Patent ID: 8885441
Filing Date: 2014-11-11
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A system that acquires seismic data having information relating to subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers from an acoustic signal that propagates into earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, comprising: a plurality of seismic data acquisition units that acquire and transmit the seismic data from the acoustic signal that propagates into the earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units comprising: the system further comprising: a control station; a geophone associated with each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; a plurality of concentrators, the plurality of concentrators being a different type of device than the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, one or more of the plurality of concentrators connected to a data communications cable; at least one of the plurality of concentrators in a wireless transmission range of at least one of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; wherein the plurality of seismic data acquisition units acquire the seismic data responsive to propagation of the acoustic signal into the earth and reflections of the acoustic signal by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, the seismic data including information relating to the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers; and the plurality of seismic data acquisition units transmit the seismic data to the control station via: the first of the plurality of concentrators transmits at least the first portion of the seismic data to the control station.