US 11,754,738 B2
Method and node deployer for seismic surveys
Karsten Dons, Kongsberg (NO); John Emil Halden, Kongsberg (NO); and Nils Halvor Heieren, Oslo (NO)
Assigned to MAGSEIS FAIRFIELD ASA, Lysaker (NO)
Filed by MAGSEIS AS, Lysaker (NO)
Filed on Feb. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/792,376.
Application 16/792,376 is a continuation of application No. 15/518,783, granted, now 10,620,333, previously published as PCT/NO2015/050197, filed on Oct. 24, 2015.
Claims priority of application No. 20141275 (NO), filed on Oct. 24, 2014; and application No. 20151440 (NO), filed on Oct. 23, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2020/0191987 A1, Jun. 18, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01V 1/38 (2006.01); B63C 11/40 (2006.01)
CPC G01V 1/3852 (2013.01) [G01V 1/3808 (2013.01); G01V 1/3843 (2013.01); B63C 11/40 (2013.01); G01V 2210/1427 (2013.01)] 32 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for seismic survey by autonomous seismic nodes at a sea floor, comprising:
attaching the autonomous seismic nodes to a rope, wherein each of the autonomous seismic nodes comprises a recording unit, a memory for storing seismic signals, and a power source, and wherein the autonomous seismic nodes are detachably connected to the rope;
loading the rope with the autonomous seismic nodes into a magazine so that the rope with the autonomous seismic nodes is loosely packed in the magazine essentially without supporting structure to minimize a packing volume;
loading the magazine into a node deployer;
lowering the node deployer into the sea;
towing the node deployer above the sea floor;
deploying the rope with the autonomous seismic nodes at the sea floor from the magazine by two rollers driven by a motor arranged to pull the rope out of the magazine at a speed greater than a speed of a vessel;
collecting seismic data by the autonomous seismic nodes;
retrieving the rope with the autonomous seismic nodes from the sea floor by the two rollers driven by a motor arranged to pull the rope into the magazine, wherein the two rollers are configured to move an equal distance in opposite directions to allow a node to pass between them;
detaching the autonomous seismic nodes from the rope; and
unloading seismic data from the autonomous seismic nodes.