Increasing data resolution and fidelity in the land seismic data using nodal cableless systems

The authors analyse the current state of onshore seismic, where conventional cable recording systems and cableless systems of various designs have been competing for about 20 years. Consideration is given to the factors that enabled development and implementation of cableless systems with autonomous seismic data recording. These recording systems enhance the capabilities of seismologists in carrying out studies in complicated surface conditions and with the use of dense survey grid. Types of single built-in receivers used in nodal cableless systems are described. Since single receivers do not attenuate both coherent and incoherent noise (microseisms), rather low signal-to-noise ratio is typical of seismic records acquired by nodes. Therefore, nodal recording systems are primarily applicable in high-density seismic projects with dense survey grids, i.e. with reduced receiver point spacing. Advantages and prospects of the innovative Russian nodal cableless system “Otkrytie” developed at the initiative of the GEOTECH Seismic Services Scientific and Technical Center are demonstrated. The authors believe that revolutionary molecular-electronic sensor is a major competitive advantage of the cableless system “Otkrytie” having the following three key features: very high sensitivity (250 V per m/s), unique broad band of recording (1 to 300 Hz), and low level of the instrument noise. At the same time, the size of the molecular-electronic sensor does not differ from the size of a high-sensitivity single geophone. “Otkrytie” nodal system was successfully tested in the past spring and has every chance to be widely used both in Russia and abroad. GEOTECH Seismic Services Company is currently planning to manufacture a series of nodes of cableless system “Otkrytie” to use in 2D or 3D survey in production mode