HRSC/Subsurface Imaging - Tools & Detectors

Cutting edge detectors used for subsurface imaging services and advanced site characterization.

Eagle Synergistic Utilizes The Latest Technologies

Utilizing the newest technology in subsurface imaging services to increase critical data in the investigative phase, so that you can make a more informed decision in your remediation phase.

Logging & Imaging Tools

EC: Electrical Conductivity
Mip: Membrane Interface Probe
LL-Mip: Low Level Mip
Hpt: Hydraulic profiling tool
MiHpt: combined Mip-Hpt
Oip: Optical Imaging Profiler
OiHpt: combined Oip-Hpt
OiHpt-G: OiHpt with green light

MIP

Membrane Interface Probe – The MIP is a logging tool that measures volatile hydrocarbon and solvent contamination along with soil electrical conductance and permeability. It then shows distribution and relative magnitude of both halogenated and non-halogenated VOC contaminants to work with both saturated and unsaturated soils.

An inert carrier gas is continually swept behind a heated membrane in the probe, delivering it to a series of detectors at the surface. The detectors each respond to different analyte properties which allows the MIP operator to discern the contaminant to its family group as well as provide the ability to map out the contaminant plume from source to extent. Obtaining an understanding of soil conductance and permeability along with the contaminant information allows the user to know if the VOC contamination is near to prominent migration pathways or bound up in a storage zone.

The MIP is the only tool capable of logging VOCs on-site in real-time. It determines contaminant mobility and migration pathways, detects contaminants in both coarse and fine-grained soils and generates real-time contaminant screening information. This feature allows field adjustment of the site investigation.

LL-MIP

Low Level Membrane Interface Probe — The LL-MIP operates in a similar manner to our normal MIP tool, however, the LL-MIP enhances detector sensitivity by a factor of approximately 10. LL-MIP operation is beneficial in situations where the standard MIP detector signals have reached practical limits.

The main feature of this technology is to pulse the carrier gas stream that sweeps the internal surface of the MIP membrane. VOC contaminant concentration that is delivered to the MIP detectors is then increased.

Surface instrumentation tools for high resolution site characterization.

MiHPT

Membrane Interface & Hydraulic Profiling Tool – The MIHPT probe is a specialized, combined tool used to detect and determine volatile organic compounds (VOCs), soil permeability, and soil type/lithology all in one push. Volatile compounds diffuse through the MIP Membrane and a carrier gas transports the VOCs “up-hole” to detectors on the surface. The HPT system monitors the necessary pressure to maintain a constant injection. We can measure accurate water level data and estimate hydraulic conductivity from this information. Lastly, the Electrical Conductivity Dipole Array emits a current through the subsurface formation in between the two probe contacts. This current and the resulting voltage is measured and soil type can be determined by its conductivity.

OIP

Optical Image Profiler - This tool produces a detailed log of induced fuel fluorescence. It contains a downhole camera that operates at 30 frames per second (fps) to capture fuel fluorescence. Our acquisition software will then analyze each image for typical fuel fluorescence color.

The results are the percent of the image area (up to 100%) that displays fuel fluorescence. Fluorescence images are saved in the log every 0.05ft (15mm) for review at a later time.

OIP log Interpretation is intuitive, made simple by the saved images to compare to the log. The OIHPT-UV probe contains both 275nm UV and visible LEDs. The OIHPT-G probe contains both 520nm LD and infrared LEDs. With this tool, we're able to automatically and manually capture visible soil images.

OIHPT

Optical Image Profiler & Hydraulic Profiling Tool – The OIHPT is a specialized, combined tool that allows us to detect LNAPL products, test soil permeability, and understand soil type/lithology before your remediation phase. Rather than a MIP Membrane, the OIHPT tool has an OIP Window used to detect UV induced fluorescence of LNAPL products in soil (petroleum hydrocarbons).

This equipment can be divided into two basic categories: surface instrumentation (OIP interface, data acquisition, and HPT controller) and downhole probes (including probes, trunklines, connectors, etc.)

