What is Electromagnetic Prospecting?

Electromagnetic prospecting is a technique for identifying the composition of deep underground structures in order to detect, quantify and monitor hydrocarbon (and other mineral) deposits.

By comparison, 3-D seismic surveying mainly reflects structural information, without giving the ability to directly indicate the presence of hydrocarbon deposits. The result of this is that by relying only upon 3-D seismic information, there is an ever present risk that expensive 'dry wells' are frequently drilled.

Electromagnetic prospecting offers a completely new insight by indicating porosity and oil content directly. When combined with seismic data electromagnetic prospecting gives a complete picture of formation structure and composition therefore significantly reducing the potential of drilling dry wells.

Our True Magnetic EM Surveying Method

Our method can show in detail the location and contours of the oil reservoir, at the critical oil-bearing depths of over 2,000 meters. This is done by reading the magnetic field directly, unlike other electromagnetic prospecting methods that because of weaker sensors must rely on the volatile dB/dt derivative.

Our technology enables us to apply two electromagnetic reading methods to accurately retrieve resistivity information of the deep underground structure: the Horizontal Source survey method together with our advanced modelling software, and our new Vertical Source survey method. Our Horizontal Source survey provides an area resistivity map of the deep underground, and the Vertical Source survey reveals the location and contours of the hydrocarbon resistivity anomaly directly.

The advantage of the True Magnetic method

Standard Magnetotelluric (MT) surveying, which measures naturally occurring magnetic fields, is highly reliant on modelling quality, which needs to account for the complex features of the natural magnetic field. Our Vertical Source technology has no need for such mathematical modelling: this greatly increases our reliability.

At shallow depths, the alternative time domain electromagnetic (TDEM) technology is available. However, induction coil technology used in ordinary commercial TDEM systems is not very sensitive, resulting in typical depths of only a few hundred metres. The usual depth of oil containing horizons is over 2000 metres. TDEM is widely used outside the petroleum prospecting market, for instance in prospecting for fresh water.

Quantum Prospecting's True Magnetic method exploits the full advantage of uniquely sensitive SQUID technology, which allows us to detect hydrocarbon reservoirs at depths of several thousand metres. SQUID sensors are more than two orders of magnitude more sensitive than induction-coil technology, and our proprietary processing techniques take advantage of this enhanced sensitivity, resulting in an effective method of electromagnetic prospecting at oil-bearing depths.

SURVEYS   HORIZONTAL   VERTICAL