Quantec Geoscience Ltd

Overview

Quantec Geoscience Ltd. is a geophysical survey company specializing in ground-based electrical and EM surveys. We offer a full turnkey solution to customers – from project planning all the way to final interpretation. Most of the 5,000+ projects we have done have been for the mining sector, but we do conduct a significant number of surveys for the geothermal and oil & gas sectors. We specialize in DCIP and MT surveys, and also conduct conventional surveys such as Time Domain Electromagnetics (TEM), Borehole Time Domain Electromagnetics (BTEM), resistivity, magnetics,VLF, gravity, and Controlled Source Magnetotellurics (CSAMT).

A key aspect of our business model is that we control everything that makes up the geophysical survey operation – planning, recording equipment, acquisition, processing, and interpretation. With everything under our control, we are able to optimize each component, and integrate them all, and do not need to rely on third parties. We are confident this ensures optimal results.

History 

Quantec was formed in 1986. During the first few years, as Quantec established itself in the Canadian minerals exploration market, it began to envision more advanced ways of doing things. Throughout the 1990’s, the company expanded into the United States, South America, and Australia. But meanwhile, in the background, ideas were percolating, and in 2000, geophysical vision merged with technological advancement to create a big step forward in survey methodology, with the development of the TITAN 24 system.

During the 2000’s, as the mining sector boomed, Quantec not only focused on getting surveys done. Hardware and software R&D continued to be a priority, and in 2010 Quantec came out with ORION 3D, the world’s only true 3D system. This has taken 3D acquisition techniques and high-resolution capacity to a higher level, positioning Quantec well for future growth and geophysical excellence.

Field operations

From the start Quantec has been a geophysical survey acquisition company, and we pride ourselves for the quality of our field work. The 5,000+ and counting surveys conducted by Quantec have been located in basically any and every type of environment found on this planet’s surface – arctic, desert, mountain, jungle; hot, cold, dry, wet; populated, remote, dangerous, safe. You name it, we’ve been there!

We know what it takes to plan a survey, deploy equipment and personnel to the survey site, record the data, and get out – efficiently, effectively, and safely. Our customers get the benefit of this experience, on every project.

Recording technology

Our proprietary field recording systems are known around the geophysical world by their names derived from the age of Greek mythology, a period linked with significant advances in human knowledge and exploration:

• ORION 3D’s omni-directional DCIP & MT data is collected and inverted in true 3D, providing high resolution images. ORION 3D offers the most accurate and clear 3D picture possible, from near surface to approximately 2 km deep.
• 
  TITAN 24 DCIP & MT is renowned for introducing sophisticated advancements in 2D DCIP acquisition and the introduction of MT data to the mining industry (near surface to 1.5 km depth).  TITAN-24 employs full-waveform receivers, continuous current monitoring, 100% duty cycle transmits and advanced FFT signal processing to extract both DCIP and MT geophysical data.
  SPARTAN AMT and MT record full tensor magnetotelluric signals from great depths. Recording over the usable broad frequency range, Spartan AMT gives the highest resolution; Spartan MT gives the deepest possible image of the subsurface, from near surface to 10 km deep and beyond, depending on survey design.

Processing and interpretation

The processing and interpretation of geophysical survey data is a critical part of survey success. Our processors are trained geophysicists with many years of experience, both in the field and the office. Quantec’s interpretation team is made up of several scientists at the Masters and Ph.D. level, with decades of geophysical inversion experience.

We match our brain power with computing power. A combination of several powerful computer systems including Linux and Windows machines with 10’s of cores and 100’s GB RAM all based at headquarters in Toronto is capable of inverting the biggest 3D volumes of both DCIP and MT in a time effective manner.

Combined, these resources (computers and brains) offer our customers the most accurate geophysical results possible.

R&D

Quantec maintains an active in-house R&D effort, continually working on new hardware and software applications to give our customers better products and service. Our strategy combines the cost advantages of commercially available solutions with strategically developed in-house technologies designed to deliver superior performance and results. We take the time to thoroughly understand and calibrate every piece of equipment to exacting standards unprecedented in the industry. We have developed circuitry modifications inside our recording boxes, custom hardware enhancements, and proprietary software solutions.

To serve the evolving needs of exploration clients, Quantec continues to improve its technologies. Current advances include the rollout ofORION 3D a true 3D DCIP-MT system, and the implementation of massive scale computing power and inversions.

HSE

Quantec fosters a healthy work-site culture, and adheres to high HSE standards. We are busy implementing protocols, policies, equipment and reporting to meet the most stringent O&G requirements. We have total commitment from senior management to keeping our crews trained, safe and responsible.

