Geothermal Exploration

On the earth’s volcanic “ring of fire”, New Zealand has long been a world leader in geothermal research. But at the Institute of Earth Science and Engineering (IESE) we are taking this expertise one step further with technology that is transforming the way industry can access new sources of power around the world.

In Iceland, our Joint Geophysical Imaging (JGI) technology helped quickly find a top producing well in the Krafla geothermal field. And at Olkaria, in Kenya, it delivered over 100% productivity gains on previous methods for discovery and drilling - with savings estimated by the United Nations Environmental Program as worth $75 million for a 70MW power plant.

IESE provides turn-key geothermal exploration surveys and specialised services for the geothermal industry.

Exploration and Monitoring Services

Consulting & Project Management

Data integration & processing
Well targeting
Seismic tomography
Geological and geochemical surveying
Reservoir complexity and modeling
Electromagnetic TEM and MT interpretation

Electromagnetic Profiling

MT, TEM, and CSAMT profiling
Leading equipment - Phoenix Geophysics
Over 1000 soundings conducted world-wide
Joint interpretation

Geological Mapping & Geochemical Analysis

Field mapping and sample collection
Fluid inclusion analysis
Petrographic microscopy
Scanning electron microscopy
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
General Area Diffraction Detection System

Microseismic Monitoring Networks

Permanent and temporary installations
Borehole and surface
Radio telemetry and automatic event detection
Mobile rental network for fast deployments
Advanced and basic data analysis

Custom Borehole Instrumentation

For scientific and commercial applications
High pressure and high temperature
High sensitivity and long life, all instrumentation is passive

Seismology

Seismic array optimization
Borehole seismology
Fracture distribution analysis

Geothermal Engineering

Reservoir modeling
Geothermal well-test analysis software
Subsidence modeling