`
`EX. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`
`
`PETROLEUM GEO-SERVICES INC.
`Petitioner
`v.
`
`WESTERNGECO LLC
`Patent Owner
`
`
`
`CASE IPR: Unassigned
`Patent 7,162,520 B2
`
`
`DECLARATION OF DR. BRIAN EVANS, PhD.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`I.
`II.
`III.
`IV.
`
`V.
`VI.
`
`INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1
`QUALIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................2
`COMPENSATION AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE PARTIES .......................................7
`LEGAL STANDARDS .......................................................................................................8
`A.
`Claim Construction ..................................................................................................8
`B.
`Anticipation..............................................................................................................8
`C.
`Obviousness .............................................................................................................9
`D.
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art ..........................................................................9
`SUMMARY OF OPINION ...............................................................................................10
`TECHNICAL BACKGROUND ........................................................................................11
`A.
`Overview of Marine Seismic Surveying ................................................................11
`1.
`Marine Seismic Surveying Equipment ......................................................11
`2.
`Collecting Data In a Marine Seismic Survey .............................................13
`3.
`Planning a Marine Seismic Survey ............................................................16
`Streamer Steering Overview ..................................................................................19
`1.
`Problems Encountered in Marine Seismic Data Acquisition .....................19
`a.
`In-filling .........................................................................................19
`b.
`Irregular Spatial Sampling .............................................................20
`c.
`Streamer Tangling ..........................................................................23
`d.
`Turning ...........................................................................................23
`e.
`Streamer Noise ...............................................................................28
`Keeping Streamers Straight and Parallel is the Optimal Solution to
`Marine Seismic Data Acquisition Problems ..............................................32
`Streamer Steering Can be Used to Keep Streamers Straight and
`Parallel .......................................................................................................33
`Streamer Positioning Devices to Implement Streamer Steering ................35
`Control Systems for Streamer Positioning Devices ...................................36
`Computerized Control Systems to Control Streamer Positioning
`Devices .......................................................................................................40
`Advances in Steamer Positioning in the 1980s and 1990s ....................................44
`1.
`Rouquette, U.S. Patent No. 5,200,930 .......................................................48
`2.
`Elholm, U.S. Patent No. 5,532,975 ............................................................49
`3.
`The ‘636 PCT, WO 98/28636 ....................................................................51
`4.
`Dolengowski, U.S. Patent No. 4,890,568 ..................................................53
`5.
`Workman, U.S. Patent No. 5,790,472........................................................56
`6.
`Bertheas, PCT/FR97/00263 & U.S. Patent No. 6,144,342 ........................58
`Four Dimensional Seismic Surveying ...................................................................61
`D.
`VII. THE ’520 PATENT ...........................................................................................................66
`A.
`Brief Description of the Relevant File History ......................................................66
`B.
`Relevant Time Frame for Analysis of the ’520 Patent ..........................................67
`C.
`The Specification of the ’520 Patent ......................................................................67
`D.
`Admitted Prior Art in the ’520 Patent ....................................................................69
`VIII. DETAILED OPINION ......................................................................................................71
`A.
`The Challenged Claims of the ’520 Patent ............................................................71
`
`B.
`
`C.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`5.
`6.
`
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`b.
`
`Apparatus Claims: Claims 18-20 and 22-34 ..............................................71
`1.
`Method Claims: Claims 1-3 and 5-17 ........................................................73
`2.
`Construction of Relevant Claim Terms .................................................................75
`1.
`“streamer positioning device” ....................................................................76
`2.
`“control system” .........................................................................................77
`3.
`“feather angle mode” .................................................................................78
`4.
`“turn control mode” ...................................................................................81
`5.
`“streamer separation mode” .......................................................................83
`6.
`“attempting to maximize distance between adjacent streamers” ...............89
`7.
`“a control system configured to use a control mode selected from a
`feather angle mode, a turn control mode, a streamer separation
`mode, and two or more of these modes” (Claim 18) .................................90
`The Feather Angle Mode Claims (Claims 3, 5, 20, and 22) of the ’520
`Patent are Obvious over Workman ........................................................................93
`1.
`Claims 18 and 19 .......................................................................................94
`“An apparatus comprising: (a) an array of streamers each
`a.
