An orange four-cornered safety sign marked
SEISMIC CREW AHEAD is a sure sign your area is being
surveyed for gas deposits in geological formations. Dawson
Geophysical Company, based in Midland Texas, is one of
the leading companies performing these 2D and 3D and multi-component
land seismic data imaging services on
Marcellus Shale, using
vibrator crews and dynamite crews.
Below are some photos of what a seismic survey will look like to the
average citizen, from
the warning signs, to the wires duct-taped to the roads, the orange
surveyor stakes with numbers and letters, the strange looking 'thumper
trucks' and a host of vans and golf cart sized vehicles. It's
a convention of vehicles and equipment.
Some cords lead to dynamite charges that are placed 20-feet underground
and later detonated to help perform seismic surveys by the dynamite
crews. Alien-looking Thumper Trucks
are used by the vibrator crews. Designated sections, or grids, are
surveyed one grid at a time. Seismic crews use Garmin
GPS units for their mapping, and helicopters may play an additional
role in some geological surveys.
Corporate
Headquarters
Dawson Geophysical
508 West Wall – Suite 800
Midland, Texas 79701
Phone: 1-800-332-9766
Seismic survey photos on
Marcellus Shale
Orange cords traverse the roadways through a thick
protective coating that is duct-taped to the road
Miles of orange cords connect seismic survey equipment
Orange surveyor stakes marked with letters and
numbers are used in the seismic survey
Three thumper trucks between some tractor trailers.
Dawson seismic crew has set up shop in
this rural Pennsylvania field
Dawson thumper trucks each have 62,000-pound
(31-ton)
peak force Vibroseis equipment.
