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Proprietary NMR + satellite imaging

How the subsurface is read, step by step

Hydrocarbons, minerals and groundwater are identified directly at depth, remotely and non-invasively. The complete technology and its five-stage process are documented below.

See the process → Scientific foundation

+24,600 ft (7,500 m)Maximum depth of investigation

19,300 sq mi (50,000 km²)Coverage per project

2–4 monthsTime to results

100%Remote operation, no presence on site

Scientific foundation

Spectra are read, not inferred.

Every atomic element and molecular compound exhibits a distinct electromagnetic signature, a quantum fingerprint comparable to a barcode. That signature is detected directly.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is the phenomenon by which atomic nuclei absorb and re-emit electromagnetic radiation at precise resonance frequencies. Oil, gas, water, CO₂ and every mineral respond at their own characteristic frequency.

That signature is amplified and read remotely through the Earth's crust by means of satellite imagery and proprietary gel filters tuned to the spectral frequency of the target compound. Detection is direct and binary: the signature is either present or absent.

Analogy. In a room where every instrument is playing at once, the method operates as a microphone whose filter isolates the frequency of the instrument under investigation.

Satellite acquisition feeding change detection, clustering and time-series analysis. — Satellite acquisition feeds the change detection, clustering and time-series analysis of the target signal.

Other technologies

They measure density (muon tomography)
They measure resistivity (ERT / IP)
They measure the surface (hyperspectral)
They measure structure (seismic)

→ Then they interpret

Inside Earth

Detects the atomic fingerprint (NMR)
Isolates the specific frequency of the element
Measures concentration directly
Maps depth and thickness

→ Direct identification

The process

Five stages

1Preparation

Definition of elements (EOI) and laboratory preparation

The following are defined in close collaboration with each client:

EOI definition

Ore-deposit map used to delimit the target areas.

Element(s) of Interest (EOI).
Areas to investigate (Target Areas), together with the coordinates of the preferred mining or extraction locations.
Target concentrations of the EOI that have positive economic recoverable value.

Sample acquisition and analysis

Samples of the elements of interest prepared for analysis.

Clients are requested to provide samples of the EOI from the Target Areas. The quality of the sample determines the accuracy of the results.
Where a client does not provide a sample, an extensive database of previously analyzed minerals and hydrocarbons is available and a reference sample can be constructed; its accuracy will not, however, match that of a sample taken from the Target Areas.

EOI spectrum capture

Spectrum of the sample against the natural background.

Each EOI has its own Unique Quantum Profile (UQP).
The proprietary combination of technologies is applied to detect the UQP of each EOI.

2Stage 1

Satellite multispectral capture

Imagery is acquired from 14 satellite constellations, among them Landsat 8/9 (NASA), RADARSAT-2 (Canadian Space Agency) and TerraSAR-X (German Aerospace Center). In combination, these constellations permit the entire planet to be scanned every eight days. Up to 4,000 very-high-resolution digital images of the target area are acquired per project.

Band allocation. Hyperspectral (VNIR–SWIR) delineates ore-body and reservoir boundaries; microwave/SAR maps faults and fractures under cloud or canopy; ultraviolet highlights near-surface metals; visible refines targets; and far-infrared traces deep faults through thermal anomalies.

Satellite acquiring data over the Earth. — Global coverage is completed every eight days across 14 satellite constellations, among them Landsat 8/9, RADARSAT-2 and TerraSAR-X.

Acquisition swath over the target area. — Up to 4,000 very-high-resolution digital images are acquired over the target areas. The number varies with the pixel size each satellite covers and the complexity of the surface.

Stacked spectral layers with their wavelength bands. — The full spectrum is captured in stacked layers, from coastal/aerosol to shortwave infrared.

The same image rendered across four spectral ranges. — Visual representation of the wavelengths: the same image rendered across different spectral ranges.

Chart of the electromagnetic spectrum. — The electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelength and frequency chosen depend on the element of interest, the geological complexity of the target area and the depth of the project.

Labeled diagram of the Landsat 9 satellite. — Landsat 9, one of the constellations used. Its OLI-2 and TIRS-2 sensors cover the visible, near-infrared, shortwave-infrared and thermal bands.

