This web panel is part of a series of panel discussions in non-hydrocarbon applied geophysics promoted by the Latin American Regional Advisory Committee. With the participation of our three experts on the field of geothermal geophysics, the discussion will focus on describing the geophysical methods that are currently used in geothermal projects, the perspective of this sector in the region, and the potential technological innovations, including examples. In our web-panel format the presentations will be followed by discussion based on the participants’ questions.
Speaker Bios
William Cumming
William (Bill) Cumming is an independent consultant who provides technical services for geophysical surveys, geothermal resource assessment, geophysical research, and training in the geothermal industry. His 40+ years of geothermal experience includes more than 20 years with Unocal Corporation in positions from geophysicist to chief geoscientist. Since 2000, he has provided consulting services to clients in the geothermal, academic, and government industries at over 50 geothermal fields and 200 prospects in the Americas, SE Asia, Europe, and Africa. His recent publications have been directed at geothermal education, geophysical research and integrated geoscience assessments of geothermal resources. In 2013, Bill received a Geothermal Resources Council Special Achievement Award for, “outstanding contributions in improving the use of geophysical methods and conceptual models in the evaluation and development of geothermal resources.”
Luis Gallardo
Luis Alonso Gallardo is a titular researcher in the Department of Applied Geophysics and the current head director of the Earth Science Division at CICESE, Mexico. Since 2005, he has been a National Scientist from the National Council of Science and Technology in Mexico.. He obtained his PhD in Environmental Science from Lancaster University, UK (2005) and held the Goodeve Lectureship at The University of Western Australia from 2009 to 2011. He was nominated “Geophysics Outstanding Reviewer” in 2011. He was awarded the prestigious SEG Reginald Fessenden Award in 2019 for the development of the cross-gradient joint inversion and the “Luis de Anda y Barreda” medal in 2020 as a fellow distinguished graduate from Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico. Luis’ research focuses on geophysical inverse theory and the joint inversion of gravity, electromagnetic, and seismic data. He has worked on multiple projects for geothermal exploration funded by private companies and government agencies in Mexico since 2014. He has also worked on geophysical imaging for mineral and petroleum exploration in Western Australia, Western Turkey, Brazil, and East and West Africa.
Patricia de Lugão
Patricia de Lugão received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources from the University of South Carolina in 1988, a master’s degree in geophysics from the Observatório Nacional in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and a PhD in geophysics from the University of Utah in 1997. After her PhD, Patricia worked in the research department at Western Atlas developing modeling and inversion algorithms for array borehole tools. In the Geosignal division of Western Atlas, Patricia worked on two and three-dimensional refraction tomography techniques for statics correction and initial velocity model for PSDM from the foothills of South America to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2000, Patricia moved to Brazil and accepted a position with Landmark, working with the support group for the interpretation of seismic data. In 2003, Patricia founded Strataimage Consultoria Ltda, foreseeing an interest in the new marine electromagnetic techniques that were being developed. From 2003 to 2006, Strataimage brought to Brazil companies to introduce the Marine Controlled Source Electromagnetic method and seismic inversion. In 2008, Patricia participated in the first marine magnetotelluric survey offshore Brazil, on the Santos Basin. Patricia was instrumental in helping establish electromagnetic methods onshore and offshore in Brazil, leading most of the recent commercial onshore surveys in that country.