NPA Satellite Mapping is the longest-established satellite mapping specialist in Europe, with expertise in geoscience applications of earth observation and remote sensing. In addition to processing and distributing data from a variety of optical and radar satellites, NPA specialises in added-value and derived products, providing validation and interpretation of satellite-based imagery.

Company

The company was founded in 1972 as

Nigel Press Nigel Press (born 8 March 1949) is a British geologist who pioneered the development of commercial applications of satellite earth observation technology in geo-science, and founded Europe's longest standing satellite mapping company. Early life ...

Associates. In April 2008 the company was acquired by Fugro, a Dutch group who provide geotechnical, survey and geoscience services to the oil, gas, mining and construction industries.Press release
/ref> In 2013 Fugro divested it's Geoscience Division, which included NPA, to CGG. The company remains based in

Edenbridge Edenbridge may mean: * Edenbridge (band), a symphonic metal band from Austria *Edenbridge, Kent, a town in England *Edenbridge, Saskatchewan, a former Jewish settlement in Canada *Humber Valley Village Humber Valley Village is a neighbourhood lo ...

, UK.

Imagery and Elevation Data

NPA distributes optical and radar imagery at a range of resolutions, maintaining one of the largest private satellite image archives, and provide advice and acquisition services for more specific customer applications. As a member of the SARCOM consortium, NPA also distribute radar data from the ESA satellites. The company also supply satellite and airborne derived terrain and elevation products, including Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), building height maps, 3D views and fly-throughs.

Oil and Mineral Exploration

NPA specialises in a range of techniques for both onshore and offshore exploration. Onshore, their expertise in structural geological interpretation and mineral mapping is increasingly complemented by newer applications such as seismic planning, subsidence mapping and reservoir modelling. Offshore, NPA's Global Offshore Seep Project uses

SAR SAR or Sar may refer to: Places * Sar (river), Galicia, Spain * Sar, Bahrain, a residential district * Sar, Iran (disambiguation), several places in Iran * Sar, Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region of China * Šar Mountains, in southeastern Europe ...

data to detect oil seepage from potential reservoirs.

Ground Stability

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) can generate maps of surface deformation or elevation, using satellite radar data. Depending on the situation, InSAR can detect and monitor centimetre to millimetre scale deformation over wide areas, right down to monitoring of local areas and structures. Applications include monitoring of urban structures, infrastructure, tunnelling, subsidence, landslides, resource extraction and geological phenomena. In addition to a wide variety of commercial projects, they have a significant involvement with national and European bodies such as British National Space Centre,

British Geological Survey The British Geological Survey (BGS) is a partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research. The BGS h ...

and the

European Space Agency , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

(ESA). Major projects include Terrafirma, which provides a ground motion hazard information service distributed throughout Europe via national geological surveys and institutions, and the Pipemon project which studied remote sensing technology for routing and monitoring of pipelines. Their PSI study of London in collaboration with the

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...

received national press coverage, showing ongoing subsidence in east London.BBC article
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:NPA Satellite Mapping Map companies of the United Kingdom Companies based in Kent British companies established in 1972

Company

Imagery and Elevation Data

Oil and Mineral Exploration

Ground Stability

See also

References