ESG Solutions Offers Market Leading Induced Seismicity Monitoring System through Acquisition of Spectraseis Inc.

HOUSTON, Dec. 15, 2015 /CNW/ -- ESG Solutions, an industry leader in microseismic services and technology, recently acquired Spectraseis Inc., a company on the forefront of surface-based seismic technology in Hydraulic Fracture Monitoring and Induced Seismicity Monitoring (ISM).

Quickly and accurately detecting seismicity near to, or associated with, hydraulic fracture operations is key to avoiding costly shutdowns and wellbore damage.  ESG now offers Spectraseis Induced Seismicity Monitoring, on a permanent, semi-permanent or temporary, wireless network of seismic data acquisition arrays that are installed with low footprint, either in boreholes or on surface, to detect and characterize sources of seismic activity.  "Induced Seismicity Monitoring is one of Spectraseis' key technologies," says Brad Birkelo, Executive Vice President, Surface and ISM at Spectraseis, "and providing a rapid and accurate solution to mitigate risks associated with injections of any type is of high value to clients, especially in this current climate of tightening regulations."

Operators can monitor seismicity remotely and in real-time using Spectraseis' web-based, interactive software, ISV-Pro™.  In addition, a "traffic light" system can be implemented to alert operators of seismicity that is approaching key magnitude thresholds in pre-defined areas of interest, allowing them to quickly alter their operations to avoid going over seismic limits.  Additionally, monitoring seismicity over time allows operators to determine the baseline of seismicity in the region, which assists with regulatory compliance and public transparency.

Combining existing Spectraseis ISM infrastructure with ESG's state-of-the-art, patented Hybrid™ system during hydraulic fracture operations ensures a more robust picture of the energy distributions and magnitudes as they relate to the treatment program by enabling a broader range of seismic event magnitudes (Mw -4 to Mw +4) to be detected over a larger spatial area.  Conveniently offered through one provider, microseismic events (-4 Mw to 0 Mw) are detected by ESG's high-frequency, 15 Hz geophones and larger events (> Mw 0) are detected by low-frequency Spectraseis sensors, in this time-synchronized system. "At ESG, we pride ourselves on being on the leading edge of innovation in passive seismic technology," says Dr. Ted Urbancic, Chief Technology Officer of ESG.  "In acquiring Spectraseis, we're expanding our offering of sophisticated monitoring services to provide our clients with an optimal assessment of seismic activity in the area of their hydraulic fracture operations through either ISM or microseismic monitoring, or the combination of the two in our Hybrid™ system." 

About ESG Solutions:

Founded in 1993, ESG Solutions is a leading provider of innovative microseismic solutions for the mining, oil and gas and geotechnical industries.  ESG helps operators improve safety, optimize production, reduce costs and mitigate risk associated with underground and open-pit mining, hydraulic fracturing, thermal enhanced oil recovery, waste-water injection, natural gas storage, carbon sequestration and geotechnical applications.  ESG is headquartered in Kingston (Canada), with operations in Calgary, Houston, Beijing and Perth and sales offices in Dallas and Dubai.  For more information, visit www.esgsolutions.com.

About Spectraseis:

Spectraseis is a leader in surface-based microseismic sensing technology for hydraulic fracture monitoring, stimulation evaluation and Induced Seismicity Monitoring (ISM). Established in 2004, it provides services to many of the world's leading oil and gas exploration and production firms, including a growing customer base among North American unconventional resource operators and has offices in Houston, Denver and Calgary. For more information on Spectraseis visit www.spectraseis.com.

About Spectris plc:

Spectris plc (LSE:SXS) is a leading supplier of productivity-enhancing instrumentation and controls. The Company's products and technologies help customers to improve product quality and performance, improve core manufacturing processes, reduce downtime and wastage and reduce time to market. Spectris operates across four business segments which reflect the applications and industries it serves: Materials Analysis, Test and Measurement, In-line Instrumentation and Industrial Controls. Headquartered in Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom, the Company employs over 8,000 people with offices in more than 30 countries. For more information, visit www.spectris.com.

Contacts:	Ken Arnold (ESG)	613-548-8287 ext. 283
	Brad Birkelo (Spectraseis)	303-658-9170

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SOURCE ESG Solutions