OUR THOUGHTS
“We usually find gas in new places with old ideas. Sometimes, also, we find gas in an old place with a new idea, but we seldom find much in an old place with an old idea. Several times in the past we have thought that we were running out of gas, whereas actually we were only running out of ideas.” -Park Dickey, 1958, “Oil is Found with Ideas”
The principles for Transformational Groundwater Exploration are rooted in the “Megawatershed” paradigm described by Bisson and Lehr, 2004, in their book “Modern Groundwater Exploration”. The term “transformational” refers to the fact that traditional aquifer systems tend to follow specific geological formations possessing primary porosity and permeability. In TGE, we exploit fracture networks that cut across geological formations, and are hence, “transformational”. These fracture networks, referred to as “fast-paths” typically are more conductive and transmissive than primary aquifer systems.
Our track record includes case studies of successful groundwater wells from around the world, in areas where traditional thinking was that there was no new groundwater to be found or extracted. Our track record includes case studies of successful groundwater wells from around the world, in areas where traditional
thinking was that there was no new groundwater to be found or extracted. The conceptual model for TGE is based on the principle of deep-seated subsurface aquifer systems within fracture zones of enhanced secondary porosity and permeability. These features are detectable at Earth’s surface as a fractal network that can extend well beyond topographic watersheds, and which can receive recharge from parts of multiple surface watersheds (Bisson, 2005). In the TGE approach, we recognize that >50% of groundwater may flow through fracture networks that occupy <<1% of the volume of the watershed, and we target our exploration protocols accordingly.
Proprietary Power7 mapping technologies (THOR) and algorithms (ECHO-GPM) gives our science team enhanced, integrative mapping tools to locate fracture networks, quantify precipitation, and determine recharge potential in any given area of the globe.