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Natural Resources
The challenge to explore and discover sub-surface natural resources requires increasingly sophisticated tools. The Geophysical Institute of Israel applies state of the art technology to help its clients and partners get the most out of onshore non-invasive sub-surface geophysics. As we strive to provide new value and high impact actionable outcomes for our clients, often the key is to integrate various methods and disciplines.
Our expert team has years of experience in exploring for natural resources including conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons, metals, potable water and brines and even geothermal sources.
Whether in dry deserts, deep in the rainforest, across heavy populated cities and towns, on mountainous snowy peaks or treacherous tidal flats, the GII has specialized in each onshore terrain.
Adhering to the top global Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE), Quality and Project Management standards makes sure we finish every project successfully, safely and with minimal impact to the local ecosystem.
By combining the geological know how with quality geophysical data - new insights and actionable interpretations arise. Thanks to our advanced processing techniques, developed over 61 years of Research and Development, your data can be reprocessed or resurrected to generate new insights and combined with new data acquired by GII.
Leveraging the right geophysics, be it seismic, magnetics, gravity or electromagnetic, into the game changing evidence in your exploration campaign is what we do, every day.
Microseismic
Microseismic events are the release of a very small amount of seismic energy in the sub-surface. They can occur naturally or as byproducts of hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’), drilling, mining, gas storage, geothermal activity, explosive testing and more. When produced by human activity, we call them “induced seismicity”.
These events are very small and are not felt on the surface but can be picked up with very sensitive technology like geophones and accelerometers. In effect, the rock is cracking, faulting, slipping, sliding or shearing and this release of energy creates an acoustic wave which propagates underground and is picked up by our special equipment.
When done correctly, Microseismic Monitoring captures the information about these events over a specific period of time. Thanks to our special layout of receivers, we can create real-time 3D models of the events development and since it is over time, this is 4D.
GII’s Real Time Microseismic Monitoring provides our clients with very useful information needed for operational decision making:
- Location of the event at depth
- Time of the event
- Size or Magnitude of the event
All these are critical to understand and visualize fracture propagation, staging of fracks, amount of proppant (material introduced to hold the fractures open), indicate possible movements and changes in stability of mines and sub-surface gas storage facilities. It can also help understand the efficiency of geothermal plants networks and more.
Our services:
- Survey Design
- Surface Arrays
- Very-Shallow (up to 5 ft) Arrays
- Short term and Long term monitoring and acquisition
- Real Time alert systems against thresholds and standards
- Advanced Real-Time processing
- Compliance Reports
Contact us to design and execute your monitoring project.
Processing
After investing vast efforts in acquiring seismic data, the right processing and interpretation are what will give the extra edge to your data. The GII provides advanced data processing services to its clients around the globe. Specializing in both onshore or offshore data, as well as complex merges in Transition Zones, we are able to provide the experience and technology that are required for top-tier exploration programs.
Our team is made up of seasoned and experienced seismic processing experts who have worked on the full cycle value chain from the field to the board room. This means we understand the nuances of seismic acquisition and how they influence the processing workflow. Furthermore, this means that we understand that exploration is not merely a scientific exercise but must be a cost-effective focused endeavor to answer the right questions in the shortest time.
Most importantly, we work closely with your project managers, geophysicists and geologists to create processing outcomes that are grounded and tied to the reality underground.
Solutions
- 2D and 3D seismic processing and interpretation
- Onshore, Offshore and TZ
- In-Field QC processing with 24 hour turnaround
- Time and Depth migrations
- Microseismic Real time and Long Term processing and interpretation
- Ressurection of legacy seismic data
- Reprocessing and Data Enhancement
- Merging and Stitching of data sets
- Integrated interpretation with geology, downhole, gravity, magnetic and other data.
- Local geological experts integrated into every workflow
Technology
- LandMark Promax and Seispace
- Paradigm 17 EPOS and GeoDepth
- IHS Kingdom
- IXRefrax
- SeisImager
- In-house developed modules
- NEW! CyberSecure dispersed cloud processing for super-high-speed turnarounds and demanding workflows
Seismic Reflection 2D/3D
Seismic reflection surveys provide explorers with structural images of the sub-surface. The delivered product of a seismic reflection survey is a sub-surface profile image where the vertical axis is seismic wave travel time or, in cases of advanced processing, depth. The product allows the explorer to better determine geological structures such as unit boundaries, faults and folds. Depending on the objective of the survey, more information is incorporated in order to make decisions on further exploration activities.
In effect, seismic reflection surveys produce 2D profiles or 3D imagery (cubes) expressing the seismic reflection coefficient. This coefficient expresses the amount of energy reflected at a sub-surface boundary. The reflection coefficient is proportional to seismic impedance which is in turn related to the velocity of seismic waves through the sub-surface and the density of the sub-surface materials.
