Understanding land telemetry cable testing and save money

Data transmission problems in modern land acquisition systems have heightened contractors' awareness of telemetric cable quality. With many of these problems attributable to cables and connectors, comprehensive testing of these components has become essential, not only to comply with client specifications, but more fundamentally, to ensure reliable data acquisition. Because crew down-time caused by cable faults has become a major factor in the cost of acquiring seismic data, this issue should be of interest to the wider geophysical community. A better understanding of a cable's numerous electrical parameters and a professional approach to cable testing can save money at four distinct operational levels. The man laying out the line wants to know if the cable will work today. He needs a quick, simple test routine and a fast 'one button' operation. A bad cable can be taken off the line before it is deployed and sent to the repair shop. Patrick Burger (1999) emphasized the operational difficulties in laying out heavy multichannel cables, particularly in jungle or mountainous regions. He showed how these difficulties translate directly into financial cost - a cost doubled, it might be added, if the cable later proves faulty and has to be substituted.