Abstract

The topography in India is characterized in numerous regions by rough terrain, dense settlements and agricultural areas, that make the use of Vibroseis difficult. Explosive remains consequently the preferred source in India, despite the associated high cost, narrow-band signal and increased HSE exposure. However, new compact vibrators now offer significantly improved accessibility when compared to the standard heavy vibrators. Their use is now common in numerous regions, where they have proved beneficial for miscellaneous applications, such as hydrocarbons, mining, or smart cities. Increasingly often, compact vibrators are used in addition to explosives or heavy vibrators, so as to ease source accessibility, improve the shooting efficiency and avoid skipping shot points. This paper firstly presents the main features of the compact vibrator proposed, in terms of accessibility, broadband performance and mitigation of the environmental impact. Two recent examples of field applications are then presented, in Spain for mining and China for Smart Cities. Tips for proper processing when the compact source is used for shallow imaging applications conclude the second example.