Magnetic Geophysical Services Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Magnetic Geophysical Services Market is projected to expand from USD 15.65 Billion in 2025 to USD 24.05 Billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 7.42%. This sector centers on the specialized gathering and interpretation of magnetic field data to map subsurface geological features for hydrocarbon, mineral, and environmental purposes. Growth is primarily fuelled by the rising global need for critical minerals like lithium and copper to support the energy transition, alongside increasing demands for non-invasive geothermal resource evaluations. These essential requirements drive natural resource firms to fund extensive magnetic surveys to accurately identify potential deposits, establishing a solid foundation for service demand that transcends temporary technological trends.

Conversely, the industry encounters significant hurdles related to the scarcity of risk capital available to junior mining firms, a factor that often restricts the number of new exploration contracts. This financial limitation is evident in recent market activities. For example, the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies reported in 2025 that annual mineral exploration spending in the pivotal Australian market fell by 7.3% to $3.95 billion for the 2024 calendar year. This statistic highlights how cautious investment environments can directly obstruct the growth of geophysical service operations.

Market Drivers

The surge in exploration for critical minerals required for the energy transition acts as a primary catalyst for the Global Magnetic Geophysical Services Market, driven by the global move toward electrification which demands fresh reserves of nickel, lithium, and copper. Magnetic surveys serve as an essential first step in this process, pinpointing magnetic signatures linked to structural traps and mineralization prior to the commencement of costly drilling operations. This trend is especially prominent in major mining regions where base metals are favored over traditional resources. As noted by Geoscience Australia in their May 2025 'Australian Mineral Exploration Expenditure 2024' report, exploration expenditure dedicated to copper - crucial for grid infrastructure - hit $575 million for the year, highlighting the sector's strong focus on energy-vital materials.

Concurrently, the rise of UAV-based magnetic survey technologies is broadening the market's reach by providing a cost-efficient substitute for conventional airborne techniques, particularly for smaller or inaccessible targets. These UAV systems permit lower flight altitudes, resulting in high-resolution magnetic data that reveals complex geological features often missed by coarser surveys. A practical demonstration of this capability occurred recently; according to a December 2024 press release from Vortex Energy Corp., the firm successfully conducted a magnetic survey with tight 25-meter line spacing at its Robinsons River Salt Project to map subsurface anomalies. This technological uptake supports a favorable industry forecast, with Natural Resources Canada projecting in 2025 that national spending intentions for deposit appraisal and mineral exploration will rise by 5% to $4.2 billion, signaling continued investment in subsurface data collection.

Market Challenges

A major obstacle facing the Global Magnetic Geophysical Services Market is the restricted access to risk capital for junior mining companies. These smaller firms are the main engines of greenfield exploration, a phase where magnetic surveys are indispensable for detecting early subsurface anomalies and characterizing geological targets. When equity markets turn risk-averse or interest rates increase, these entities find it difficult to obtain the funding needed for initial data acquisition. As a result, they are frequently compelled to postpone or annul geophysical initiatives, which directly diminishes the flow of new contracts for service providers and causes market activity to stagnate.

This reduction in expenditure is clearly visible in key global exploration centers that act as industry indicators. According to the Association for Mineral Exploration, the junior exploration sector in British Columbia reported a 22% drop in spending for the 2024 year in their 2025 data. Such a substantial decrease in investment by this core customer group illustrates how financial limitations immediately result in lower demand for geophysical data gathering. This liquidity shortage hinders the launch of new projects, thereby impeding the overall revenue expansion of the magnetic geophysical services industry, notwithstanding the enduring demand for mineral resources.

Market Trends

The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning into data interpretation is transforming the market, moving the emphasis from simple data collection to predictive deposit targeting. Tech-focused explorers and service providers are deploying proprietary algorithms to scrutinize extensive magnetic datasets, detecting distinct patterns that human analysis frequently overlooks. This technological progression is drawing substantial venture capital, confirming the commercial potential of AI-driven exploration as a standard service. For example, Mining Technology reported in January 2025 that Earth AI secured $20 million in Series B funding to broaden its predictive technology portfolio, which seeks to drastically improve discovery success rates relative to conventional techniques.

Additionally, the convergence of multi-physics data integration methods marks a structural shift in survey approaches, advancing beyond standalone magnetic datasets to create comprehensive multi-parameter models. Modern exploration campaigns often require the concurrent collection of spectral, electrical, and magnetic data to decipher complex geological structures hidden under deep cover. This unified strategy refines the resolution of subsurface anomalies, offering a more precise foundation for expensive drill targeting. A prominent instance of this strategy was noted by InvestMETS in January 2025, detailing how the partnership between Ivanhoe Electric and BHP successfully executed over 5,600 line-kilometres of airborne magnetic surveying alongside 1,500 line-kilometres of hyperspectral surveying, illustrating the industry's dedication to layering varied geophysical datasets for precise exploration.

Key Players Profiled in the Magnetic Geophysical Services Market

• Schlumberger Limited
• Geotech Ltd.
• TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA
• Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.
• Bell Geospace, Ltd.
• TERRADAT UK LTD.
• Quantec Geoscience USA Inc.
• BHP Group Limited
• China Oilfield Services Limited
• Weatherford International PLC
• Gradline Limited
• Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Magnetic Geophysical Services Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Magnetic Geophysical Services Market, by Technology:

• Seismic
• Magnetic
• Electromagnetic
• Gradiometry
• Gravity
• Borehole logging
• Others

Magnetic Geophysical Services Market, by Survey Type:

• Land-based
• Marine-based
• Aerial-based

Magnetic Geophysical Services Market, by End-user:

• Oil & Gas
• Mining
• Agriculture
• Water Exploration
• Others

Magnetic Geophysical Services Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Magnetic Geophysical Services Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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