Using an airgun array in a land reservoir as the seismic source for seismotectonic studies in northern China: experiments and preliminary results

This paper reports the field setup and preliminary results of experiments utilizing an airgun array in a reservoir in north China for a seismotectonic study. Commonly used in offshore petroleum resource exploration, the airgun source was found to be more useful than a traditional explosive source for large‐scale and long offset land seismic surveys. The airgun array, formed by four 1,500 in³ airguns (a total of 6,000 in³ in volume) was placed at a depth of 6–9 m into the reservoir to generate the pressure impulse. No direct evidence was found that the airgun source adversely affected the fish in the reservoir. The peak ground acceleration recorded on the top of the reservoir dam 100 m away was 17.8 gal in the horizontal direction; this is much less than the designed earthquake‐resistance threshold of 125 gal for this dam. The energy for one shot of this airgun array is about 6.68 MJ, equivalent to firing a 1.7 kg explosive. The seismic waves generated by the airgun source were recorded by receivers of the regional seismic networks and a temporary wide‐angle reflection and refraction profile formed by 100 short‐period seismometers with the maximum source‐receiver offset of 206 km. The seismic wave signature at these long‐offset stations is equivalent to that generated by a traditional blast source in a borehole with a 1,000–2,000 kg explosive. Preliminary results showed clear seismic phases from refractions from the multi‐layer crustal structures in the north China region. Forward modelling using numerical simulation confirms that the seismic arrivals are indeed from lower crustal interfaces. The airgun source is efficient, economical, environmentally friendly and suitable for being used in urbanized areas. It has many advantages over an explosive source for seismotectonic studies such as the high repeatability that is supreme for stacking to improve signal qualities. The disadvantage is that the source is limited to existing lakes or reservoirs, which may restrict experimental geometry.     

ATTENUATION OF COHERENT NOISE IN MARINE SEISMIC EXPLORATION USING VERY LONG ARRAYS *

The use of arrays to separate primary reflections from unwanted coherent seismic events is common practice in land seismic surveys. Very long source and receiver arrays have been used recently to reduce the effects of waterbottom multiples on marine seismic data. The source array consists of five uniformly spaced identical subarrays, each with five different airguns, where the distance between the subarrays may vary from 20 m56 m. The volume of each subarray is 10.3 1 (630 cu.in.) which gives a total volume of the array of 51.5 1 (3150 cu.in.) operated at a pressure of 14 MPa (2000 psi). In order to have a flexible receiver system it was decided to implement the extended receiver array in data processing by computing a weighted sum of two to five traces. The hydrophone cable consists of fifty-four channels with a group length of 50 m. Data shot with the superlong airgun array are processed by a combination of standard techniques and special procedures. In particular, the quality of the stack section is improved by using a weighted stack. The stack weights are computed by a program which takes into account the primary-to-multiple ratio. Comparisons with conventional data show significant improvements in data quality obtained by using the superlong airgun array. Examples show that the waterbottom multiples have been strongly attenuated and the deep seismic events have been enhanced. The combined array response function for dipping events is given in an appendix.     

大容量气枪震源特征及地震波传播的震相分析

利用大容量气枪震源在陆上水库进行地震波激发试验,研究陆上水库环境下激发气枪震源所产生的地震波特征及传播距离. 试验结果表明,大容量气枪震源是具有丰富的10 Hz以下低频信号的低频震源,其激发的地震波具有传播距离远,穿透深度深的特点. 在185 km长的测线上均记录到了气枪信号,成功检测到Pg,Pc,P2,PmP和Pn等多组震相,并在此基础上对地下深地壳结构进行了一维速度结构正演,讨论了该区域壳幔过渡带的低速结构. 气枪震源还具有一般炸药震源不具有的特征,如长期定点重复激发和有效转换S波的优点,是陆上进行长炮检距深穿透地下结构研究的一种优良人工震源.     

