What SJ Geophysics does

SJ Geophysics Ltd. is a Canadian full-service geophysical services firm headquartered in Delta, British Columbia. Founded in 1989 as a subsidiary of S.J.V. Consultants Ltd., the company provides field acquisition, survey design, data processing, consulting, and interpretation services primarily to mining and mineral exploration companies, with secondary exposure to environmental/engineering and oil & gas clients. The firm is family-controlled, led by President and Senior Geophysicist/Geologist Syd Visser, with Joyce Visser as Office/Project Manager and Alex Visser as Equipment Rental Manager.

The company's core technology platform is the Volterra System, a proprietary distributed acquisition system comprising field acquisition units and advanced signal processing software. It is offered in four specialized configurations: Volterra-IP (induced polarization and resistivity with customized 3D arrays and four-channel active sensors), Volterra-EM (electromagnetic surveys with 3-component acquisition), Volterra-BH (borehole surveys to depths greater than 2 km without heavy surface cabling), and Volterra-MT (magnetotelluric surveys with simultaneous electric and magnetic field measurement). Supporting proprietary tools include the CSProc signal processing package, a parallelized version of the UBC-GIF DCIP 3D inversion code, and JavIP QC software for data quality management.

SJ Geophysics generates revenue through two primary streams: professional services (customized geophysical field surveys and consulting across the project lifecycle) and hardware (Volterra System leasing and broader equipment rentals). Equipment rental distribution is channeled through partner Thor Geo Science Rentals Ltd., with direct Volterra leasing managed internally. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales, with project engagement initiated via direct website contact forms, phone, and email. Named enterprise clients include Goldreach Resources, HPX, and Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp., and the firm reports project experience across diverse global physiographic regions.

Name

SJ Geophysics

Legal name

SJ Geophysics Ltd.

Website

https://sjgeophysics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SJ Geophysics is a Canadian geophysical services firm providing proprietary Volterra distributed acquisition instrumentation, field surveys, and consulting for mineral exploration companies. Founded in 1989, the family-controlled firm delivers end-to-end project support across mining, environmental, and oil & gas sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geophysical Survey Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Support Activities for Mining (213)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382)

akta.pro primary industry

Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Geophysical survey services
• Mineral exploration surveys
• Induced polarization surveys
• Magnetotelluric surveys
• Borehole geophysics

Headquarters

HQ city

Delta

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Geophysical Survey Services: Field acquisition services including Resistivity (DC) and Induced Polarization (IP), Electromagnetic (EM), Magnetotelluric (AMT/MT), Magnetic, Gravity, and Borehole Surveys. Services are customized to client project requirements.
2. Consulting Services: Project management, survey evaluation and design, data analysis, compilation and visualization, inversion and modeling, and interpretations. Comprehensive support throughout geophysical project lifecycle.
3. Equipment Rentals: In association with Thor Geo Science Rentals Ltd., rents out geophysical survey equipment. Leasing options available for Volterra Acquisition System for surface and borehole surveys.
4. Volterra System Leasing: Leasing options for Volterra Acquisition System for surface and borehole surveys, offered through Alex Visser.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SJ Geophysics is a full-service geophysical provider that designs, builds, and operates the proprietary Volterra distributed acquisition system for induced polarization, electromagnetic, magnetotelluric, and borehole surveys. The company delivers field geophysical survey acquisition, custom survey design, consulting, data analysis, inversion and modeling, and interpretation services primarily to mining, mineral exploration, environmental, and oil and gas clients globally.

Product overview

SJ Geophysics offers a unified portfolio anchored by the Volterra System, a distributed acquisition platform with four specialized sub-products: Volterra-IP for induced polarization and resistivity surveys, Volterra-EM for electromagnetic surveys, Volterra-BH for borehole surveys (operating at depths greater than 2 km), and Volterra-MT for magnetotelluric surveys. This core technology is complemented by a full suite of geophysical survey services including resistivity/IP, EM, magnetotelluric, magnetic, gravity, and borehole surveys, plus consulting services covering survey evaluation and design, data analysis, compilation and visualization, inversion and modeling, interpretations, project management, and equipment rentals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Volterra System: A distributed acquisition system designed and developed by SJ Geophysics Ltd. for geophysical surveys including induced polarization (IP), electromagnetics (EM), borehole (BH), and magnetotellurics (MT) surveys. Features advanced signal processing software and customizable acquisition units.

