The Ocean Bottom Cable Seismic System: Expanding Seismic Resolution in the Marine Shelf Environment

The ocean bottom cable method of seismic reflection date acquisition has long been used in shallow water and in areas densely populated by obstacles, where towed streamer marine vessel access is rendered risky or impossible (Rigsby, et ai, 1987). As production and drilling platform obstacles have moved to deeper and deeper water, the application of this method has moved with them. A seismic recording technique utilizing the Dual Senso......method (Barr, et ai, 1989) became required to achieve temporal resolution. This method demands doubling of conventional channel capacity. A distributed digital telemetry system provides the solution. The implementation of the initial production prototype of that system is described.