MagiQ Technologies Taps Sandia Labs for Extreme Seismic Sensor Tests; Results Far Exceed High Temperature Benchmarks for Geothermal Applications
Prolonged exposure to 300°C demonstrates long-term reliability for the Company’s innovative, fiber-optic geothermal sensors
Somerville, MA, April 23, 2024 – MagiQ Technologies, the leader in optical sensor innovation for, defense, and telecom, announced today that they have successfully demonstrated the high-temperature capabilities of their fiber-optic accelerometers during extensive simulated testing at Sandia National Laboratories.
The goal of the testing at Sandia Labs was to demonstrate that MagiQ’s GeoLite (TM) sensors could accurately collect data at extreme temperatures during prolonged exposure, simulating weeks, even months of continuous geothermal data acquisition in extreme, real world scenarios.
Sandia Labs is a National Nuclear Security Administration research and development center with expertise in geosciences and seismology dating back to the 1950s. The testing was conducted at Sandia’s primary location in Albuquerque, NM.
The test results confirm that the Company’s GeoLite sensors functioned effectively and maintained consistent sensitivity at temperatures exceeding 250°C, proving their viability for extreme commercial geothermal applications. Furthermore, the sensors maintained their sensitivity after prolonged exposure to 300°C for one week, simulating one month of operation at 250°C. This signifies their long-term reliability in the extreme heat found in deep, hot geothermal wells.
While multi-component geophones and Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS) have been used for decades, geophones require frequent maintenance due to their complex design and exposed electro-mechanical packaging resulting in limited-service life and high failure rates in geothermal wells above 150°C. DAS sensing has the ability to withstand these high temperatures but lacks the sensor directionality and the sensitivity required for mapping fractures in engineered geothermal systems (EGS).
MagiQ GeoLite sensor arrays are slim, highly sensitive and multicomponent, with an innovative design that removes electronics from the harsh, hot borehole environment, eliminating temperature related failures. Additionally, the three-component (3C) fiber-optical design provides directional information suitable for mapping geothermal fracture networks and complex subsurface structures. GeoLite arrays work seamlessly with DAS and are designed to be deployed either permanently for decades of monitoring or on a wireline for short-duration monitoring.
“MagiQ Technologies is committed to the advancement of clean and sustainable energy production” stated Dr. Audrius Berzanskis, CEO of MagiQ Technologies. “We are thrilled that the Sandia data confirmed MagiQ’s high-temperature optical accelerometers offer a reliable and effective means for monitoring and characterizing geothermal reservoirs.”
You can learn more about MagiQ’s advanced energy technology here: https://www.magiqtech.com/solutions/energy-exploration/
About MagiQ Technologies
Headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, MagiQ Technologies was founded in 1999 with the express purpose of researching and developing marketable applications leveraging optical processing. Leading organizations including TotalEnergies, US Department of Energy, DARPA, US Army, Airforce, NASA, and others rely on MagiQ Technologies to better communicate, safeguard, and secure their worlds. Learn more about MagiQ Technologies by visiting www.magiqtech.com
About Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.
###
Media Contact:
Dwight Galler
Director, Marketing Communications
Dwight.galler@magiqtech.com