METHOD OF LAND SEISMIC EXPLORATION USING FLEXIBLE TUBES

1480250 Seismic charges WESTERN GEOPHYSICAL CO of AMERICA 4 July 1974 [5 July 1973] 29742/74 Heading F3A [Also in Divisions H4 and G1] A pressure transducer within a container filled with liquid explosive is buried in the the ground and is used to receive seismic waves. Thereafter, the transducer can be replaced by a detonator so that the explosive-filled container can be used as a seismic source without the need for a further burying operation. As shown, the container is a flexible tube 10 with, clamped in one end thereof, either an electrical detonator 22 (Fig. 1) or a hydrophone 24 (Fig. 2) in an adaptor piece 30. An exploration method is described (Figs. 3-5, not shown) in which an array of tubes is buried by means of a plough, the tubes are filled with liquid explosive before or after burial, at least one tube is used as a source while others act as receivers for recording reflected seismic waves, the hydrophone of at least one tube which has been used as a receiver is replaced by a detonator to create a further source, and so on.