Diagram of a cosmic-ray cascade producing muons. — Muons form part of cosmic radiation. With 207 times the mass of an electron, they penetrate the lithosphere and the Earth for several miles before disintegrating. The angles shown are exaggerated for clarity.

Muographic image of a volcano showing a low-density zone. — In the muographic image on the right, the low-density zone corresponds to the magma degassing process.

3Steps 2–10

The laboratory

This is the core of the method: nine steps in which each satellite image is turned into physical plates, marked with the target's quantum signature, amplified in a research reactor under nuclear magnetic resonance, and read back as digital data. It is a proprietary sequence predicated on the fact that every element resonates differently depending on its spin.

Conversion to analog plates

Each digital image is converted into a physical analog image plate using proprietary light-modulating equipment that manipulates intensity, phase and polarization.

Analog recording

The electromagnetic data is recorded onto high-fidelity silver-halide crystal plates, preserving every wavelength and frequency of the scene.

Resonant-gel application

A proprietary resonant gel — formulated with nanoparticles of the element of interest, rare earths and activators — is sputtered onto the plate to mark the target's unique quantum profile.

Filter matrix

An organometallic matrix plate is created from a metal-carbon substrate to act as a passive physical filter, isolating the quantum signature of the element of interest.

Irradiation in the reactor

The stacked plates are exposed to gamma emissions in a research-oriented IR-100 nuclear reactor to amplify the specific signals of the target elements.

NMR resonance

A nuclear magnetic resonance field, induced by the gamma rays, makes the plates resonate selectively according to the spin properties of each element.

Signal emission

Gamma and equivalent hard X-rays are emitted and displaced outside the NMR zone, carrying the filtered response of the target.

Resonance profile capture

An X-ray film captures only the filtered signals, creating a deposit locator plate for each analog image — the final detection layer.

Development and scanning

The films are chemically developed and scanned at high resolution, converting the physical findings back into digital data.

Metal-ceramic matrix plates on the preparation bench. — The resonant gel is prepared before being sputtered onto the metal-ceramic matrix plates.

Technician operating a spectrometer. — The atomic spectra of the sample are recorded in the laboratory.

Upper deck of a research reactor. — The upper deck of the research reactor, where the stacked plates are exposed to gamma emissions.

Reactor control room with monitoring screens. — The control room, from which the irradiation cycle is monitored.

The role of spin. Some elements resonate strongly and are readily detected; others do not. Where a target is weakly resonant, the strongly resonant companion elements present in the same rock are used to guide the search, so that a weakly resonant target may be located by association.

4Steps 11–13

From signals to maps

Once the plates have been read, the anomalies are analyzed, tied to precise coordinates and turned into maps. Depth and volume come from the parallax method: the apparent shift of a target between images taken from satellites at different orbital inclinations reveals how deep it lies and how large it is.

Anomaly analysis

Densitometric and spectral analysis of the gamma-induced anomalies confirms occurrences directly linked to the presence of the target element.

Anomaly georeferencing

The confirmed anomalies are superimposed on visible imagery of the license area with precise geographic coordinates in WGS-84.

Image superposition for concentration calculation

Spatial maps are superimposed to visualize the estimated concentration and distribution of the target across the project area.

Survey network over the four sectors of the property. — The network of measurement points laid out over the four sectors of the property.

Detected anomalies over the base imagery. — The anomalies detected, shown over the same base imagery.

Anomalies and boundaries of the four sectors. — The anomalies together with the boundaries of the four sectors surveyed.

Detail map of sector 1. — Sector 1 in detail: five anomalies, from AP1-1 to AP1-5.

Detail map of sector 2. — Sector 2 in detail: three anomalies, from AP-2-1 to AP-2-3.

Detail map of sector 3. — Sector 3 in detail: four anomalies, from AP3-1 to AP3-4.

5Step 14

What the client receives

All the data is cross-validated and synthesized into a final report. It complements — it does not replace — established reserves-reporting frameworks, and is designed to be handed to a client's own technical team or independent evaluator.

Georeferenced anomaly maps

Contours and coordinates of every anomaly, in WGS-84 over the concession.

Depth and volume estimates

Depths of occurrence and approximate thicknesses of the target horizons.

Recommended drilling points

Optimal coordinates and schematic depth columns to focus the drilling program.

Maps indicating concentration

Spatial distribution and estimated concentration of the target across the area.