`having a plurality of streamer positioning devices there
`along;” ............................................................................................94
`“(b) a control system configured to use a control mode”
`“wherein the control mode is the feather angle mode, and
`the controlling comprises the control system attempting to
`keep each streamer in a straight line offset from a towing
`direction by a feather angle” ..........................................................96
`1)
`Workman Discloses a Control System ..............................97
`2)
`It would have been obvious to configure
`Workman’s control system to use a feather angle
`mode that “comprises the control system attempting
`to keep each streamer in a straight line offset from
`the towing direction by a feather angle” ............................98
`Motivation 1: Maintaining Data Quality.................................................104
`Motivation 2: Avoiding Obstacles ..........................................................110
`Motivation 3: 4D Surveying ...................................................................112
`Implementation of Feather Angle Modes By Using or Adapting
`Workman..................................................................................................113
`Claim 20 ...................................................................................................119
`6.
`Claim 22 ...................................................................................................121
`7.
`Claims 3 and 5 .........................................................................................123
`8.
`The Feather Angle Mode Claims (Claims 1, 2, 3, 5, 18, 19, 20, and 22) are
`Obvious Over Workman in View of Bertheas. ....................................................124
`1.
`Claims 18 and 19 .....................................................................................125
`2.
`Claims 20 and 22 .....................................................................................133
`3.
`Claims 1, 2, 3, and 5 ................................................................................134
`The Lateral Streamer Separation Mode Claims (Claims 13-14 and 30-31)
`are Anticipated By Workman ..............................................................................134
`Workman Discloses a Control System Configured to Use a
`1.
`Streamer Separation Mode. ......................................................................135
`
`2.
`3.
`4.
`5.
`
`
`
`
`
`B.
`
`C.
`
`D.
`
`E.
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`Workman’s Control System “Attempts to Minimize the Risk of
`Entanglement of the Streamers” and Anticipates Claims 13 and 30. ......140
`Workman’s Control System “Attempts to Maximize the Distance
`Between Adjacent Streamers” and Anticipates or Renders Obvious
`Claims 14 and 31. ....................................................................................143
`The Depth and Lateral Streamer Separation Mode Claims (Claims 15-17
`and 32-34) Are Obvious over Workman in view of Dolengowski. .....................146
`1.
`Claim 32 ...................................................................................................146
`2.
`Claims 33 and 34 .....................................................................................151
`3.
`Claims 15-17 ............................................................................................153
`The Turn Control Mode Claims (Claims 7-12 and 24-29) Are Obvious
`over the ’636 PCT in view of the ’153 PCT. .......................................................153
`1.
`Claim 23 ...................................................................................................154
`“An array of streamers each having a plurality of streamer
`a.
`positioning devices there along” ..................................................156
`“A Control System Configured to Use . . . a Turn Control
`Mode” ..........................................................................................158
`1)
`Control Systems of the ’636 PCT ....................................158
`2)
`Turn Control Mode ..........................................................161
`Claim 24 .......................................................................................170
`c.
`Claim 25 .......................................................................................171
`d.
`Claim 26 .......................................................................................172
`e.
`Claim 27 .......................................................................................173
`f.
`Claim 28 .......................................................................................175
`g.
`Claim 29 .......................................................................................176
`h.
`Claims 7-12 ..............................................................................................178
`2.
`The Turn Control Mode Claims (Claims 6-12 and 23-29) Are Obvious
`over Workman in view of the ’153 PCT. .............................................................179
`CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................181
`
`F.
`
`G.
`
`H.
`
`
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`b.
`
`
`
`IX.
`
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`I, Dr. Brian Evans, hereby state the following:
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`1.
`
`I have been retained by Petroleum Geo-Services, Inc. (“PGS”) to
`
`provide technical assistance related to the filing of a Petition for Inter Partes
`
`Review of U.S. Patent No. 7,293,520 B2 (“the ’520 Patent”) (Ex. 1001). I am
`
`working as a private consultant on this matter and the opinions presented here are
`
`my own.
`
`2.
`
`I have been asked to prepare a written report, including comments
`
`related to whether certain claims of the ’520 Patent are unpatentable because they
`
`are anticipated or would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in view of the
`
`prior art. I have reviewed the documents set forth in the attached Appendix of
`
`Exhibits and relied on my decades of knowledge and experience in the field of
`
`seismic marine surveys (detailed in Section II) in reaching my opinions regarding
`
`validity. This report sets forth the bases and reasons for my opinions, including the
`
`additional materials and information relied upon in forming those opinions and
`
`conclusions.
`
`3.