Scope of operations

Quantec is the world’s largest (non-seismic) ground geophysical company, with its head office in Toronto, Canada, regional offices in Argentina, Australia, and Chile, and local offices in Barbados and Peru. Quantec is set up to mobilize crews and equipment to anywhere they are required, even on short notice.

A geothermal system is made up of three main elements: a heat source, a reservoir and a fluid.

A geothermal reservoir is an under-ground area of cracked and porous (permeable) hot rock saturated with hot water. The water and steam from these superheated reservoirs are the geothermal resources we use to generate electricity.

Post-survey and further exploration: ORION 3D feedback

A critical part of the exploration and development process

“I can’t imagine undertaking a drill program without first using the ORION 3D technology. The level of detail captured byORION 3D’s high-resolution survey easily outlined the unique shape of known resources of mineral resources on our property. Previously, our traditional geophysical surveys weren’t helping to create a stable drill program. But Quantec’sORION 3D provided a significantly more dense  and detailed sampling of the subsurface to help us navigate challenges in our exploration program. We became confident about where the deposit was—and we knew exactly where it wasn’t—so unnecessary drilling was avoided, extending our exploration budget. In fact, we used ORION 3D’s data and Quantec’s interpretation to note previously unidentified mineralisation areas across the Golden Arrow Property for further exploration (based on similar geophysical features).”
William B. Henderson - CEO & Director, Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp.

Investors respect Quantec’s name

Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp. used ORION 3D to focus their drill program so they could confidently tell investors:
“An ORION 3D survey will be conducted over a 1500 acre trend of mineralisation. Results from this survey will be used to locate target areas that have not been detected by traditional geophysical survey methods. We’ll use findings from this survey to identify drill targets.”

Other clients say 

Refine and advance existing targets while outlining new ones

“The TITAN 24 geophysical survey, in conjunction with detailed geologic mapping and drilling, has assisted us with understanding the mineral potential at Los Zorros. We will utilise this exploration tool again.”
Jeffrey Dahl - President, SAMEX Mining Corp. 

Prioritise the greatest potential targets

“The TITAN 24 survey and drilling developed an overall picture of the large scale mineralised system to depth. The ability of the TITAN 24 system to define the limits of existing deposits and help identify new targets has been well demonstrated at several mines and deposits near Freegold Mountain. Results of the TITAN 24 survey combined with those from the current drill programs in the Nucleus and Revenue Zones should help us prioritise the highest potential targets in what we already know is a very large scale gold-copper porphyry system.”
Bill Harris – Chairman & COO, Northern Freegold Resources

 Define targets to depths in excess of 500 m

“The TITAN 24 survey has defined significant chargeability anomalies extending to depths in excess of 500 m. The results of the TITAN 24 survey have significantly improved our knowledge of the mineralisation at Chacay, and we intend to initiate a drilling program in the near future to further define these new targets.”

“We anticipate that the TITAN 24 survey, which can provide information to depths in excess of 750 m, will enable us to better define the geometry of the mineralisation at Chacay. Based on the results of this survey, Coro intends to complete a drill program aimed at continuing to define the extent of the Nacho Zone chalcocite blanket, testing the deeper portions of the deposit for primary copper mineralisation, and exploring other zones on the property.” 
Alan Stephens – President and CEO, Coro Mining Corp.

Locate minerals without outcropping

“The TITAN 24 deep penetrating IP survey technique has proven itself an excellent predictive tool for spotting drill holes on the Kemess property in areas where there is no outcropping of mineralisation.”
Ken Stowe - President and CEO, Northgate Minerals Corporation

New discoveries on existing property: “An extension of known mineralisation for 350 metres to the south!”

“The discovery of previously unknown mineralisation without the deformation zone at Dukwe was a direct result of using the TITAN 24 geophysical system. This cutting-edge technology has allowed us to extend mineralisation within sight of our processing facility. We are excited by the success that has been achieved in the drill testing of the first TITAN 24 generated target.”
Joseph Hamilton – CEO, African Copper Plc

Image hard-to-reach resources

“The [TITAN 24] survey indicates that potential host rocks for a porphyry copper system are present beneath volcanic cover.”Bruce Gavin – President, Franconia Minerals Corporation

Call now to hear more client success stories. Quantec has also helped numerous other companies, including:

Boxxer Gold, North Country Gold Corp., Capstone Mining Corp., Romios Gold Resources and Tribute Minerals.