RU2427860C1 - Complex for towing outboard seismic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mining engineering.

SUBSTANCE: towed outboard seismic equipment consists of vessel with hull, deck, vessel bottom and stem end. The stem end is equipped with a stem transom and seismic winches whereto seismic facilities are connected. The seismic facilities correspond to seismographic braids and lines of seismic pneumatic sources. Also, in the vessel hull between the deck and the bottom there are narrow long hollow spaces designed for paying out seismic equipment through them beyond boundaries of the vessel hull beneath a lower edge of floating ice and having ends on two sides, ones of which are located on the stem transom of the stem end below waterline and are communicated with outside water, others are positioned in the vessel hull. There are narrow long hollow spaces in the stem end of the vessel hull made in form of tubular channels for each seismographic braid and each line of seismic pneumatic sources. Ends of tubular channels in the vessel hull are arranged above waterline. Ends of tubular channels at the stem transom are arranged at different levels by height of the latter. The complex is equipped with driven rolls to direct seismographic braids and lines of seismic pneumatic sources into the tubular channels. Hawses comprising ends of the tubular channels installed in the stem end of the vessel hull are made on the vessel deck. Ends of the tubular channels have bells. The seismic winches with the seismic equipment are mounted on the vessel deck.

EFFECT: operational reliability of seismic equipment, simplification and compactness of complex and considerable reduction of expenditures for re-equipment of vessel for complex of seismic prospecting at operation in water area covered with ice.

5 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of marine seismic exploration, and in particular to devices and complexes designed for towing seismic equipment in water areas with ice cover.

A device is known for towing seismography of a streamer in seas with ice cover, comprising a towing vessel with a seismic winch, an input cable, a seismographic streamer, an end body and a towed protective line covering the input cable and consisting of profiled fairings placed with a clearance on the load-carrying cable between the rigidly supporting couplings fixed on it (see ed. St. USSR No. 1744660 for the invention “A device for towing a seismographic streamer in seas with ice cover.” IPC (5) G01V 1/38. Claimed 05/30/90, published on 06/30/92, bull. No. 2 4. Applicants - Research Institute of Marine Geophysics, Soyuzmorgeo Production Association and Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute).

The known device is quite bulky. In addition, it does not provide reliable protection of the seismographic streamer in water areas with ice cover, since the entrance of the towed protective line occurs directly from the stern into the water at the waterline level, which does not exclude the contact of the towed protective line with floating ice, and therefore its damage is possible.

In addition, there is no protection against collision with ice of the seismic line of pneumatic sources when placed in water areas with ice cover.

As a result of this, this device is not characterized by high operational efficiency during seismic exploration in water areas with ice cover.

A known complex for towing outboard seismic equipment, containing a vessel, winches and input cables, which are connected to seismic equipment made in the form of a seismographic streamer and a line of seismic pneumatic sources, protective covers, each of which is made in the form of a hollow cylinder, covering with a gap a seismographic streamer and a seismic line pneumatic sources, the lower edge of which in the working position is located below the lower edge of the floating ice and equipped with guides for the possibility of movement in the mine, in the central part of the ship’s hull in the bottom in the hold area in width from starboard to port and in height above the waterline (see RF patent No. 2317572 for the invention “Complex for towing outboard seismic equipment.” IPC (2006.01) G01V 1/38. 05/19/2006, published 02/20/2008 Patent holder - OJSC “Murmansk Shipping Company”).

The well-known complex allows seismic exploration in water areas with ice cover. However, it is structurally complex, bulky, and requires large expenses for re-equipment of the vessel for the complex for seismic exploration.

In view of the placement of seismic equipment into the sea through a shaft located in the central part of the ship’s hull, there is always a risk during seismic exploration that a seismographic streamer and a seismic line of pneumatic sources fall under a working propeller, which invariably leads to failure of expensive seismic equipment.

As a result of this, this device is not characterized by high operational efficiency during seismic exploration in water areas with ice cover.

An analysis of the information selected during the search revealed the closest complex for towing outboard seismic equipment, containing a vessel, seismic winches with seismic equipment, a tunnel made in the ship’s hull between the bottom and deck along each side and located parallel to the ship’s diametrical plane below the waterline, connected with sea water , mines installed in the hold of the vessel from each side, the upper edge of which is higher than the waterline, and communicated with tunnels with the formation of a single space TV, made with the possibility of servicing them and allowing seismic equipment to be drained through them outside the hull below the lower edge of floating ice, transport tracks laid in tunnels, and movable platforms installed in the latter (see RF patent No. 65250 for utility model “Outboard towing complex seismic equipment ”, announced on March 29, 2007, published on July 27, 2007. IPC (2006.01) G01V 1/38. Patent holder - OJSC“ Murmansk Shipping Company ”- prototype).

