Acquiring 3D seismic data for coal mining exploration

The survey area is covered by Quaternary loess deposits, causing large lateral variations in surface and near-surface properties. Recorded signal quality and amplitude/frequency character in conventional surveys can vary significantly between adjacent traces due to differences in source and receiver coupling, amplification effects and the presence of low-velocity layers. Acquisition of high-resolution seismic data is required to adequately sample such effects and generate high quality interpretable images of the subsurface.

The project was conducted in mountainous terrain. Acquisition had to be completed before seasonal snow falls commenced, as seismic operations could not be conducted safely with snow and ice in the survey area. Hazards such as landslides and mud flows can occur during thaws and present a serious risk to personnel and equipment, so no seismic production is possible during such periods either.

There is goaf in part of the survey area, which was expected to negatively impact the quality of reflection data in that area. It was therefore critical to densify the survey in and around the goaf to improve the spatial sampling of the wavefield and output image quality.

The survey design was constrained by exclusion zones in and around local villages and needed to satisfy local government permitting requirements.

The node’s compact weight and size, combined with stakeless operations using STRYDE’s state-of-the-art Navigator Tablet and App, enabled extremely efficient node deployment and retrieval operations and allowed the overall project timeline to be accelerated, even in challenging terrain.

The STRYDE system has transformed the price point of land seismic equipment relative to the cost of conventional seismic instruments. Furthermore, the ability to deploy the miniature nodes quickly meant planning, preparation, and logistical overheads were greatly reduced, unlocking further cost savings and efficiency gains.  

Being able to carry hundreds of nodes by foot, and thousands in small pickup trucks meant logistical requirements for the project were significantly reduced, reducing exposure to HSE risk and enabling the team to deploy and retrieve Nodes quickly and safely in mountainous areas.

Dense point-sensor acquisition with STRYDE’s piezoelectric accelerometer sensor resulted in high quality, high fold data, with rich high-frequency content.

Providing access to STRYDE’s seismic sensors within 1 week of project approval ensured the team was able to align the project with the mine’s operational plan and exceeded expectations about the survey timeline.

The simplicity of the STRYDE system means that it is extremely easy to use and is even accessible to people with no previous seismic experience. The team required only a couple of hours of training to onboard them to the system prior to deployment operations commencing. This allowed the team to start up efficiently and effectively, with minimal operator deployment and retrieval errors.