`
`This report is based on information currently available to me. I reserve
`
`the right to continue my investigation and analysis, which may include a review of
`
`documents and information not yet produced. I further reserve the right to expand
`
`or otherwise modify my opinions and conclusions as my investigation and study
`
`1
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`continues, and to supplement my opinions and conclusions in response to any
`
`additional information that becomes available to me.
`
`II. QUALIFICATIONS
`4.
`I am a Professor of Geophysics in the Department of Petroleum
`
`Engineering at Curtin University located in Bentley, Western Australia. I have
`
`worked continuously in the field of marine seismic surveying for over 44 years,
`
`since the 1970s. I have been involved in the design of dozens of marine seismic
`
`surveys, and have been onboard seismic vessels as they were conducting a marine
`
`seismic survey over one-hundred times.
`
`5.
`
`I authored a textbook devoted to marine seismic surveying and data
`
`acquisition, entitled “A Handbook for Seismic Data Acquisition in Exploration.” I
`
`began writing the textbook in 1985 for use in my “Seismic Acquisition” class, and
`
`continued to update it over the years. It was first published in 1997 by the Society
`
`of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), the premier international organization for
`
`seismic professionals and researchers, including marine seismic professionals. At
`
`the time of its publication, it was considered the authoritative textbook in the field
`
`of seismic data acquisition. Over the past 15 years, it has been used throughout the
`
`world in seismic surveying courses and on seismic survey vessels.
`
`6.
`
`I obtained my Diploma of Electrical Engineering, the equivalent of a
`
`bachelor’s degree, at the J.M. University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom in
`
`2
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`1969. I took my first job in the marine seismic industry in 1971, working as an
`
`instrument engineer for Geophysical Service, Inc. In that role, I monitored and
`
`repaired the seismic recording and navigation instruments, including the equipment
`
`that positioned marine seismic streamers and source arrays. As a qualified
`
`electrical engineer, I also repaired electronic equipment on seismic vessels,
`
`including on-board computers, and navigation/positioning systems. While with
`
`Geophysical Services, Inc., I traveled the world working offshore West Africa,
`
`South America, India, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Indonesia, the Philippines, the
`
`South China Sea, and the Gulf of Thailand—all offshore oil exploration areas.
`
`7.
`
`After leaving Geophysical Service, Inc. in 1974, I joined Aquatronics,
`
`a London-based seismic company, where I managed seismic survey ships used in
`
`seismic surveys. In 1975, I joined Southern Geophysical Consultants of London as
`
`a Seismic Acquisition and Surveying Consultant. In that capacity, I represented
`
`many oil companies while onboard seismic survey ships to ensure the quality of
`
`the acquired seismic data and that the seismic data was within the oil company’s
`
`specifications. I was also involved in deep water operations and rig relocations for
`
`different oil companies during my time at Aquatronics.
`
`8.
`
`In 1976, I established my own seismic-acquisition consulting
`
`company in Perth, Australia, called “Offshore-Onshore Exploration Consultants
`
`PTY LTD.” As an independent consultant, I participated in seismic surveys on
`
`3
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`behalf of my oil company clients to ensure the quality of the seismic data acquired
`
`and that the seismic data was within the oil company’s specifications. My
`
`consulting company, which employed four other employees, was the only
`
`company that did this type of work in Southeast Asia at the time. From 1980 to
`
`1983, while at the peak of my consultancy operations, I also worked at Shell
`
`Development Australia in Perth, Australia, as a Senior Operations Geophysicist.
`
`My responsibilities at Shell Development included managing three marine-
`
`seismic-survey ships and two land-seismic-survey crews.
`
`9.
`
`In 1983, I enrolled at Curtin University (known then as West
`
`Australian Institute of Technology). From 1983 to 1985, as part of a Masters
`
`program in Applied Physics, I wrote a thesis entitled “The Establishment of a
`
`Digital Seismic Acquisition System and its Subsequent Application in the Field.” I
`
`also designed and built a seismic recording system.
`
`10. After receiving my Masters in Applied Physics in 1985, I enrolled in a
`
`Geophysics Ph.D. program at Curtin University, focusing on 3D Seismic
`
`Surveying Data Processing. As part of the Ph.D program, I taught seismic
`
`acquisition, processing, and interpretation and lectured short-courses for industry
`
`(including marine seismic companies) on conventional and 3D seismic acquisition
`
`methods. While working on my Ph.D, I continued to consult on marine seismic
`
`data acquisition. I also established the Department of Exploration Geophysics at
`
`4
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`Curtin University. In 1997, I completed my Ph.D. program, and produced a Ph.D
`
`thesis titled, “Advancements in the Techniques of Low-fold Three Dimensional
`
`Seismic Reflection Surveying.”