The well-known complex allows seismic exploration in water areas with ice cover. However, it is structurally complex, bulky, and requires large expenses for re-equipment of the vessel for the complex for seismic exploration. In addition, it is not reliable due to the large number of moving parts of the complex.

As a result of this, this device is not very efficient in seismic exploration in water areas with ice cover.

Thus, the known devices for towing seismic equipment, used for marine seismic surveys in water areas with ice cover, are characterized by insufficiently high efficiency of their operation.

The technical solution of the complex for towing outboard seismic equipment, claimed as an invention, allows to achieve a new technical result - increasing the operational efficiency of the complex by increasing the operational reliability of the seismic equipment, simplifying and compacting the complex and reducing the cost of re-equipping the vessel for a complex for seismic exploration when operating in ice-covered areas.

The following set of essential features characterizes the essence of the proposed technical solution as an invention and contributes to the achievement of a new technical result.

A complex for towing an outboard seismic equipment, comprising a vessel having a hull with a deck, bottom and aft end, with a stern transom, seismic winches connected to seismic equipment made in the form of seismographic streamers and seismic pneumatic source lines located in the ship’s hull between the deck and the bottom long hollow spaces for bleeding seismic equipment through them beyond the hull below the lower edge of floating ice, having ends on both sides, one of which is located wounded on the aft transom of the aft end below the waterline and communicated with outboard water, others of which are located in the ship's hull, characterized in that the narrow long hollow spaces are located in the aft end of the ship's hull and made in the form of pipe channels for each seismographic streamer and each seismic line pneumatic sources, the ends of the pipe channels located in the hull of the vessel are installed above the waterline, other ends located on the aft transom are installed at different levels in height of the last go.

The achievement of the technical result is also facilitated by the fact that it is equipped with rollers made with drives for guiding seismographic streamers and lines of seismic pneumatic sources into pipe channels.

To achieve a technical result, gaps were made on the deck of the ship to accommodate the ends of the pipe channels installed in the aft end of the ship's hull.

The result is achieved by the fact that the ends of the pipe channels are provided with sockets.

To achieve the result, seismic winches with seismic equipment are installed on the deck of the vessel.

So, the analysis of the revealed information about the current level of technology in the field of marine seismic exploration and the essence of the proposed invention have shown that the proposed technical solution of the complex for towing outboard seismic equipment meets the patentability criterion of "novelty".

The location in the ship’s hull between the deck and the bottom of long narrow hollow spaces to clear seismic equipment through the ship’s hull below the lower edge of the floating ice, with ends on both sides, one of which is located on the aft transom of the aft end below the waterline and connected with sea water, others of which are located in the hull of the vessel, allows for the installation of outboard seismic equipment through the specified narrow long hollow spaces in sea areas with ice cover vom, avoiding collisions of seismic equipment with ice.

The location of long narrow hollow spaces in the aft end of the ship's hull and their implementation in the form of pipe channels for each seismographic streamer and each line of seismic pneumatic sources can significantly simplify the design and minimize the cost of re-equipping the vessel for a complex for towing outboard seismic equipment.

In addition, the etching of seismographic streamers and lines of seismic pneumatic sources occurs separately from each other through its pipe channel, which prevents their entanglement.

The establishment of the ends of pipe channels located in the hull of the vessel above the waterline, and other ends located on the aft transom of the aft end and connected with the outboard water, below the waterline, makes it quite simple, by the method of self-propulsion, to push the seismic equipment overboard below the lower edge of the floating on the surface of the water area ice, thereby ensuring reliable protection of seismic equipment against collision with ice both during bleeding and during seismic exploration.

The establishment of the ends of the pipe channels located on the aft transom at different levels in height of the latter allows to minimize the use of the space of the aft end of the hull for seismic equipment, simplify the design and ensure the compactness of the complex for towing outboard seismic equipment.

This, together with other features contributes to the achievement of a technical result.

Providing the complex with rollers made with drives for guiding seismographic streamers and lines of seismic pneumatic sources ensures the direction of each streamer and each line into its own pipe channel and facilitates the process of seismic equipment release into the sea area due to the rotational movement of the rolls, which creates pulling and pushing forces.

In addition, this eliminates the possible confusion of streamers and lines during the seeding of seismic equipment into the sea.

Fulfillment of cluses on the deck of the ship to accommodate the ends of the pipe channels installed in the aft end of the hull of the ship ensures the reliability of the fastening of these ends on the deck of the ship.

