Development of a high-resolution deep-towed multi-channel seismic exploration system: Kuiyang ST2000

Abstract

When the traditional sea surface towed multi-channel seismic technology is applied to the deep-water stratum exploration, the Fresnel radius of the target stratum is large due to the large-depth water bodies, greatly reducing the horizontal resolution. Hence, it is difficult to achieve high-resolution exploration with the traditional technology and cannot meet the requirements for high-precision exploration and orebody description of such deep-water seabed resources as natural gas hydrate (NGH). The near-seabed deep-towed seismic exploration technology was proposed to solve this problem. This paper introduces a set of high-resolution deep-towed seismic system being developed in China, Kuiyang ST2000. The remarkable difference between the equipment and foreign counterpart is that this equipment uses a deep-towed sparker instead of a resonator source. We systematically describes the system composition of the deep-towed system, and primarily discusses the technical design of the deep-towed sparker which can still have relatively large stratum penetration depth in deep-water and high-static-pressure environment. In addition, we also introduces the unique continuous acquisition technology possessed by the system. At present, the experiment of 2000 m deep-water depth has been carried out for this system, and the experimental and related data processing results show that this equipment has had fundamental functions. Several deep-water experiments will be carried out in the next step.