Characteristics of the Seismic Waves from a New Active Source Based on Methane Gaseous Detonation

Active seismic sources are critical for obtaining high resolution images of the subsurface. For active imaging in urban areas, environment friendly and green seismic sources are required. In present work, we introduce a new type of green active source based on the gaseous detonation of methane and oxygen. When fired in a closed container, the chemical reaction, i.e. gaseous detonation, will produce high pressure air over 150MPa. Seismic waves are produced when high pressure air is quickly released to impact the surroundings. The first field experiment of this active source was carried out in December, 2017 in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, where a series of active sources were excited to explore their potential in mine exploration. In current work, we analyzed the seismic waves recorded by near-field accelerators and a dense short-period seismic array and compared them with those from a mobile airgun source, another kind of active source by releasing high pressure air into water. The results demonstrate that it can be used for high resolution near surface imaging. Firstly, the gaseous detonation productions are harmless CO₂ and water, making it a green explosive source. Secondly, the dominant seismic frequencies are 10-80Hz and a single shot can be recorded up to 15km, making it suitable for local structure investigations. Thirdly, it can be excited in vertical wells, similar to traditional powder explosive sources. It can also act as an additional on-land active source to airgun sources, which requires a suitable water body as intermediate media to generate repeating signals. Moreover, the short duration and high frequency signature of the source signals make it safe with no damage to nearby buildings. These make it convenient to excite in urban areas. As a new explosive source, the excitation equipment and conditions, such as gas ratio, sink depth and air-releasing directions, need further investigation to improve seismic wave generation efficiency.     

Improving Airgun Signal Detection with Small-Aperture Seismic Array in Yunnan

Repeating airgun sources are eco-friendly sources for monitoring the changes in the physical properties of subsurface mediums, but their signals decay quickly and are buried in the noises soon after traveling short distances. Stacking waveforms from different airgun shots recorded by a single seismic station (shot stacking) is the most popular technique to detect weak signals from noisy backgrounds, and has been widely used to process the data of Fixed Airgun Signal Transmission Stations (FASTS) in China. However, shot stacking sacrifices the time resolution in monitoring to recover a qualified airgun signal by stacking many shots at distance stations, and also suffers from persistent local noises. In this paper, we carried out several small-aperture seismic array experiments around the Binchuan FAST Station (BCFASTS) in Yunnan Province,China, and applied the array technique to improve airgun signal detection. The results show that seismic array processing combining with shot stacking can suppress seismic noises more efficiently, and provide better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and coherent airgun signals with less airgun shots. This work suggests that the array technique is a feasible and promising tool in FAST to increase the time resolution and reduce noise interference on routine monitoring.     

Reliability Evaluation on Weak Signal Extraction for Airgun Source Surveys

Based on the data synthesis simulation and the actual processing of the airgun seismic source signal, three quantitative indicators of signal-to-noise ratio, waveform correlation coefficient and phase offset, are superimposed. We systematically evaluate the functions of the following three stack methods including linearity, phase weighting and S-transform in the extraction of weak signals under strong background noise and quantitatively estimate the reliability of the stack results. Through the comprehensive discussion of the above three methods of stack results, the preliminary comparative analysis believes that the linear stack signal-to-noise ratio is low, but the waveform distortion is minimal; the phase-weighted superimposed signal-to-noise ratio is high and the phase offset is small, but the results of the waveform quality and linear stack are larger than the deviation; the S-transform stack has a relatively higher signal-to-noise ratio and a small loss of waveform amplitude, but there is a certain phase shift phenomenon. It is therefore suggested that linear stack technology should be used when the requirements of both waveform quality and time precision are high. However, the selection of the stack method when the airgun source excitation is limited should be emphasized. If high fidelity is required, the S-transform stack method should be selected; if the required time is high, accuracy can be selected by phase-weighted stack method to achieve reasonable extraction of weak signals.     

