Seismic cable with adjustable buoyancy

摘要

A method and apparatus for a seismic cable is described. In one embodiment, a method for performing a seismic survey in a water column is described. The method comprises providing a length of flexible cable from a cable storage device disposed on a vessel to a cable handling device adjacent the cable storage device. The flexible cable comprises a specific gravity that is greater than a specific gravity of water in the water column. The method further comprises routing the flexible cable to pass adjacent a workstation disposed on the vessel, deploying a free end of the flexible cable into the water column, attaching at least one of a plurality of seismic sensor units to the cable as the cable passes the workstation, and controlling the motion of the vessel and the rotational speed of the cable handling device to allow the flexible cable to rest on the bottom of the water column.

主权项

1. A method for performing a seismic survey in a body of water, the method comprising:
providing a length of flexible cable from a cable storage device disposed on a vessel to a cable handling device, wherein the flexible cable comprises a plurality of discrete cable segments coupled by a connector that prevents transmission of power and data signals between adjacent cable segments; routing the flexible cable to pass adjacent a workstation disposed on the vessel; deploying a free end of the flexible cable into a body of water; attaching at least one of a plurality of seismic sensor units to the cable as the cable passes the workstation; and controlling a motion of the vessel and a rotational speed of the cable handling device to allow the flexible cable to rest on a surface below the body of water.