Historically, o/g exploration was generally limited to using seismic reflection and to a lesser degree other techniques such as gravity surveys, magnetic surveys, and passive seismic. While all of these techniques have been used to reduce risk none of them are capable of detecting the actual liquid within a potential oil play. The PL14 is slowly changing the way o/g exploration is being accomplished and many in the industry are beginning to take notice.

The PL14 only receives a signal when liquid within a storage area like an oil play is forced to move by a human generated seismic event, it can help confirm the presence of liquid within a prospective oil play. The PetroLocate technology is fairly new with a patent pending and is now being used by operators in Texas and Oklahoma as either a stand-alone exploration technique or as a compliment to traditional exploration methods.

The added risk reduction is improving the success rate of new oil wells with a current overall success rate of over 90% based on current use of the system. So how exactly does this new technology “level the playing field” for small to mid size oil firms? To start with, the investment in a PL14 unit is pennies on the dollar (for system purchase and operation) compared to the cost of traditional exploration system(s) which unlike the PL14 require access to large amounts of cleared land to survey, expensive equipment such as “thumper” trucks, geophones, explosives and man power to conduct a single seismic exploration survey not to mention the time consumed to complete exploration.

Traditional exploration methods are typically intrusive and can even interrupt the way of life for neighboring communities. An exploration survey with the PL14 seismoelectric system is literally as quiet as the tap of a keyboard, handheld rotary hammer and 4X4 truck moving from sounding site to sounding site. Additionally and far more important the PL14 Technology is the first of its kind to detect the actual mobile resistive liquid (oil, natural gas and fresh water) unlike traditional exploration methods that strictly detect geological variations. “Our clients in the groundwater and O/G community do not want to pay tens of thousands of dollars or more for exploration services to locate rock geology. They are in search of the real thing, hydrocarbons (oil or gas) or fresh water and they can now effectively do that without giving away to farm” – Ervin M. Kraemer.

Additionally, traditional exploration technology often requires specialize knowledge and formal education where nearly anyone from any background can be taught to conduct exploration services and interpret the resulting data with the PL14 for himself or others therefore lowering the cost of exploration up front and allowing for more net profit at the end of the project.