Geological explorer opens at Cambridge Airport
Hi-tech geological exploration company ARKeX is opening a new flight test facility at Cambridge Airport in the UK.
Based in Cambridge but with global operations, ARKeX provides non-seismic geophysical imaging services for the oil & gas exploration and mining industries.Its hi-tech imaging has already led to significant finds of fresh resources, often in challenging locations.
ARKeX is opening an Exploration Gravity Gradiometer (EGG) Flight Test Facility at Cambridge Airport. One of two prototype EGG’s will move to the new flight test facility to begin airborne and remote site trials.
The EGG is ARKeX’s own bespoke gravity gradiometer designed to aid oil, gas and mining companies survey subsurface geology. It utilises the concept of superconductivity and operates at four degrees above absolute zero (-269°C), which allows greater sensitivity and stability.
The EGG is designed to be an order of magnitude more sensitive than current instruments enabling a wider range of geologies to be surveyed in greater detail.
“Providing the engineering team easy access to aircraft and airport facilities will allow for a natural acceleration of the program”, said John Siegfried. ARKeX chief executive. “With a dedicated facility we will be able to step up the pace of operational development and commercialisation of the EGG.”
Richard Foster-Turner, ARKeX Instruments general manager added: “Cambridge Airport offers the range of facilities we require for our extensive testing program. With one EGG dedicated to trials at the flight test facility we can continue with laboratory optimisation of the second EGG.”
ARKeX specialises in the acquisition of multi-client and proprietary Full Tensor Gravity Gradiometry (FTG) data. FTG surveys measure minute variations in the earth's gravitational field to help image subsurface structures.
FTG has a much higher bandwidth and delivers a higher resolution image than conventional gravity surveys. It can be used as a stand alone service or in conjunction with seismic data.
ARKeX can also process and interpret conventional gravity and magnetic data as well as brokering multi-client non-seismic data. ARKeX also has offices in Houston in the US and has global operational capabilities.
