Unmanned marine vessel for node deployment and retrieval

1. An unmanned seismic vessel comprising:

a hull system configured to provide buoyancy;

a deployment system configured to deploy a seismic node to a water column, wherein the seismic node comprises a power supply, memory, a seismic sensor and a clock configured for acquiring and storing seismic data and associated timing data; and

a controller configured to operate the deployment system to deploy the seismic node.

2. The unmanned seismic vessel of claim 1 , further comprising an automated on-board positioning system configured for determining relative position information for the hull system with respect to one or more other such unmanned seismic vessels.

3. The unmanned seismic vessel of claim 1 , further comprising an automated on-board navigational system configured to determine a course of the seismic vessel with respect to the water column.

4. The unmanned seismic vessel of claim 1 , further comprising a storage apparatus configured to store a plurality of seismic nodes for deployment to the water column.

5. The unmanned seismic vessel of claim 1 , further comprising:

a propulsion system coupled to the hull system to propel the unmanned seismic vessel through the water column; or

a tow lug coupled to the hull system, the tow lug configured to couple the unmanned seismic vessel to a tow line for towing through the water column.

6. The unmanned seismic vessel of claim 1 , further comprising a cable coupled to the seismic node, wherein the deployment system is configured to pay out the cable to deploy the seismic node to the water column.

7. The unmanned seismic vessel of claim 6 , wherein the deployment system comprises a winch or sheave system configured control tension in the cable for deployment to the water column.

8. The unmanned seismic vessel of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of such seismic nodes attached to the cable to acquire seismic data upon deployment system to the water column.

9. The unmanned seismic vessel system of claim 1 , wherein a sensor of the seismic node comprises at least one of a hydrophone configured to acquire a portion of the seismic data as pressure wave data responsive to a seismic wavefield or a geophone configured to acquire another portion of the seismic data as particle motion data responsive to the seismic wavefield.

10. A method comprising:

determining positional information for an unmanned seismic vessel;

navigating the unmanned seismic vessel with respect to a water column, based on the positional information;

deploying a seismic receiver from the unmanned seismic vessel to the water column, wherein the seismic receiver comprises a seismic sensor configured to acquire seismic data; and

providing timing information to the seismic receiver, wherein the seismic receiver associates the seismic data with the timing information.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising storing the acquired seismic data and timing information in memory.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising paying out a cable to the water column, wherein the seismic receiver is deployed to the water column along the cable.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising positioning the seismic receiver adjacent the cable from a magazine or carousel system and attaching the seismic receiver to the cable for deployment to the water column.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising recovering the cable from the water column, decoupling the seismic receiver from the cable, and storing the seismic receiver in the magazine or carousel system.

15. A seismic survey system comprising:

a plurality of unmanned seismic vessels deployed in a water column, each unmanned seismic vessel comprising a hull system configured to provide buoyancy and a deployment system configured to deploy seismic nodes to the water column; and

a plurality of the seismic nodes deployed from each unmanned seismic vessel, each of the seismic nodes comprising a seismic sensor configured to acquire seismic data responsive to a seismic wavefield propagating in the water column.

16. The seismic survey system of claim 15 , further comprising a seismic source configured to generate the seismic wavefield, wherein the seismic reflects from subsurface structure below the water column.

17. The seismic survey system of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the unmanned seismic vessels comprises:

a tow lug configured for coupling to a tow line for towing the respective unmanned seismic vessel through the water column; or

a propulsion system configured to propel the respective unmanned seismic vessel through the water column.

18. The seismic survey system of claim 15 , wherein each deployment system comprises:

a magazine or carousel system configured to store the respective seismic nodes on the respective hull system;

a winch or sheave system configured to deploy a cable to the water column proximate the respective magazine or carousel system; and

a loading mechanism configured to unload the respective seismic nodes from the magazine or carousel system for coupling to the cable and deployment to the water column.

19. The seismic survey system of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the unmanned seismic vessels comprises a generator configured to power the respective deployment system.

20. The seismic survey system of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the unmanned seismic vessels comprises a controller configured to operate the respective deployment system to deploy the respective seismic nodes to the water column and to retrieve respective the seismic nodes from the water column.

21. The seismic survey system of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the unmanned seismic vessel comprises an on-board positioning system configured for determining a position of the respective unmanned seismic vessel with respect to others of the unmanned seismic vessels.