aircraft were modified in Canada for multi-parameter surveys, had the equipment installed, tested and then delivered to clients overseas. Airborne IP (AIP) is becoming more commonly used but being relatively new, work is still ongoing to determine and fully use its capabilities as well as find any limitations. SQUID-based Full Tensor Magnetic Gradiometer technology, previously proprietary, was released into the commercial market. On the data processing side there seems to be a shift towards“pay-as-you-go” which means, instead of purchasing software that may be used infrequently, clients pay only when they use it. Software is also becoming easier to use so it doesn’t require a specialist to run. There have been many software improvements especially for viewing data in 3D. There is new software for processing tensor magnetic data to go along with the increasing number of tensor mag and gradiometer developments. The use of AI and neural networks is increasing, especially for AEM. There is also increased ability to merge disparate data sets. Borehole geophysics saw improved gravity logging, a new neutron tool, a spectral IP (SIP) tool and an optical tele-viewer with a UV light to identify minerals by their characteristic fluorescence. Companies reported increased use of new ground geophysical technology introduced last year such as RIM, for imaging conductors between boreholes, as well as one company’s first borehole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey. A new IP technique uses a hybrid borehole- surface approach. Ground EM and electrical surveys saw new higher power Tx’s and lower noise, higher sensitivity Rx’s, that are ultra-wide band and can be used in wireless arrays. One company can combine up to 6 transmitters for maximum power and depth penetration. The use of 3D technology continued to expand from data acquisition methods to data processing. For example, 3DIP is now offered by numerous companies. In GPR, advances saw development of signal stacking methods that double the penetration depth and can record signals 100 times smaller than before.” Airborne developments The greatest diversity and, arguably, the most money, gets spent on airborne surveys, and airborne EM is the primary focus for most companies. A summary of airborne EM systems from Killeen’s Capabilities of Airborne Geophysical Survey Contractors 2019 is listed in Table 1. Note, the primary supplier of a system is shown unless the system is no longer manufactured, and VLF systems are not included. Table 1.  Airborne EM systems. System Type (Time domain-TD Frequency domain-FD) Company Base AGP EM TD Aerogeophysica Inc. Russia AirTEM TD Triumph Surveys Canada BIPTEM TD Thomson Aviation Australia EQUATOR TD/FD GeoTechnologies Russia E-THEM TD EON Geosciences Inc. Canada EXPLORERHEM FD Aerophysics Mexico GPRTEM2 TD Geophysics GPR Canada Heli-SAM FD Discovery Inter. Geo. Canada HeliTEM TD CGG MultiPhysics Canada Hummingbird FD EON Geosciences Inc. Canada HyRez TD Terraquest Canada IMPULSE FD Geotech Ltd. Canada ITEM TD Precision GeoSurveys Canada MobileMT FD Expert Geophysics Ltd. Canada NOVATEM TD Novatem Inc. Canada Nu-TEM TD NUVIA Dynamics Canada ProspecTEM TD Prospectair Geosurveys Canada P-THEM TD Pico Envirotec Canada Resolve FD CGG MultiPhysics Canada SGFEM FD Sander Geophysics Canada SkyTEM TD SkyTEM Denmark Spectrem2000 TD Spectrem Air South Africa Tempest TD CGG MultiPhysics Canada VTEM TD Geotech Ltd. Canada Xcite TD New Resolution Geophysics South Africa ZTEM FD Geotech Ltd. Canada Drone carrying radiometrics package. News Industry 14 PREVIEW JUNE 2019