US3581273A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Marine seismic exploration
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-11-10
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Granted: 1971-05-25
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Expires: 1989-11-10
Abstract
Abstract Continuous marine seismic explorations are carried out by providing echo detecting means with control means for maintaining the echo detecting means in fixed or predetermined positions and at spaced points in two dimensions of a horizontal plane, and by generating echo producing impulses at one or more spaced points located in fixed or predetermined relative positions with respect to each other and in said plane. In this way, a set of records may be obtained which define the seismic interfaces of the prospect under survey in two intersecting vertical planes. Thereafter, by producing successive sets of such records, quadratic surfaces in which the true inclinations of interfaces may be determined over an extended area are obtained in a single traverse thereof. At the same time, the accuracy of the records obtained is materially increased.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald M Hedberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 09:24
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01V; G01V1/00; G01V1/38; G01V1/3817; G01V1/3808
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
162 words
Equipment for use in marine seismic surveying, including a plurality of echo responsive elements; a vessel for towing said echo responsive elements; vehicle means associated with said echo responsive elements to maintain said echo responsive elements in a predetermined array, wherein said elements are spaced apart in two directions in a generally horizontal plane; said vehicle means operable to correct the positions of said echo responsive elements in response to signals transmitted between said vessel and said vehicle means; at least one impulse generating device located in a predetermined position with respect to said array and spaced apart in two directions from at least a portion of said echo responsive elements; and means for separately recording the echoes of each impulse generated by said device and received by said echo responsive elements as the separately resolved dominant reflections from points located in two distinct planes disposed at an angle to each other and positioned substantially vertically with respect to said horizontal plane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
162 words
Equipment for use in marine seismic surveying, including a plurality of echo responsive elements; a vessel for towing said echo responsive elements; vehicle means associated with said echo responsive elements to maintain said echo responsive elements in a predetermined array, wherein said elements are spaced apart in two directions in a generally horizontal plane; said vehicle means operable to correct the positions of said echo responsive elements in response to signals transmitted between said vessel and said vehicle means; at least one impulse generating device located in a predetermined position with respect to said array and spaced apart in two directions from at least a portion of said echo responsive elements; and means for separately recording the echoes of each impulse generated by said device and received by said echo responsive elements as the separately resolved dominant reflections from points located in two distinct planes disposed at an angle to each other and positioned substantially vertically with respect to said horizontal plane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein said echo responsive elements are arranged in at least two substantially straight lines in said common horizontal plane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein said echo responsive elements are arranged in two straight lines extending substantially at right angles to each other in sAid common horizontal plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein said echo responsive means are located in at least two parallel rows extending longitudinally of the direction of traverse of the area under survey.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
Equipment as defined in claim 1, wherein the echo responsive elements are so arranged and the reflections so recorded as to yield substantially parallel records sufficiently displaced in two directions of a horizontal plane to reveal any differences in travel time due to inclination of the strata beneath the area under survey.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein said vehicle means are connected to said impulse generating devices and echo responsive elements and are operable to maintain said devices and elements in substantially fixed and predetermined positions with respect to each other during traverse of said equipment over an area under survey.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
Equipment as defined in claim 6 wherein said vehicle means include paravanes having rudders, position indicating means are mounted on said paravanes, and rudder actuating means responsive to deviation of said position indicating means from said predetermined position are connected to said actuating means to correct such deviation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
Equipment as defined in claim 6 wherein said vehicle means include paravanes having rudders and provided with signal reflectors connected thereto, a source of signal impulses, and rudder actuating means responsive to deviation of said signal reflectors from predetermined positions with respect to said source of signal impulses to correct such deviation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced impulse generating devices are provided, and means are employed for successively actuating the same.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
Equipment as defined in claim 9 wherein means are provided for actuating said impulse generating devices successively to produce a separate record of the impulses received by said echo responsive elements from each of said impulse generating devices.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
Equipment as defined in claim 10 wherein means are provided for successively producing sets of records, each of which sets includes a record of of the echoes received by said echo responsive elements following the generation of an impulse by each of said impulse generating device.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for conducting marine seismic exploration comprising the steps: providing a plurality of echo responsive elements; arranging the echo responsive elements into a horizontally extending array, with the elements disposed in predetermined space relationship with respect to each other in two directions within the horizontal plane; towing the array of echo responsive elements over a surface to be explored by means of a vessel; maintaining the predetermined space relationship of the echo responsive elements by vehicle means; and maneuvering the vehicle means to correct any deviations of the positions of the echo responsive elements of the predetermined spaced relationship thereof.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for conducting marine seismic exploration comprising the steps: providing a plurality of echo responsive elements; arranging the echo responsive elements into a horizontally extending array, with the elements disposed in predetermined space relationship with respect to each other in two directions within the horizontal plane; towing the array of echo responsive elements over a surface to be explored by means of a vessel; maintaining the predetermined space relationship of the echo responsive elements by vehicle means; and maneuvering the vehicle means to correct any deviations of the positions of the echo responsive elements of the predetermined spaced relationship thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method as defined in claim 12 wherein a plurality of impulse generating means are employed and are actuated at successive intervals to produce a set of records indicating the characteristics of the area under survey in an orthogonal plane substantially normal to the predetermined direction of movement over said area.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-05-24 | 1974-11-23 | 1975-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-05-24 | 1978-11-23 | 1979-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-05-24 | 1982-11-23 | 1983-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |