Application of a Dual-band Stand-alone GPS Positioning System in Seismic Exploration

R. Wong, E. Vigen and J. Thomson

Abstract:	Until the termination of the Selective Availability (SA) in May 2000, the application of stand-alone GPS positioning technology in real-time seismic survey had been confined to providing the general location of the vessel or vehicle for the initialization of a DGPS survey. Recent research at WesternGeco has shown that, with a dual-band receiver, it is possible to improve the real-time standalone solution of a GPS navigation system to 2m (1ó), horizontally and <4m, vertically. In marine seismic surveys, this new level of positioning accuracy permits the users to utilize the system as a backup or QC tool in areas where differential correction services are scarce or poor. It can also be used as a bridging tool when the telemetry of the DGPS system is disrupted or when the reference data stream has become unusable as a result of ionospheric scintillation. This paper discusses the principle of operation of a stand-alone GPS positioning system in the post-SA environment and the implementation of such a system in marine seismic surveys. Real-time test results from surveys performed off the coasts of West Africa and Brazil are presented. Special emphasis is placed on issues associated with the use of a dual-band stand-alone system for navigation during a marine seismic survey.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001) September 11 - 14, 2001 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	1617 - 1623
Cite this article:	Wong, R., Vigen, E., Thomson, J., "Application of a Dual-band Stand-alone GPS Positioning System in Seismic Exploration," Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001), Salt Lake City, UT, September 2001, pp. 1617-1623.
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