Wide tow enabled by multicomponent marine seismic cable

Abstract

A technique for use in towed-array, marine seismic surveys includes a method and an apparatus. The method includes accessing a set of multicomponent seismic data acquired in a wide tow, marine seismic survey; and interpolating a set of seismic data from the acquired seismic data in the crossline direction such that the combined acquired and interpolated seismic data meet the discrete spatial sampling theory requirements for array detection of broadside seismic signal and the discrimination and suppression of broadside linear noise. In some aspects, the technique includes programmed storage media and/or programmed computers for use in executing such a method. The apparatus is a wide tow array, including a plurality of streamers spaced apart by a cable separation exceeding the maximum cable spacing for array detection of broadside seismic signal and the discrimination and suppression of broadside linear noise as determined by discrete spatial sampling theory.

1 . A method, comprising:
 accessing a set of multicomponent seismic data acquired in a wide tow, marine seismic survey; and   interpolating a set of seismic data from the acquired seismic data in the crossline direction such that the combined acquired and interpolated seismic data meet the discrete spatial sampling theory requirements for array detection of broadside seismic signal and the discrimination and suppression of broadside linear noise.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein accessing the acquired seismic data includes accessing a set of legacy multicomponent seismic data. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein accessing the acquired seismic data includes accessing a set of pressure and particle motion related data. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data includes intrapolating or extrapolating the crossline seismic data. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data includes interpolating and extrapolating the crossline seismic data. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the acquired multicomponent seismic data includes pressure data and particle motion related data. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data includes interpolating the crossline data to a position offset from the position at which the acquired data is acquired by approximately 110 m-160 m. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data includes interpolating the crossline data to a point intermediate two crossline positions at which seismic data is acquired from the seismic data acquired at those two crossline positions. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
 archiving the acquired data prior to accessing it; and   acquiring the acquired data.   
   
   
       10 . A program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method, the method comprising:
 accessing a set of multicomponent seismic data acquired in a wide tow, marine seismic survey; and   interpolating a set of seismic data from the acquired seismic data in the crossline direction such that the combined acquired and interpolated seismic data meet the discrete spatial sampling theory requirements for array detection of broadside seismic signal and the discrimination and suppression of broadside linear noise.   
   
   
       11 . The program storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein accessing the acquired seismic data in the method includes accessing a set of legacy multicomponent seismic data. 
   
   
       12 . The program storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein accessing the acquired seismic data in the method includes accessing a set of pressure and particle motion related data. 
   
   
       13 . The program storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data in the method includes intrapolating or extrapolating the crossline seismic data. 
   
   
       14 . The program storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data in the method includes interpolating and extrapolating the crossline seismic data. 
   
   
       15 . The program storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the acquired multicomponent seismic data includes pressure data and particle motion related data. 
   
   
       16 . The program storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data in the method includes interpolating the crossline data to a position offset from the position at which the acquired data is acquired by approximately 110 m-160 m. 
   
   
       17 . The program storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data in the method includes interpolating the crossline data to a point intermediate two crossline positions at which seismic data is acquired from the seismic data acquired at those two crossline positions. 
   
   
       18 . A computing apparatus, comprising:
 a computing device;   a bus system; and   a storage communicating with the computing device over the bus system,; and   a software application residing on the storage that, when invoked by the computing device, performs a method comprising:
 accessing a set of multicomponent seismic data acquired in a wide tow, marine seismic survey; and 
 interpolating a set of seismic data from the acquired seismic data in the crossline direction such that the combined acquired and interpolated seismic data meet the discrete spatial sampling theory requirements for array detection of broadside seismic signal and the discrimination and suppression of broadside linear noise. 
   
   
   
       19 . The computing apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein accessing the acquired seismic data in the method includes accessing a set of legacy multicomponent seismic data. 
   
   
       20 . The computing apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein accessing the acquired seismic data in the method includes accessing a set of pressure and particle motion related data. 
   
   
       21 . The computing apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data in the method includes intrapolating or extrapolating the crossline seismic data. 
   
   
       22 . The computing apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data in the method includes interpolating and extrapolating the crossline seismic data. 
   
   
       23 . The computing apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the acquired multicomponent seismic data includes pressure data and particle motion related data. 
   
   
       24 . The computing apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data in the method includes interpolating the crossline data to a position offset from the position at which the acquired data is acquired by approximately 110 m-160 m. 
   
   
       25 . The computing apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein interpolating the crossline seismic data in the method includes interpolating the crossline data to a point intermediate two crossline positions at which seismic data is acquired from the seismic data acquired at those two crossline positions. 
   
   
       26 . A method, comprising:
 deploying a wide tow array;   towing the wide tow array across a survey area in a predetermined pattern; and   acquiring multicomponent seismic data with the wide tow array as it is towed.   
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein deploying the wide tow array includes deploying an array of streamers with a maximum cable separation of approximately 110 m -approximately 160 m. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein deploying the wide tow array includes deploying a plurality of streamers, each streamer further comprising a plurality of acoustic sensors and a plurality of particle motion sensors distributed along a cable. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising deploying a seismic source. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein acquiring the multicomponent seismic data includes acquiring pressure data and particle motion related data. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 accessing the multicomponent seismic data; and   interpolating a set of seismic data from the acquired seismic data in the crossline direction such that the combined acquired and interpolated seismic data meet the discrete spatial sampling theory requirements for array detection of broadside seismic signal and the discrimination and suppression of broadside linear noise.   
   
   
       32 . A wide tow array, comprising a plurality of streamers spaced apart by a cable separation exceeding the maximum cable spacing for array detection of broadside seismic signal and the discrimination and suppression of broadside linear noise as determined by discrete spatial sampling theory. 
   
   
       33 . The wide tow array of  claim 32 , wherein at least one streamer further comprises:
 a cable;   a plurality of acoustic sensors distributed along the length of the cable;   a plurality of particle motion sensors distributed along the length of the cable, each particle motion sensor being co-located with a respective one of the acoustic receivers;   a plurality of positioning devices; and   a plurality of position determining devices.   
   
   
       34 . The wide tow array of  claim 32 , wherein the cable separation is approximately 110 m-approximately 160 m.