Products and services

• Volterra System A distributed acquisition system designed and developed by SJ Geophysics Ltd., comprising Volterra acquisition units and advanced signal processing software. Compatible with induced polarization (IP), electromagnetics (EM), borehole (BH), and magnetotelluric (MT) surveys, and available through leasing for surface and borehole surveys.
• Resistivity (DC) and Induced Polarization (IP) Surveys
• Controlled Source Electromagnetic (EM) Surveys
• Magnetotelluric (AMT/MT) Surveys
• Magnetic Surveys
• Gravity Surveys
• Borehole Surveys
• Survey Evaluation and Design (SED)
• Data Analysis
• Compilation and Visualization
• Inversion and Modeling
• Interpretations
• Project Management
• Equipment Rentals

Quantifiable outcome

• Depth penetration greater than 2 km with borehole surveys
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Thor Geo Science Rentals Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn association with SJ Geophysics, Thor Geo Science Rentals Ltd. rents out geophysical survey equipment at a competitive rate. Support and training on instrument operation can be arranged at additional cost. They serve as the equipment rental channel partner for SJ Geophysics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• DIAS Geophysical: Provider of distributed IP and MT acquisition systems (DIAS32/DIAS-Pro) used in mineral exploration, analogous to SJ Geophysics' Volterra platform. Comparable as a more recent distributed acquisition competitor with overlapping IP/MT focus.

Broad incumbents

• TGS: Global energy data and intelligence provider with growing multi-physics and minerals data businesses, including magnetic, gravity, and seismic libraries. Adjacent incumbent expanding into the minerals geophysics space SJ Geophysics serves.
• Schlumberger / SLB: World's largest oilfield services and increasingly diversified geoscience/minerals services provider. Comparable as a deep-pocketed incumbent offering geophysical acquisition and interpretation across energy and mining segments.
• CGG (Compagnie Générale de Géophysique): Major global geoscience company offering seismic acquisition, multi-physics imaging, and mining/minerals data services. Indirect competitor in geophysical survey services though much broader in scale and skewing toward seismic and oil & gas.

Direct peers

• Geotech Ltd. Canadian provider of airborne and ground geophysical surveys plus instrumentation (VTEM systems), serving mineral exploration and environmental clients. Comparable on the mix of survey services and proprietary hardware development.
• Phoenix Geophysics: Specialist in magnetotelluric (MT/AMT) and IP instrumentation and surveys, particularly for deep exploration including minerals, geothermal, and oil & gas. Highly comparable given overlapping MT/IP product focus and distributed acquisition offerings.
• Abitibi Geophysics: Canadian mineral exploration-focused geophysical service provider offering ground IP, EM, magnetic, gravity, and borehole surveys. Closely matches SJ Geophysics' mining-first service orientation and Canadian roots.
• IRIS Instruments: European manufacturer of IP, resistivity, MT, and borehole geophysical instruments used in mineral, environmental, and geotechnical exploration. Comparable as a proprietary hardware designer in directly overlapping IP/resistivity product categories.
• Zonge International: US-based provider of geophysical survey services (IP, CSAMT, MT, TEM) and equipment for mineral exploration, groundwater, and geotechnical markets. Direct competitor in the IP/EM/magnetotelluric ground survey space.
• Quantec Geophysics: Canadian-based provider of ground geophysical surveys and instrumentation for mineral exploration, with a very similar service portfolio (IP, EM, MT, magnetics, gravity) and customer base of mining companies. Directly comparable as a North America-focused ground geophysics specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SJGeophysics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SJ Geophysics