Natural Resources Survey

Geothermal Resources

The government of Japan declared that it would aim to achieve "Carbon Neutrality" and reduce of greenhouse gass emissions to zero by 2050. To achieve this goal in the electricity sector, we are promoting the transition from fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) to renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, etc.), which has low carbon dioxide emissions during electricity generation.
Geothermal power generation not only produces clean energy but also is more stable baseload energy source compared to solar and wind energy, which are easily impacted by climates, because it utilizes vapor at high temperatures (200-350°C) and boiling water that was heated up by magma deep underground (1-3km below ground) near volcanos.

Conceptual illustration of the completed Appi Geothermal Power Station (provided by Appi Geothermal).

As a member of the group of companies of Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, a geothermal electricity producer, we are performing surficial geoscience surveys (satellite image analysis, geological and geochemical surveys, geophysical survey) and deep underground exploration and assessment (drilling survey, resources assessment) to explore and discover undeveloped geothermal resources.
As geothermal resources are generally found near volcanoes or hot springs, we conduct environmental monitoring surveys to evaluate the impact of development on the surrounding environment, including hot springs.

地質調査 環境モニタリング調査
Geological SurveyEnvironmental monitoring survey
物理探査 ボーリング調査
Geophysical explorationBoring survey

As a further effort to achieve carbon neutrality, research and development on ”supercritical geothermal power generation” which exist in deeper areas than conventional geothermal resources and generate electricity using high-temperature vapor (400-600℃) and boiling water, are in progress and being led by the government.
We were selected by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan as a "Zero Emissions Challenge Company" for our participation in the "Development of Methods of Geophysical Survey and Resource Assessment," which focused on developing technology for supercritical geothermal power generation, considered to be a next-generation geothermal power generation technology.

Conceptual diagram of supercritical geothermal resources"Companies Taking on the Zero-Emission Challenge" logo

Energy and Metallic Mineral Resources

Our consultation department uses technologies, such as surficial geoscience surveys and deep underground exploration and assessment, acquired in the mining industry as a foundation for the development of various energy and metallic mineral resources (copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, minor metals, rare-earth elements, coal, uranium, petroleum, natural gas).

銅鉱山(インド)
Copper mine (India)

By applying the subterranean geoscience knowledge we acquired through natural resource development and survey, exploration, and assessment technologies, we participate in projects, such as national petroleum stockpiling (oil and LPG stockpiling in underground rock cavern tank system), geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, and CCS (Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage). CCS is a technology to immobilize and store carbon dioxide captured at fossil fuel thermal power plants or industrial plants by injecting them into deep underground geological formations (rocks) with pressure and is essential to achieve the gradual reduction of fossil fuel use and carbon neutrality. We contribute to solving the challenges of creating a decarbonized society through geological disposals and CCS projects.

Measurement (Technology Development)

We are developing measurement technologies to visualize and 3D model the deep underground geological environment (rocks, minerals, faults, heat, and hydrology) in order to survey, explore, and assess natural resources.
One achievement in technology development for supercritical geothermal resources, which are considered a next-generation geothermal energy production technology, was revealing a 3D figure of magma, which is a supercritical geothermal heat source existing approximately 5 km below ground by the magnetotelluric method, one of exploration method in geophysics. We estimated the resource amount to be 100MW (1/10 of a nuclear power plant).

Geothermal structure model of supercritical geohtermal resources

We are applying the data processing and analysis technology for satellite image data, one of surficial geoscience survey methods, to develop the technology to recover 3D models of target objects using images taken by drones and regular cameras. With this technology we can also extract shape changes and the movement of target objects. The video below is an example of creating 3D models of a tunnel using a picture taken in the tunnel and the image processing and analysis method called SfM (Structure from Motion). We can observe geological formations (rocks) of different colors distributed inside tunnels as 3D models and extract various information on the geological environment as numerical values.

3D model of a mine gallery

List of Articles, Patents, etc.

・List of Articles, Patents, etc.