气枪震源资料反褶积方法及处理流程研究

气枪震源具有极高的可重复性,可用于地下介质变化的监测。但不同工作条件下气枪震源产生的信号会存在细微差异,反褶积方法能在一定程度上消除由震源变化引起的记录信号变化。为了去除气枪震源子波信号,获取气枪源到台站之间的格林函数,通常需要选取一种恰当的方法对地震波形数据进行反褶积处理。频率域水准反褶积和时间域迭代反褶积是在接收函数等领域已被广泛使用的2种反褶积方法。本文以云南宾川主动源资料为例,对比了利用这2种方法处理气枪震源资料的效果,结果表明：在计算效率方面,频率域水准反褶积方法更具优势;在处理结果的信噪比方面,时间域迭代反褶积方法表现更好,P波初至也更清晰。此外,进一步讨论了在多炮资料的处理过程中反褶积和叠加等操作的顺序问题,最后提出了从气枪震源资料中提取气枪源到台站之间的格林函数的一般流程。     

甘肃祁连山大容量气枪主动源最大探测范围

叠加甘肃和青海数字测震台网记录到的甘肃祁连山大容量气枪连续激发的大量观测波形。结果显示,单次激发的气枪震源信号最远可以在距气枪震源304km的古浪台(GLT)识别,通过110次叠加的信号最远可以追踪到412km的安西台(AXX),4 600次叠加的信号最远可以在距气枪震源677km的乌图美仁台站(WTM)观测到。研究结果可为提高甘肃祁连山大容量气枪主动源观测系统的监测能力和微弱信号的提取能力,探讨祁连山区域内部介质速度变化等工作提供重要的科学意义。     

大容量气枪震源陆地反射地震探测技术

为了探索大容量气枪震源在探测区域结构以及在内陆水体进行水陆联测的可行性与有效性,2015年在安徽铜陵完成了长江航道走航激发、陆地接收反射波的“地学长江计划”铜陵段试验。本文从试验观测系统、共中心点分布、覆盖次数以及单炮数据属性等方面综合分析了大容量气枪震源陆地反射试验结果的影响因素。试验结果表明:① 大容量气枪震源在内陆水体激发能够用于地壳结构的探测;② 在水陆联测勘探中,根据目标层段合理设计反射角,能够有效地解决小炮检距反射角不足、大炮检距能量弱的问题;③ 在进行弯线数据采集时,需要对观测系统进行设计,以提高共中心面元的有效覆盖次数;④ 根据气枪震源容量的大小,进行最大、最小炮检距设计,是确保面元成像速度分析精度和面元炮检距属性分布合理的重要条件。      

气枪震源波形走时变化分析的反褶积处理

利用云南省宾川主动源基地周边10km范围内7个流动台站2017年2月气枪震源集中激发时段记录的气枪信号,使用干涉法计算了直接使用波形和将波形与参考台反褶积后的格林函数两种处理方法下气枪信号的走时变化。使用了气枪震源附近不同方位角的两个参考台的数据,以分析不同参考台对走时变化结果的影响。结果表明:反褶积能较为有效的压制气枪震源的时间、空间和频谱轻微不重复性导致的走时变化;反褶积能降低一些来源不明的伪走时变化;使用CKT2的数据反褶积的结果略优于CKT0,其可能原因是气枪阵列沿方位角的非均匀辐射。     

小当量激发的远距离信号检测研究

为了研究利用小当量震源进行远距离探测的可能性,通过现场试验进行了研究.野外实验采用1次大当量激发和16次小当量激发,研究结果表明：①有可能利用数十公斤当量的炸药实现200km距离的探测;②在激发条件相同（或相近）时,不同当量的激发波形滤波后存在一定的相似性;③依据人工震源可重复性采用以下的激发组合方式和处理方法能够有效提高信噪比：针对大当量激发与小当量激发波形的相似性,利用大当量激发的波形作模板与小当量激发的波形作相关,可判断台站是否接受到小当量激发的信号并检测其震相到时信息.针对小当量激发波形的相似性,采用小当量多次激发的方式,通过N次根加权叠加方法,能有效提高记录的信噪比和震相识别精度.     