`
`11. After completing my Ph.D. in Geophysics in 1997, I continued to
`
`teach seismic data acquisition, processing, and interpretation as an Associate
`
`Professor at Curtin University. I also continued to teach short-courses to the
`
`industry on marine seismic data acquisition. Over the years, I have supervised
`
`twenty Master’s and Ph.D. students, many of whom have written theses pertinent
`
`to the marine seismic industry. I continue to supervise four Ph.D. students today.
`
`12.
`
`I became a tenured Professor of Geophysics in 2002. I served as
`
`Chair of the Department of Petroleum Engineering from 2007 to 2012. I then
`
`became the Director of Curtin University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering’s
`
`Oil and Gas Training and Research Project Initiatives in 2013. In that role, I
`
`establish research projects with industry, establish teams to run projects, and
`
`consult with industry and the research staff to ensure the projects stay on track.
`
`13. Much of my research over the years has involved numerical and
`
`physical modeling of the seismic data acquisition process, including in the context
`
`of 3D and 4D seismic marine surveys. This has entailed both field and laboratory
`
`research, in which I would frequently work onboard seismic survey ships during
`
`marine seismic surveys and later attempt to improve on marine seismic data
`
`5
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`acquisition techniques by testing in the laboratory. Building on my research to
`
`optimize 3D and 4D data acquisition, I have built three seismic physical
`
`acquisition simulation labs in Houston, Dhahran, and Rio de Janeiro. These labs
`
`involved the use of physical models to simulate 3D marine seismic surveys. The
`
`Houston lab was built in 1991 and later was moved and reconstructed at Curtin
`
`University; the other labs were built in 2005 and are presently operated in Dhahran
`
`and Rio de Janeiro. All of these labs are still in use today. I have also developed a
`
`seismic numerical modeling lab at Curtin University, and a landmark seismic
`
`interpretation lab, which oil companies use to train their employees and to interpret
`
`3D marine seismic data.
`
`14. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and through the present,, I have
`
`continued to consult in the marine seismic survey field while working at Curtin
`
`University. I have consulted with various marine seismic survey companies as part
`
`of my job representing oil companies and in my independent consulting company.
`
`In this role, I am typically asked to evaluate seismic survey plans and to advise
`
`companies on their plans’ suitability for an optimal survey. This often requires me
`
`to determine whether the seismic data acquisition and processing plans are
`
`adequate to produce quality seismic data considering the survey area’s 3D geology.
`
`To fulfill this role, I closely follow the literature and other available information
`
`regarding the latest marine seismic acquisition technologies. I continue to do this
`
`6
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`consulting work to this day. I have also consulted on a wide range of other issues
`
`relating to marine seismic data acquisition, processing, and interpretation. For
`
`instance, I have had an Independent Advisory Group since 2004 to review and
`
`evaluate oil companies’ seismic data, drilling plans and proposed operations.
`
`15.
`
`I am currently a member of several professional organizations related
`
`to the marine seismic industry, and the oil and gas industry in general. I have been
`
`a member of the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysics since 1983 and the
`
`Society of Exploration Geophysicists (“SEG”)—widely recognized as the principal
`
`international society in the field—since 1993. I was President of the Australian
`
`state chapter of the SEG twice, in 1986 and 1993. In addition to SEG, I have also
`
`been a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) since 1994 and the
`
`Petroleum Club of Western Australia since 2009, of which I am currently a Board
`
`Member. From 2006 to 2012, I was a Board Member and Education Scholarship
`
`Committee Chair of the West Australian State Government Minerals and Energy
`
`Research Institute (MERIWA).
`
`III. COMPENSATION AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE PARTIES
`16.
`I am being compensated at an hourly rate of three hundred and fifty
`
`dollars ($350), plus expenses, for the time I spend in Australia studying materials
`
`associated with this matter and providing testimony, and six hundred twenty five
`
`euros (€625) for the time I spend on this matter outside Australia. This is my
`
`7
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`standard consulting rate. I am an independent party and my compensation is not
`
`contingent upon the outcome of this matter.
`
`17.
`
`It is my understanding that WesternGeco L.L.C. (“WesternGeco”), is
`
`listed as the assignee of the ’520 Patent. Prior to this matter, I have not been
`
`employed or retained by WesternGeco or PGS. I own no stock in WesternGeco or
`
`PGS, and am aware of no other financial interest I have with those companies.
