun Chiu
  • Patent number: 8139441
    Abstract: Method of determining the velocity V and anellipticity ? parameters for processing seismic traces in a common midpoint (CMP) gather comprising:—a preliminary step to define a plurality of nodes (dtn, ?o), for each node (dtn, ?o) defined in the preliminary step, the following steps:—for static NMO correction of traces in the CMP gather as a function of the values of the said parameters dtn and ?o at the node considered, and calculation of the semblance function associated with the said NMO correction for the node considered; and—for each picked time to, a step including determination of the maximum semblance node (dtn (to), ?o (to)),—and a final step to convert the dtn (to) and ?o (to) parameters, so as to obtain the velocity to) and anellepticity ? (to) laws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Cggveritas Services SA
    Inventor: Risto Siliqi
  • Publication number: 20110310700
    Abstract: The technologies described herein include systems and methods for performing a first seismic survey and performing a second seismic survey after a predetermined amount of time has lapsed between the first seismic survey and the second seismic survey. The shot times and the shot positions of the second seismic survey may be substantially the same as the shot times and the shot positions of the first seismic survey. After performing the seismic surveys, seismic data generated by the first seismic survey may be processed to generate a first image, and seismic data generated by the second seismic survey may be processed to generate a second image. After generating the first and second images, a difference between the first image and the second image may be computed to generate a time lapse difference image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Johan O. A. Robertsson, Dirk-Jan Van Manen, David Halliday, Robert Laws
  • Patent number: 8064500
    Abstract: A coherent integration section synthesizes an IF signal stored in a memory and a C/A code replica generated by a code generation section using a mixer to calculate a correlation value, and integrates the correlation value using an integration section. An integration count monitoring section counts the integration count of the integration section. When a saturation control section has detected saturation of integration of the correlation values, the integration count monitoring section causes the integration section to suspend integration when the integration count is equal to or less than a reference count, and allows the integration section to continue integration when the integration count has exceeded the reference count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuo Muto
  • Publication number: 20110273960
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and an antenna for active and/or passive seismic survey, such as a particular geometric layout of a plurality of vibration sensors, each one of adequate sensitivity, to be used with signal correlation in seismic surveys with or without an artificial wave source. In particular, the invention concerns a specific geometric layout of four vibration sensors, set along an alignment at positions, with one position chosen so that the antenna covers the desired wavelength interval. The sum of the signal correlations of all possible sensor couples allows a uniform sampling of all the spatial wavelengths that such an antenna defines, producing an accurate measure of the elastic and anelastic parameters of the subsoil and of the vibrational modes of a construction with the minimum possible number of sensors and minimum physical dimensions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventor: Francesco Mulargia
  • Publication number: 20110194378
    Abstract: Seismic acquisition systems are disclosed that allow contemporaneous seismic sources to be separated from a composite signal comprising two or more constituent seismic sources. In some embodiments, a representation of the composite signal may be developed that includes a noise contribution of undesired signals present in the composite signal. Additionally, an operator, referred to herein as an “annihilator”, may be developed such that it may be conditioned and inverted to minimize undesired noise contributions in the composite signal. This inversion may assist in recovering the constituent seismic sources from the composite signal. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the accuracy with which the constituent source measurements are approximated may be increased by implementing them as random sweeps having a conventional length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: Ion Geophysical Corporation
    Inventors: Marvin Glen Michael Decker, Gary Arthur Sitton, Robert Ian Bloor
  • Patent number: 7986587
    Abstract: A method of imaging the Earth's subsurface using passive seismic emissions includes detecting seismic signals originating from within the Earth's subsurface over a selected time period using an array of seismic sensors deployed proximate the Earth's surface. Hypocenters of seismic events in the subsurface are determined from the detected signals. Seismic signals detected at selected ones of the seismic sensors are cross-correlated to signals detected at other selected ones of the seismic sensors. The cross-correlated signals are processed to obtain a reflectivity series at a geodetic position of the selected one of the seismic sensors. A spatial distribution of at least one seismic property in the subsurface is determined using the determined hypocenters and the reflectivity series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Microseismic, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter M. Duncan, James D Lakings
  • Publication number: 20110158047
    Abstract: Presented are systems and methods for wireless data acquisition. The wireless data acquisition may involve synchronizing modules within a data acquisition array. The synchronized data acquisition array may be used to facilitate a seismic survey. Synchronization may be facilitated by receipt of a reference time event such that a clock is synchronized based on the reference time event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: WIRELESS SEISMIC, INC
    Inventors: Mihai Beffa, Calvin Day, Kevin Rose, Steven Kooper, Keith Elder
  • Publication number: 20110085415
    Abstract: A method for synchronizing recordings of seismic sensor signals between at least two time indexed recording units includes cross-correlating signals recorded by each of a first and a second recording unit from a same reference sensor. The reference sensor is deployed proximate a subsurface volume to be evaluated and generates at least one of an optical and an electrical signal in response to seismic amplitude. Peaks in a power spectrum of the cross correlated signals are determined. The reference signals recorded by each of the first and second recording units are notch filtered using at least one notch frequency selected from the power spectrum. The notch filtered reference signals are cross correlated and a time offset between recordings made by the first recording unit and the second recording unit is determined from the cross-correlated, notch filtered signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventors: Peter J. Morton, David G. Fairservice
  • Publication number: 20110013483