TEST RESULTS OF A NEW TYPE OF EFFICIENT SMALL AIRGUN ARRAY*

Recently the author developed and demonstrated (Safar 1980) an efficient method for operating the airgun. The method involves the generation of a short seismic pulse from the pressure bubble pulses radiated by an airgun when fired several times at the same optimum depth but with different chamber pressures. The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the test results obtained when implementing the same method using a two-dimensional airgun array. The array consists of seven 0.65 liter airguns fired simultaneously at the same depth but with different chamber pressures. It is shown that the far-field pressure pulse radiated by the seven 0.65 liter airgun array is similar to that radiated by the Flexichoc seismic source. It is concluded that the proposed airgun array can be used as a subarray to form an extremely powerful super-long array suitable for deep seismic exploration. The author would like to thank the Chairman and Board of Directors of the British Petroleum Co. Ltd for permission to publish this paper. Thanks are also due to Mike Symes and Lovell Cox for carrying out the field tests and Seismograph Service (England) Ltd for providing the airguns.     

An Experimental Study on Modulating the Large Volume Airgun Array Signals through Asynchronous Excitation

Large volume airgun arrays have been widely used in exploring and monitoring underground structures for nearly a decade. Nowadays, large volume airgun arrays adopt the synchronous excitation mode, and source characteristics are controlled by the source signal of a single airgun, which to some extent limits its application. In order to realize the asynchronous excitation of the airgun array, we developed a new firing system for the airgun array, and carried out a field experiment in the Binchuan Fixed Airgun Signal Transmission station to study the influences of the asynchronous excitation on the source signal. The experimental results show that:the newly developed airgun array firing system can ignite the airguns according to the setting time series with high precision. By designing the excitation time series, the asynchronous excitation can enhance the energy of airgun source signal at 3-5Hz, and reduce the energy of pressure pulse wave at 6-18Hz. The signal detection capability of the asynchronous excitation with time series mode is equivalent to the synchronous excitation.     

不同激发环境下井中气枪震源特征研究

基于单枪容量为250in3的BHS-2200LL井中气枪,在内径0.2、5.0m不同激发井中开展了气枪震源特征对比分析,研究表明：①5.0m井中气枪激发产生的信号优势频率集中在10～40Hz,比在0.2m井中的低,这主要是由于较大水体利于气泡的震荡;②在能量方面,5.0m井中激发信号的能量强于0.2m井中的,幅度上相差1个数量级,单次激发的传播距离可达9km;③2种激发环境下产生的气枪信号都具有较好的重复性。     

利用固定台站分析长江激发气枪信号特征

“地学长江计划”安徽实验是以气枪震源为核心的大型主动源探测实验。通过在长江安徽段20个固定点定点激发气枪震源,结合109个固定台站、11条流动测线组成的观测网络,首次利用主动源实现了对长江流域安徽段约6万km2面积的三维地下结构探测。本文利用固定台站对长江激发气枪信号进行了分析,结果表明,长江中气枪信号激发效果良好,固定台记录中气枪信号可识别的最远距离达300km。对气枪信号绝对振幅的研究结果表明：① 50km处的气枪信号约为10nm量级,200km处的气枪信号小于1 nm;② 气枪信号强度的空间分布存在一定的方位各向异性,可能与长江的几何形状有关;③ 台站背景噪声对于提取气枪信号至关重要,高质量的固定台网为识别nm量级气枪信号提供了可能。     

Velocity/interface model building in a thrust belt by tomographic inversion of global offset seismic data

Between September and November 1999, two test seismic lines were recorded in the southern Apennine region of southern Italy using the global offset technique, which involves the acquisition of a wide offset range using two simultaneously active seismic spreads. One consisted of a symmetrical spread moving along the line, with geophone arrays every 30 m and a maximum offset of 3.6 km. The other one consisted of fixed geophone arrays every 90 m with a maximum offset of 18 km. This experimental acquisition project was carried out as part of the enhanced seismic in thrust belt (ESIT) research project, funded by the European Union, Enterprise Oil and Eni-Agip. An iterative and interactive tomographic inversion of refraction/reflection arrivals was carried out on the data from line ESIT700 to produce a velocity/interface model in depth, which used all the available offsets. The tomographic models allowed the reconstruction of layer interface geometries and interval velocities for the target carbonate platform (Apula) and the overburden sequence. The value of this technique is highlighted by the fact that the standard approach, based on near-vertical reflection seismic and a conventional processing flow, produced poor seismic images in both stack and migrated sections.     