`
`IV. LEGAL STANDARDS
`18. Although I am not an attorney and do not expect to offer any opinions
`
`regarding the law, I have been informed of certain legal principles relating to
`
`standards of patentability that I relied on in forming the opinions set forth in this
`
`report.
`
`A. Claim Construction
`19.
`I understand that for purposes of this matter, the terms in the ‘520
`
`Patent claims are to be given their broadest reasonable interpretation in light of the
`
`specification, as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art as of the priority date
`
`of the ’520 Patent.
`
`B. Anticipation
`20.
`I understand that for a claim to be anticipated, a single prior art
`
`reference must disclose to a person of ordinary skill in the art, either expressly or
`
`inherently, each and every limitation set forth in the claim. I understand that
`
`claims are unpatentable if they are anticipated by the prior art.
`8
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`C. Obviousness
`21.
`I understand that even if a claim is not anticipated, an invention that
`
`would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill at the time of the invention
`
`is not patentable. I understand that obviousness is determined by considering
`
`several factors, including: the state of the art at the time the invention was made;
`
`the level of ordinary skill in the art; differences between what is described in the
`
`art and the claims at issue; and objective evidence of nonobviousness (such as
`
`commercial success, long-felt but unsolved needs, failure of others, and
`
`unexpected results). I understand that claims are unpatentable if they would have
`
`been obvious in view of the prior art.
`
`D.
`22.
`
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art
`
`I have been informed that a person of ordinary skill in the art is a
`
`hypothetical person who is presumed to have known all of the relevant art at the
`
`time of the invention. I have been informed that a person of ordinary skill in the
`
`art may possess the education, skills, and experience of multiple actual people who
`
`would work together as a team to solve a problem in the field. I have been
`
`informed that factors that may be considered in determining the level of ordinary
`
`skill in the art may include: (1) the educational level of the inventor; (2) type of
`
`problems encountered in the art; (3) prior art solutions to those problems; (4)
`
`9
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`rapidity with which innovations are made; (5) sophistication of the technology; and
`
`(6) educational level of active workers in the field.
`
`23.
`
` On the basis of my consideration of these factors and my
`
`experience in solving problems in the area of marine seismic surveys for decades,
`
`including my familiarity with the education, expertise, and experience of the teams
`
`that devise solutions to those problems, I have been asked to opine as to the person
`
`of ordinary skill in the art to which Claims 1-3, 5-20, and 22-34 of the ’520 Patent
`
`are directed. In my opinion, such a person of ordinary skill in the art should have a
`
`Master’s degree or Ph.D. in ocean engineering, mechanical engineering,
`
`geophysics, applied physics, or a related area, who has preferably taken
`
`coursework in hydrodynamics, advanced control systems, and other related fields.
`
`Additionally, the person should have at least three years of experience designing
`
`and/or operating seismic surveys, as well as significant experience aboard marine
`
`seismic survey vessels during the course of several marine seismic surveys.
`
`V.
`
`SUMMARY OF OPINION
`24.
` It is my understanding that PGS (or “Petitioner”) requests Inter
`
`Partes review of Claims 1-3, 5-20, and 22-34 of the ’520 Patent, titled “Control
`
`System for Positioning of a Marine Seismic Streamers [sic],” which was issued to
`
`Oyvind Hillesund and Simon Hastings Bittleston on November 13, 2007, and has
`
`been assigned to WesternGeco. It is my opinion that all of Claims 1-3, 5-20, and
`
`10
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`22-34 would have been well-known and obvious to a person of ordinary skill at the
`
`time of the October 1, 1998 priority date.
`
`VI. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
`A. Overview of Marine Seismic Surveying
`25. The ’520 Patent is directed to marine seismic surveying technology.
`
`Marine seismic surveys use reflected sound waves to determine geological
`
`properties of the earth’s subsurface. Seismic surveying ships (also known as
`
`vessels) tow equipment referred to in the industry as “seismic sources” or “guns”
`
`to create small, controlled explosions underwater. The explosions generate
`
`acoustic sound waves that travel down through the water, penetrate the ocean floor,
`
`reflect off geological formations in the earth’s subsurface, and travel back towards
`
`the seismic vessel. The reflected acoustic signals are recorded by seismic receivers
`
`known as “hydrophones,” which are towed behind the vessel in long cables called
`
`marine seismic “streamers.” Because recorded sound waves have different
`
`properties depending on the geology of the ocean’s subsurface, the acoustic signals
`
`recorded by the hydrophones provide information regarding characteristics of the
`
`ocean’s subsurface, including evidence about the existence of oil and gas.
