Electromagnetics in onshore exploraton geophysics – a case of work in progress.

While seismic disciplines rightly enjoy some 95% of the annual geophysics spend, electromagnetics techniques have until recently struggled to escape the niche discipline trap “interesting – but what do we do with it”. Offshore CSEM applications generated largely welcome attention and investment, followed by the current auditing phase and cautious contracting. Onshore EM applications compete in a different reality, where explorations wells typically cost only a few % of their offshore counterparts. Surface conditions become electromagnetically noisier as industrial infrastructure expands, while the exploration or development targets become more focused (so smaller) or deeper. We’ll discuss why, in the face of such odds, we’re investing in Land EM technology, and what remains to be done to get the best from it.