FirstGrowth Exploration & Development Services Corp. has announced the signing of a multi-year business alliance with ION Geophysical Corp. of Houston.


The two companies have agreed to a series of multi-year arrangements for the purchase of ION's equipment and services, including but not limited to wireless seismic instruments for full-wave (multicomponent) data recording using VectorSeis sensors.


"With the execution of this exciting agreement, FirstGrowth Exploration & Development Services and its wholly owned subsidiary Kinetex Inc. intend to accelerate and expand our five-year business plan," said Gil Schneider, chief executive officer of FirstGrowth. "Through this alliance, we have solidified a relationship that has existed for more than a decade."


Schneider went on to add, "The demonstrated confidence of a recognized industry leader such as ION provides a strong foundation for advancing FirstGrowth's applied sciences services in the area of multicomponent seismic imaging. We have long been an advocate of full-wave data recording and have been one of the largest users of cableless seismic imaging methods utilizing ION's VectorSeis-equipped RSR (radio seismic


recording) system. We are excited about the potential offered by ION's latest cableless recording technology and look forward to making a transition to FireFly in the future."


FireFly, ION's full-wave land acquisition platform, combines proven wireless communication, data storage and power technologies from other industries in a seismic acquisition system that operates without cables.


With its cableless architecture, FireFly is designed to deliver dramatic improvements in system weight; operational productivity; and health, safety and environmental (HSE) performance, as well as in the quality and utility of the seismic images that result. The agreement includes purchasing commitments and options through the duration of the multi-year agreement totaling more than 30,000 stations (90,000 channels) of VectorSeis-based technology if all purchase options are exercised. In addition, the agreement outlines a path that enables FirstGrowth to seamlessly transition from its current radio telemetry solution to FireFly and includes provisions for cooperative marketing efforts to promote and expand the use of three-component (3-C) technologies.


FirstGrowth's subsidiary Kinetex conducted one of the earliest VectorSeis 3-C test programs for ION more than seven years ago. Since that time Kinetex has delivered to its clients more than 100 high-quality commercial VectorSeis datasets that were recorded using radio telemetry solutions.


"We are excited with this agreement, including the prospect of delivering a wireless FireFly solution to Kinetex," said Teng Beng Koid, chief operating officer of Global Business Development at ION. "Our history with FirstGrowth-Kinetex makes them a natural fit for FireFly. We are committed to helping FirstGrowth-Kinetex deliver unprecedented value to their customers, who are increasingly demanding state-of-the-art, full-wave imaging technology for their resource exploration and development activities."


Leonard Van Betuw, director of FirstGrowth-EDS, concluded by saying, "The combination of Kinetex's diverse 3-C imaging research and experience in a vast range of geological settings along with the capabilities of ION's GX Technology Imaging Solutions group provides a foundation that we believe will be attractive to the resource industries for many years to come as they endeavor to unlock the full potential of their properties."

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