Onshore seismic reflection surveys for natural resources usually cover wide geographical areas. These may be dessert lands, transition zones such as swamp and mangrove areas, hills, farmlands, lakes or tidal flats. The GII has experience in all these areas around the globe.
Seismic reflection surveys may also be carried out in High Resolution in smaller areas when the objectives are shallower such as in the Engineering and Homeland Security sectors.
The process begins with survey design. During the design, the GII’s geophysicists and geodetic experts plan together with the client and local representatives the placement and orientation of seismic lines. On each seismic receiver line geophone receivers will be placed at a spacing which influences the final product’s resolution. Furthermore, along seismic source lines the seismic source, be it seismic vibrator vehicles or special seismic explosives, will transmit seismic (sound) waves into the ground.
Once the design is approved, geodetic surveying and permitting with local communities and land owners commences. The surveying team will create very precise geodetic grids using advanced GPS technology and will precisely mark the location of every geophone to be planted. The permitting team will collect consent from every single land owner whose land will be crossed while fulfilling the survey.
After surveying and permitting is completed the geophone layout begins. Depending on which type of recording system is chosen for your project, cabled or nodal geophones, the planting and moving sequence of geophones will vary. In cases where explosives are the chosen seismic source, seismic shot holes will be drilled in parallel with the surveying and geophone planting.
Finally, production starts and the seismic sources transmit the seismic waves into the ground. Daily in-field Quality Control is performed by our expert geophysicists on the data to make sure that the highest data quality is achieved.
Next steps will include Advanced Processing and Interpretation of the seismic data.
Contact us to determine the right design, layout, timeline and crew size for your project’s needs.
Terrain Types
- Farmlands
- Deserts and Dunes
- Mountains
- Forests
- Delicate Natural Habitats
- Urban
- Transition Zones
- Lakes and Shallow Water
Main Technologies
Seismic Sources
- Seismic Vibrator Buggy: INOVA AHV-IV 364 PLS Commander (SPECS)
- Shallow Borehole Explosives
- Accelerated Weight Drop (AWD)
- Drop Hammer
- Sledge Hammer
- Air Guns
Recording Systems
- INOVA G3i SPM 24 bit cabled system
- INOVA Quantum Innoseis Nodal Systems (SPECS)
- INOVA Hawk SN11 Nodal systems
- Geode 24 1C stations (vertical 10Hz, horizontal 8Hz), single S-wave & single P-wave
Ancillary Equipment
- Portable and 4x4 tractor mounted shot-hole drilling rigs
- GPS Systems: Trimble R-10 and R-8 GNNS, Topcon GR-3
- Total station: Topcon 7505
- Garmin handhelds
Additional Services
In addition to its core services in Seismic, Gravity, Magnetic and EM, the GII provides an array of ancillary services.
- Obtain onshore and offshore data from The National Geophysical Database of Israel
- Vibration monitoring in quarries, mines, sensitive facilities, hospitals, engineering and construction projects
- Seismological site effect surveys - Earthquake hazard potential assessment
- Geophysical consulting
- On demand Geophysical R&D
Contact us to find the right solution for your project.
EM, Gravity & Magnetic
Potential and Electromagnetic fields are harnessed to provide invaluable insights into the sub-surface structure, composition and physical properties. Ore body and intrusion anomalies, faults, dikes and lineaments can all be mapped out using gravity and magnetic data. Electromagnetic methods can provide resistivity-conductivity and electric potential profiles critical for electrical engineering, metals and water exploration.
The GII's dedicated teams and state-of-the-art equipment and software enable its clients to gain the full benefits from Grav/Mag/EM combinations, whether as primary tools for exploration, or supporting data layers in the full exploration campaign.
- Survey Design - geophysical and logistical survey design.
- Acquisition - regional and local campaigns in all terrains.
- Advanced Processing - senior geophysicists working together with your team to make the most of your data.
- Integration - stitch, resurrect, reprocess and integrate various data sets and methods.
- Interpretation - senior geophysicists and geologists integrating potential field and EM data with your seismic data and geological knowledge to gain new insights.
Seismic & Microseismic
The use of seismic acoustic waves in imaging of the sub-surface has long been the go-to tool for explorers and engineers. Since 1957 the GII has specialized in unique seismic surveys in challenging terrain and environments.
We provide a full suite of seismic surveys in 2D and 3D:
- Reflection - for Oil and Gas, Mining, Water, Geothermal, Shallow fault and void detection
- Refraction - for engineering, weathering layer seismic wave properties
- Diffraction - for void detection
- Downhole, Crosshole - for high-resolution velocity profiles
- Microseismic - for hydraulic fracturing ('fracking')
