Wavefield generation using a seismic vibrator array

Abstract

Marine seismic vibrators in a marine seismic vibrator array for use in a seismic survey are activated to produce a source gradient wavefield to survey a target structure. The seismic survey may comprise a marine seismic survey conducted in a body of water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A marine seismic survey method comprising:
 activating one or more seismic vibrators in a seismic vibrator array to produce a source gradient wavefield for surveying a target structure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 activating one or more seismic vibrators in the seismic vibrator array to produce a monopolar source wavefield for surveying the target structure.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the producing of the source gradient wavefield and the producing of the monopolar wavefield are part of a pattern of monopolar source wavefields and source gradient wavefields produced in response to activating of seismic vibrators in the seismic vibrator array. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein activating the one or more seismic vibrators in the seismic vibrator array comprises activating volumetric seismic vibrators in the seismic vibrator array, the activating of the volumetric seismic vibrators causing at least two of the seismic vibrators to be not in phase, to produce the source gradient wavefield. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein activating the volumetric seismic vibrators in the seismic vibrator array comprises providing activation signals to the seismic vibrators in the seismic vibrator array, wherein a first output signal produced by one of the at least two volumetric seismic vibrators is out of phase with respect to a second output signal produced by another of the at least two volumetric seismic vibrators. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second output signals are in anti-phase. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second output signals have a phase difference whose cosine is less than zero. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 at a different time, activating the at least two volumetric seismic vibrators in the seismic vibrator array to be in-phase to produce an approximately monopolar source wavefield.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least two volumetric seismic vibrators are separated by a distance that is less than one-half of a shortest wavelength of interest in a direction of the source gradient wavefield. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the volumetric seismic vibrators in the seismic vibrator array are provided at a plurality of depths in a body of water, wherein volumetric seismic vibrators at a first of the plurality of depths emit at a first frequency, and volumetric seismic vibrators at a second of the plurality of depths emit at a second, different frequency. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a separation distance of the volumetric seismic vibrators is matched to a frequency range emitted at each depth level. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the volumetric seismic vibrators at the first depth are controlled to provide the source gradient wavefield and a monopolar source wavefield for different shots, and wherein the volumetric seismic vibrators at the second depth are controlled to provide just monopolar source wavefields for different shots. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 using monopolar source data acquired responsive to a monopolar source wavefield and source gradient data acquired responsive to the source gradient wavefield to perform deghosting.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 using monopolar source data acquired responsive to a monopolar source wavefield and source gradient data acquired responsive to the source gradient wavefield to perform multi-component imaging.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 using monopolar source data acquired responsive to a monopolar source wavefield and source gradient data acquired responsive to the source gradient wavefield to perform beyond Nyquist source reconstruction.   
     
     
         16 . A computer system comprising:
 at least one processor configured to:   control activation of marine seismic vibrators in a marine seismic vibrator array, the activating causing at least two of the marine seismic vibrators to be out-of-phase to produce a source gradient wavefield for surveying a target structure.   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:
 at a different time, control activation of the at least two marine seismic vibrators in the seismic vibrator array to be in-phase to produce a monopolar source wavefield.   
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least two marine seismic vibrators are separated by a distance that is between one-third and one-half of a shortest wavelength of interest in a direction of the source gradient wavefield. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:
 control phases of at least a subset of the marine seismic vibrators in the marine seismic vibrator array in different shots to provide residual noise reduction between successive shots.   
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:
 use monopolar source data acquired responsive to a monopolar source wavefield and source gradient data acquired responsive to the source gradient wavefield to perform one or more of deghosting, multi-component imaging, and cross-line source reconstruction.   
     
     
         21 . An article comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a system to:
 control activation of marine seismic vibrators in a marine seismic vibrator array, the activating causing at least two of the marine seismic vibrators to be out-of-phase to produce a source gradient wavefield for surveying a target structure.