Full Spectrum Falcon

Full Spectrum Falcon - See the whole picture

CGG’s Full Spectrum Falcon technology collects the broadest bandwidth, highest resolution and lowest noise airborne gravity data in the industry due to the simultaneous acquisition of both Falcon airborne gravity gradient data and sGrav airborne gravity data. These data streams are then integrated to obtain high-accuracy gravity data from wavelengths of 10’s of meters to 100’s of km, significantly improving imaging at depth and increasing spatial resolution for near surface geology.

Long Wavelength:

All Airborne Gravity Gradient (AGG) systems become increasingly less sensitive as the gravity field wavelength gets longer (greater than 15km). However, they are very sensitive to short wavelength gravity field variations. Regional gravity data, if available, in the survey area can be used to provide longer wavelengths, however suitable quality regional data is not always available.

To combat these issues CGG Multi-Physics developed and commercialized a strap-down airborne gravity instrument that we call sGrav. This instrument measures the long wavelength part of the gravity field that is missing from a high resolution Falcon AGG survey. Without the stabilized platform required by other airborne gravimeters, the sGrav is much smaller and is deployed with Falcon AGG systems; data is collected at low draped flying heights ensuring minimum disruptions to normal Falcon survey operations. As it is a separate instrument to the Falcon AGG system, CGG process and supply an independent sGrav gravity dataset for all Full Spectrum Falcon surveys for QC purposes.

Short Wavelength:

Typically the shortest wavelength detected in an AGG survey is controlled by the line spacing of the data acquisition down to a minimum of 300m, due to the processing methods used for all AGG systems.

To measure shorter wavelengths with the Falcon AGG system, we redesigned our processing workflow. Our redesigned Enhanced Processing workflow identifies residual survey acquisition noise – mainly aircraft movements - and removes it. This allows for shorter filters and lower noise levels in the resulting data.

Summary:

The Falcon Full Spectrum Gravity system provides significant improvement in data quality and resolution at both ends of the gravity spectrum. Our Enhanced Processing workflow has led to increased resolution of short wavelength, while our sGrav strap-down gravimeter increases the accuracy of long wavelength portion of the spectrum.

F Full Spectrum Gravity surveys have already shown the importance of longer wavelength information in gravity gradiometry surveys for O&G exploration, by better imaging the deep and wide grabens, and have demonstrated the capability of CGG to acquire what was previously unachievable - to simultaneously measure gravity gradiometry and high quality gravity under the dynamic flight conditions of a draped airborne survey.