Associated Geosciences Ltd. provides geophysical services to a wide variety of clients from a broad range of disciplines, ranging from the world's largest mining conglomerates to specialist engineering and environmental consultancies.

Why Use Geophysics?

The most effective employment of geophysical methods is during the early stages of a project, rather than as a last resort when all else has failed. A well-designed geophysical program at the initial stages of a project can provide critical information to help locate unexpected hazards, strategically place boreholes, and control contractor bids. At most sites, geophysics is not a substitute for drilling, but it can be used to strategically place boreholes, and optimize the information provided by the ground sampling. Soil samples and boreholes provide detailed information of subsurface conditions on a small scale at specific locations. Conversely, geophysics provides continuity of general subsurface information between sample points, reducing the risk of encountering surprises that can result in cost overruns.

Limitations

Often overlooked when proposing geophysical investigations are their inherent limitations. Geophysics relies on contrasts in physical properties between subsurface layers, or buried objects, in order to image targets. The geophysical methods employed must be sensitive to the property contrasts that are relevant to the site. All too often, inappropriate methods or acquisition parameters are used in environments where a careful analysis of the survey objectives and greater experience with a wider array of geophysical techniques would have suggested alternative methods or rejected the use of geophysics entirely. Even when the appropriate techniques are used, the scale of the property contrast must be sufficient for target discrimination. Of additional consideration is the depth of investigation and the resolution required. Various geophysical methods have different optimal penetrations, and can provide substantially different subsurface detail. In general, the greater the penetration depth required, the less the detail of the information obtained.

Selecting a Service Provider

Recent years have seen a growth in the number of small geophysical contractors who either rent necessary equipment from a manufacturer on an individual project basis, or own one or two pieces of instrumentation and market these as panaceas to any sub-surface imaging problem. Geology can be unpredicatable and complex on the scale of near surface investigations, and likewise, geophysical results from shallow investigations are often ambiguous or complicated. A geophysical contractor must have the breadth of knowledge and experience to strategically select the methods that are most likely to solve a specific problem, as well as have the availability of complementary methods to support the interpretations. In many provinces and states in North America, geophysical service providers must, by legislation, be licenced for their particular field of expertise. AGL is a permit holder of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta and all senior geophysical staff are licenced professionals.

Global Experience

In addition to projects throughout Canada and the United States, AGL has conducted large-scale geophysical surveys in a variety of international locations, including:

· Nigeria
· Guyana
· Peru
· Brazil
· Venezuela
· Cuba
· Guatemala
· Indonesia
· The Phillipines
· Papua New Guinea
· New Caledonia
· Australia
· Columbia
· Madagascar
· Kuwait

AGL's clients range from junior exploration and environmental companies to major international mining groups, federal, state, and municipal government agencies, and financial institutions. Geophysical projects are mobilized from Calgary or Burnaby, Canada.