The supply of the ends of the pipe channels with sockets ensures reliability, strength and safety of the complex design by preventing destructive collision of the seismic equipment with the sharp edges of the pipe channels, as well as staff.

The installation of seismic winches with seismic equipment on the deck of the vessel can simplify the design and minimize the cost of re-equipment of the vessel under the complex for towing outboard seismic equipment.

Thus, the proposed set of essential features provides a technical result in all cases to which the requested amount of legal protection applies.

During the search by the applicant for information in the field of marine seismic and shipbuilding, certain distinctive features of the claimed invention were discovered: the presence of through slots made in the ship’s hull from the sides between the bottom and deck parallel to the ship’s diametrical plane (see, for example, Aut. St. USSR No. 783114 for the invention “Aft end of a technical fleet”, IPC B63B 35/02), the presence of tunnels made along the sides of the vessel parallel to the diametrical plane (see RF patent No. 65250 for a utility model "Complex for towing outboard seysmooborudovaniya").

However, the form of execution, the functional relationships are different, in addition, the set of essential features of the invention, contributing to the achievement of a new technical result, and its effect on the latter is not found from the existing level of technology.

It is the combination of essential distinguishing features that makes it possible to obtain a new technical result - increasing the operational efficiency of the complex by increasing the operational reliability of seismic equipment, simplifying and compacting the complex, and reducing the cost of re-equipping a vessel for a complex for seismic exploration when operating in ice-covered waters.

Therefore, the present invention has such a patentability criterion as "inventive step".

The invention is illustrated using the drawings, where

figure 1 shows a complex for towing outboard seismic equipment, side view;

figure 2 is the same, a top view;

figure 3 is the same view of the stern;

figure 4 is the same, view a from figure 1.

The complex for towing outboard seismic equipment (see Figs. 1, 2, 4) comprises a vessel 1 having a hull with deck 2, bottom 3 and aft tip 4, having aft transom 5, and seismic winches 6 for seismographic streamers 7, winches 8 for lines of 9 seismic pneumatic sources.

Seismic equipment is a seismographic streamer 7, line 9 of seismic pneumatic sources (sound wave sources), as well as the necessary peripheral equipment (depth control, means to maintain buoyancy of seismographic streamers, devices to maintain the distance between the streamers). This is standard seismic equipment, for example, SEAL seismic streamers with a length of 6000 m each from SERCEL (France), and the BOLT line of pneumatic sources from Bolt Technology Corporation (USA).

In the aft end 4 of the ship’s hull 1 between the bottom 3 and deck 2 there are narrow long hollow spaces for bleeding seismic equipment through them outside the ship’s hull 1 below the lower edge of the floating ice 10 (see figures 1, 4).

Narrow long hollow spaces are made in the form of pipe channels 11 for seismographic streamers 7 and pipe channels 13 for lines 9 of seismic pneumatic sources.

The ends 12 of the pipe channels 11 for braids 7 and the ends 14 of the pipe channels 13 for lines 9 of the pneumatic sources are located in the aft end 4 of the hull 1 of the vessel above the waterline 15.

The pipe channels 11 and 13 are made of shipbuilding steel, lined with fluoroplastic inside to prevent damage and reduce the friction of seismic equipment during the bleeding process.

On deck 2 of vessel 1, clams 16 are made to accommodate the ends 12 of the pipe channels 11 installed in the aft end 4 of the vessel 1.

Similarly, on the lower deck 17 of the vessel 1, clams 18 are made to accommodate the ends 14 of the pipe channels 13 installed in the aft end 4 of the vessel 1 for lines 9 of seismic pneumatic sources.

The ends 19 (see FIGS. 3, 4) of the channels 11 and the ends 20 of the channels 13 located on the aft transom 5 are installed below the water line 15, are in communication with sea water and at different levels along the height of the aft transom 5.

All ends 12, 14, 19 and 20 of the pipe channels 11 and 13 are equipped with sockets (not shown), which ensures reliability, strength and safety of the complex structure by preventing destructive interaction of seismic equipment with the sharp edges of the pipe channels 11 and 13.

The complex is equipped with rollers 21 (see figures 1, 2, 4) for seismographic streamers 7 and rollers 22 for lines 9 of seismic pneumatic sources. The rolls 21 and 22 are provided with drives (not shown) that allow them to rotate.

The rolls 21 and 22 direct the seismic equipment into the pipe channels 11 and 13 and facilitate the process of seismic equipment being poured into water under ice due to the rotational movement, which creates pulling and pushing forces.