`
`1. Marine Seismic Surveying Equipment
` In modern marine seismic surveys, a towing vessel will typically tow
`
`26.
`
`a plurality of streamers in a large areal spread known as an “array.” Each streamer
`
`in the array contains groups of hydrophones located at pre-determined intervals
`11
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`along the streamer. The acoustic data acquired by each hydrophone group is
`
`recorded as a function of time and provides information about a two-dimensional
`
`vertical slice of the earth’s surface below the area traversed by the streamer. By
`
`towing a plurality of streamers, the seismic surveyor covers a large area and is able
`
`to record reflected seismic signals at several locations simultaneously. This
`
`technique results in seismic data from various locations that can be combined and
`
`processed by computers to construct a three-dimensional image of the earth’s
`
`subsurface.
`
`27. Below is a graphical depiction of a modern marine seismic survey
`
`system:
`
`
`
`28. This figure depicts a survey vessel towing four streamers, each of
`
`which contains hydrophones to record seismic data that reflects off the ocean’s
`
`subsurface, and one air gun array (the acoustic source). This multiple-streamer
`
`12
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`seismic surveying system became commonplace beginning in the late 1980s. See
`
`Ex. 1038 (Brian J. Evans, A Handbook for Seismic Data Acquisition in
`
`Exploration (David V. Fitterman & William H. Dragoset, Jr. eds., 1997)) (“Evans
`
`Treatise”) at 250.
`
`29. The figure depicted above shows all four streamers in a “straight-and-
`
`parallel” configuration, meaning that the streamers are: (1) linear, and (2) parallel
`
`to each other. In practice, maintaining the configuration depicted in the figure may
`
`be complicated by a number of factors. For example, if there is a cross-current, the
`
`streamers may drift and become offset from the towing direction of the vessel.
`
`This phenomenon is known as “feathering.” The extent to which the streamers
`
`become offset from the towing direction of the vessel is known as the “feather
`
`angle.” The following illustration depicts an array in a straight-and-parallel
`
`configuration with a slight feather angle.
`
`2.
`
`Collecting Data In a Marine Seismic Survey
`13
`
`
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`30. Seismic data are recorded on a shot-by-shot basis. In a typical marine
`
`seismic survey, the vessel will travel at approximately five nautical miles per hour
`
`(5 knots) and fire a shot from one or more seismic sources approximately every ten
`
`seconds. This is recognized as an ideal speed for a marine seismic survey. The
`
`data recorded by each hydrophone group for each seismic shot is known as a
`
`“trace.” With each “shot,” the seismic source emits acoustic signals (i.e., sound
`
`waves) that are reflected at different points on the ocean’s subsurface. These
`
`signals are received by the various hydrophones on the towed streamers, as
`
`depicted below:
`
`
`
`See Ex. 1038 (Evans Treatise) at 9.
`
`31. As depicted above, when a shot is fired in a marine seismic survey,
`
`the emanating acoustic signals travel in all directions, including downward. Ex.
`
`1038 (Evans Treatise) at 28. When each acoustic signal reflects off the ocean’s
`
`subsurface to a hydrophone, the point on the subsurface where it is reflected is
`
`14
`
`
`Ex. PGS 1002
`
`
`
`
`
`halfway (the midpoint) between the air gun (i.e., the “source position”) and the
`
`hydrophone. Id. The graphic depicts each hydrophone recording a seismic trace
`
`from a different midpoint, because for each acoustic shot, the midpoint between
`
`the air gun and the hydrophone is generally different for each hydrophone. Not
`
`depicted in the figure above are the sound waves that continue to propagate upward
`
`and reflect off the sea-air interface. This phenomenon, known as “ghosting,”
`
`reduces data quality. Marine seismic surveyors account for ghosting by trying to
`
`maintain the hydrophones at a common, pre-selected depth, which makes it easier
`
`to discard unwanted “ghost” signals during data processing. See Ex. 1038 (Evans
`
`Treatise) at 149-52; see also Ex. 1006 (International PCT Application No. WO
`
`98/28636) (“’636 PCT”) at 1 (“The streamers are typically towed at a constant
`
`depth of about ten metres, in order to facilitate the removal of undesired ‘ghost’
`
`reflec