Seismic airgun exploration of continental crust structures

The active sources generate seismic waves transmitting appropriate through the deep is underground key and can be used to image Abstract high-resolution subsurface structures.Therefore,an seismic source the factor to active source exploration.In order to study the structure of continental crust and its temporal variations,we selected an artificial seismic source generated from releasing air bubbles in water(airgun source hereinafter)out of a variety and of artificial sources like the is explosion,new electronic sparkers,source hammering,eccentric proven vibration,be heavy-duty train vibration,vibroseis etc.Airgun Three source Fixed a type of artificial that have been to environmentally friendly,safe,and highly efficient.Airgun western Signal China Transmission and Stations(FASTS)have been for built a few years ago in Yunnan,Xinjiang,and Gansu provinces in have been continuously them running several years.Seismic waves generated away by the the airgun sources are highly seismic reproducible waves and stacking in of can produce can good seismograms on 1300 stations km far from source,for instance,an produced Xinjiang FASTS be well about recorded 60 nearly away after 5000 stacking,China covering area of 6 million km2 and penetrating down to of a depth of km.Establishing about 10 FASTSs in would enable long-term illuminate continuous subsurface underground structures,monitoring can all 9.6 million km2 of land area.Treating from airgun sky active sources as lanterns to we achieve the situation with"Beidou surveys the and lantern illuminates underground".     

大容量气枪震源长江定点激发信号检测

地学长江计划“安徽段实验”是大容量气枪震源在长江的首次激发。本文针对布设在气枪固定激发点附近的流动台和周边固定台接收到的气枪信号进行线性叠加分析近场和远场信号的时频特性,利用叠加结果检测气枪信号的传播特性,分析不同环境因素对信号传播距离的影响。结果表明：①近岸首台可以接收到清晰的压力脉冲、气泡脉冲的体波和面波信号;②气枪信号主频为5Hz左右,随震中距的增加,压力脉冲信号衰减很快,信号主频频带变窄;③对信号传播距离进行初步检测,最近的传播距离为180km,最远共有3个激发点传播达到260km,夜晚激发信号传播距离较远。     

非纵弯线气枪震源陆地反射资料叠加成像

为探索大容量气枪震源在深部地震探测中的应用,2015年10月在安徽铜陵段开展气枪流动激发试验。该试验采用沿长江航道激发、岸边固定排列接收的工作方式,因受长江航道及江岸地形的影响,加上原始记录中干扰波发育、静校正问题突出等,基于常规的共中心点叠加的数据处理方法已不再适用。为此,开展了针对性的数据处理方法研究。本文采用初至波层析静校正、叠前多域多道集去噪以及非纵弯线共反射面元叠加等一系列处理技术,结果显示所获测线经过区域的深部构造叠加剖面较清晰。      

Imaging beneath an opaque basaltic layer using densely sampled wide-angle OBS data1

A combined reflection/refraction (wide-angle) seismic survey was conducted on the continental shelf north-west of Britain, using a conventional streamer with an airgun source, and static ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS) to record wide-angle energy. The shallow structure down to a basaltic layer was reasonably well imaged on the stacked reflection section. The basalts, however, proved to be opaque to the conventional reflection method and prevented the imaging of deeper horizons, where an important velocity inversion was anticipated. This paper reports on the processing, modelling and interpretation of the densely sampled wide-angle OBS data that were coincident with the reflection profile. Eleven OBS instruments were deployed along a 75 km line and recorded signal from a powerful 149 litre (9100 in.³) airgun array fired every 50 m. Data processing was performed using a standard industrial reflection seismic software package prior to first-arrival picking. Processing steps included geometry definition, trace summation and display of the data using various scaling algorithms. An initial model was constructed from 1D velocity-time profiles digitized every 4 km along the stacked section. First arrival traveltime modelling rapidly converged to a detailed model of the structure of the top 5 km of the crust. Modelling revealed the existence of a buried low-velocity Mesozoic sedimentary basin, of a prominent basement horst and of a normal fault penetrating to the basement.