    Abstract: A method of modeling seismic wave-field data in order to suppress near-surface and sub-surface related multiple reflection signals is provided. The reflection signals include main primary reflection signals, main random noise signals, main multiple reflection signals, residual primary reflection signals, residual random noise signals, and residual multiple reflection signals. Main random noise signals are separated from the reflection signals using a frequency-wavenumber domain method to provide data having suppressed main random noise. Main primary reflection signals are separated from the data having suppressed main random noise using frequency-wavenumber filtering and weighted median filtering to provide data having suppressed main random noise and main primary reflections. Multiple reflection signals are modeled using parabolic path summation on the data having suppressed main random noise and main primary reflections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventor: Weihong Zhu
  • Publication number: 20100329078
    Abstract: A method of processing seismic data is provided in the seismic data is acquired at a plurality of locations and the method comprises interpolating and/or extrapolating the seismic data, thereby to estimate seismic data at a target location different from the plurality of locations. The interpolating and/or extrapolating the seismic data is performed in a polar co-ordinate system. The method may provide for, among other things, accuracy of estimation; particularly at short offsets from the seismic source. The polar co-ordinate system used may be chosen to approximate the seismic wavefront in an earth model, for example in an earth model in which properties vary only with depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: WesternGeco LLC
    Inventor: Philip Christie
  • Publication number: 20100315902
    Abstract: A method of imaging the Earth's subsurface using passive seismic interferometry tomography includes detecting seismic signals from within the Earth's subsurface over a time period using an array of seismic sensors, the seismic signals being generated by seismic events within the Earth's subsurface. The method further includes adaptively velocity filtering the detected signals. The method further includes cross-correlating the velocity filtered seismic signals to obtain a reflectivity series at a position of each of the seismic sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: Chuntao Liang, Michael P. Thornton, Peter M. Duncan
  • Publication number: 20100302904
    Abstract: A method for interpolating irregularly sampled seismic data, including receiving seismic data acquired at irregularly spaced seismic sensors in a survey area, defining a plurality of regularly spaced locations in the survey area, forming an annular ring around one of the plurality of regularly spaced locations, and interpolating the seismic data inside the annular ring to estimate seismic data that would have been acquired at the one of the plurality of regularly spaced locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventor: Ralf G. Ferber
  • Patent number: 7843766
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring time-dependant subsurface changes from imperfectly repeated data measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventor: Stewart A. Levin
  • Patent number: 7751278
    Abstract: Various methods are disclosed for identifying faults in a seismic data volume. In some method embodiments, the fault identification method comprises determining a planarity value for each of multiple positions of an analysis window in the data volume. The planarity value may be indicative of the planarity of discontinuities in the analysis window, and may be further filtered by limits on the verticality and centrality of the discontinuities. Thus a filter may be determined for suppressing relatively non-planar, relatively non-vertical, and relatively un-centered discontinuities from a discontinuity display, thereby enhancing a display of faults present in the seismic data volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventor: Arthur E. Barnes
  • Patent number: 7729201
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for spread spectrum distance and for spread spectrum velocity profile measurement is provided where the short pulse of traditional ultrasonic and radar level gauges is replaced by low peak power direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) modulated energy. An echo sequence subtraction process is provided that increases the signal to noise ratio of each echo sequence thus increasing the dynamic range of the system. In addition to providing a higher signal to noise ratio (SNR), better precision and accuracy in ranging Doppler applications and the ability to use lower peak power transmissions, the system is more immune to interference from the environment and allows for less expensive and less bulky ultrasonic transducers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Inventor: Chester Wildey
  • Patent number: 7672194
    Abstract: The present invention provides a seismic surveying method in which vibrators in a first vibrator group are actuated at time T0 and vibrators in a second vibrator group are actuated at time T1, where T0<T1<T0+S1+L and S1 is the sweep time of the first group and L is the listening time. This method enables the time required to complete a seismic survey to be reduced. In other embodiments, vibrators in the first vibrator group may be actuated at time T2, where T1<T2<T1+S2+L and S2 is the sweep time of the first group, and vibrators in the second vibrator group at time T3 where T2<T3<T2+S1+L and T3?T2?T1?T0. Such embodiments providing that by appropriately combining the shot records noise may be eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: WesternGeco L.L.C.
    Inventor: Benjamin Peter Jeffryes
  • Publication number: 20100046324
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for processing data includes receiving a collection of traces corresponding to signals received over time at multiple locations due to reflection of seismic waves from subsurface structures. A measure of correlation among the traces as is computed a function of a set of wavefront parameters, which determine respective moveout corrections to be applied in aligning the traces. A matrix having at least three dimensions is generated, wherein the elements of the matrix include the computed measure of the correlation. Using the matrix, values of the wavefront parameters are identified automatically or interactively along the time axis or along selected horizons to maximize the measure of the correlation, and a seismic image of the subsurface structures is generated by aligning and integrating the traces using the moveout corrections that are determined by the identified values of the wavefront parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: GEOMAGE (2003) LTD
    Inventors: Alexander Berkovitch, Nathan Scharff, Igor Belfer
  • Patent number: 7660199
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems for microseismic hydraulic fracture monitoring in real-time. The methods and systems of the present invention may include continuous map migration of recorded microseismic signals. The methods and systems provide robust automated simultaneous detection and location of microseismic events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Julian Drew