Seismic streamers 7 are made with end bodies 23 necessary to prevent tangling of streamers 7 during seismic surveys.

In the stowed position seismic equipment, streamers 7 and lines 9, are wound on the corresponding seismic winches 6 and 8. The winches are installed on deck 2.

The proposed utility model works as follows.

Factory-made pipe channels 11 and 13 are installed in the aft end 4 between decks 2, 17 and the bottom 3 of the vessel 1, which is selected as the vessel for seismic exploration.

On deck 2 of the vessel 1, clams 16 are made to accommodate the ends 12 of the pipe channels 11 installed in the ship's hull 1.

Similarly, on the lower deck 17 of the vessel 1, closures 18 are made to accommodate the ends 14 installed in the hull of the vessel 1 of the pipe channels 13 for lines 9 of seismic pneumatic sources.

Such an installation requires low costs for the re-equipment of the vessel for a complex for seismic exploration during operation in water areas with ice cover.

Install seismic winches 6 and 8 and carry out all the necessary technological preparatory operations for seismic exploration.

The installation of seismic equipment, seismographic streamers 7 and seismic lines 9 of the pneumatic sources in the sea area is carried out by seeding, respectively, from seismic winches 6, 8 through driven in rotational movement drives rollers 21, 22 and pipe channels 11, 13.

The placement of the pipe channels 11, 13 in the aft end 4 of the hull of the vessel 1 provides compactness and simplicity of the complex in maintenance, low costs for the conversion of the vessel for the complex.

The location of the ends 12 of the pipe channels 11 for the braids 7 and the ends 14 of the pipe channels 13 for the lines 9 of the pneumatic sources in the aft end 4 of the hull 1 above the water line 15, and the ends 19 of the channels 11 and the ends 20 of the channels 13 located on the aft transom 5 and communicated with the outboard water below the waterline 15, allows you to lower the seismic equipment in the sea below the lower edge of the floating ice 10 directly from the hull 1 and place it at a depth of 6-7 meters below the sea surface. This eliminates collisions of seismic equipment with floating ice 10.

After the seismic equipment, seismographic streamers 7 and lines 9 of the seismic pneumatic sources are released, the end sections of the latter are located in the pipe channels 11, 13, also avoiding the possibility of ice damage during the seismic survey.

Then, seismic surveys are carried out at sea with ice cover, while ensuring high reliability of all seismic equipment from damage.

After completion of the seismic survey, seismographic streamers 7 and lines 9 of the pneumatic sources through pipe channels 11, 13 are selected on deck 2 and wound on seismic winches 6, 8. Equipment is also lifted on seismographic streamers 7 and pneumatic emitters on lines 9.

Thus, as a result of the application of the claimed complex, a new technical result is achieved - increasing the operational efficiency of the complex by increasing the operational reliability of seismic equipment, simplifying and compacting the complex, and reducing the cost of re-equipping a vessel for a complex for seismic exploration when operating in ice-covered waters.

Therefore, the proposed utility model meets the patentability criterion of "industrial applicability".

In the Murmansk Shipping Company, a feasibility study has been developed for the conversion of the Ivan Papanin type dry-cargo ice-going vessel into a research vessel (NIS) for seismic exploration. The pre-design feasibility study confirmed the high technical and economic performance of the vessel as a NIS for seismic exploration of oil and gas on the shelf of the northern seas in ice conditions.

Claims (5)

1. A complex for towing outboard seismic equipment, comprising a vessel having a hull with a deck, bottom and aft end, with a stern transom, seismic winches connected to seismic equipment made in the form of seismographic streamers and lines of seismic pneumatic sources located in the hull between the deck and the bottom is narrow long hollow spaces for discharging seismic equipment through them beyond the hull below the lower edge of floating ice, with ends on both sides, one of which is located laid on the aft transom of the aft end below the waterline and communicated with outboard water, others are located in the hull of the vessel, characterized in that the narrow long hollow spaces are located in the aft end of the hull of the vessel and made in the form of pipe channels for each seismographic streamer and each line of seismic pneumatic sources, the ends of the pipe channels located in the hull of the vessel are installed above the waterline, the other ends located on the aft transom are installed at different levels in height of the latter. 2. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with rollers made with drives for guiding seismographic streamers and lines of seismic pneumatic sources into the pipe channels. 3. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that on the deck of the vessel there are gaps for accommodating the ends of the pipe channels installed in the aft end of the ship's hull. 4. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that the ends of the pipe channels are provided with sockets. 5. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that the seismic winches with seismic equipment are installed on the deck of the vessel.

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