OP6100 OIP Interface: This instrument regulates, controls and monitors power to the OIP power supply and sends the system control signals to the downhole tools. Images from the down hole camera are collected by the instrument and relayed to the computer via a USB connection.
FI6000: Data acquisition instrument, acquires depth, EC, and HPT data if avilable and relays it to the computer via a USB connection. The FI6000 is the general data acquisition instrument used in all Geoprobe® DI logging systems (EC and HPT). It also provides the electrical conductivity measurement system associated with OIP.
K6300 Series HPT Controller (Optional): This instrument regulates and measures injection water flow and pressure to the OIHPT probe. Data from this controller is sent to the FI6000 via a data cable.

OIHPT-G

Green light OIP tool — This tool operates in a similar manner to the OIHPT & OIP tools; however, it also uses a green laser diode to induce fluorescence in contaminants such as Creosote, Coal Tars, Heavy Crude Oils, and Bunker Fuels. This helps to fluoresce common organic contaminants that yield inconsistent results with standard UV light (coal tars, creosote, bunker fuels).

One of the newest HRSC tools, the Groundwater Sampler (GWS), allows us to take multiple discrete groundwater samples at various depths.

Discrete Groundwater Sampler (GWS)

The Ground Water Sampler (GWS) utilizes a 1.75” probe head and rods. Another option for the GWS tool is a 2.25” probe head and rods. The larger diameter tool has a downhole pressure transducer and an EC dipole for hydrological and lithological profiling. The probes are fitted with 20 HPT screens and an approximately 100 mL volume chamber. Attached to the end of the probe there is a DI supply line, which provides a consistent supply of DI water while the probe is advancing, and a mechanical bladder pump attached to a sample line that will pump ground water to the surface. As the tool is advanced through the subsurface the consistent supply of DI water being pumped down hole through a pressure transducer allows us to collect valuable HPT data as well discrete groundwater samples.

HRSC Tools Gallery

Scroll through our gallery to learn more about the technologies we use.

List and descriptions of tools used for high resolution site characterization and subsurface sampling, imaging, and analysis. Using MIP, HPT, MiHpt, CPT, HPT-GW, OIP, OiHPT, we are able to obtain, analyze, and represent very accurate results about the quality of a property and its geology, contamination, and soil quality.

MIP data is generated in real time, displaying detector response graphs along with the electrical conductivity readings of the soil. This is all displayed on a field laptop at the surface and typically deployed under a direct push rig.

F16000 with field laptop and EC (Electrical Conductivity) tool.

Mip integrated with hydraulic profiling and conductivity to measure soil quality for a site assessment.

MiHPT Log that includes an EC, HPT injection pressure with absolute piezometric pressure, MIP-PID, XSD, and FID detctor graphs and esimated hydraulic conductivity. This indicates that the majority of the contaminant mass is at a depth of 25 to 32 feet at this site.

The MIP Principle of Operation. The downhole, perable membrane serves as an interface to a detector at the surface. Volatiles in the subsurface diffuse across the membrane and partition into a stream of carrier gas where they can be swept to the detector. The membrane is heated so that travel by VOCs across this thin film is almost instantaneous. MIP acquisition software logs detector signal with depth.

The MiHPT is a cutting-edge technology that offers a powerful combination of logging tools; able to detect volatile compounds in the soil with MIP, and estimate soil permeability with the HPT. The probe is also equipped with the standard EC dipole. This is a powerful tool for hi res site characterization and site analysis.

Example of what a typical MIP log would include, indicating the extent and depth of soil contamination. This log was obtained on a fuel hydrocarbon contaminated which is confirmed by the lack of response on the XSD, which does not respond to fuel hydrocarbons and other non-halogenated compounds. The EC log indicates there is a transition from fine grain to coarse grain soil unit at this depth.

Illustration of the use of MIP in defining the depth at with contaminants are encountered.

EC, HPT presssure, MIP-PID and estimated K graphs.

An MIP log showing an EC soil log with MIP-XSD contaminant log.

Low level MIP (LL-MIP) log comparison that can detect ppbs. On the left is a standard MIP log at a site contaminated with chlorinated VOCs. On the left is an LL-Mip log, making the presence and location of the contaminants much clearer.

HPT schematic of a hydraulic profiling tool, showing a water tank, pump and flow meter, electronics/computer, trunkline, pressure sensor, screened injection port, and electrical conductivity array.

$Typical HPT Log with Piezometric pressure and estimated K values every fraction of an inch. Measurements of the injection pressure in the HPT system is made using a downhole pressure transducer.$