Every natural resource, mineral deposits, petroleum reservoirs, groundwater aquifers, surface water bodies, is volumetric in nature. The organizations making the best decisions are the ones analyzing their assets in true 3D rather than relying on flat maps and 2D cross-sections. Earth Volumetric Studio gives your team the tools to build defensible, data-driven volumetric models that reduce exploration costs, optimize extraction, and improve resource management.
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Gain a Competitive Edge
Win More Projects — Proposals backed by 3D volumetric models of ore bodies, reservoirs, or aquifers demonstrate analytical rigor that clients and reviewers can immediately see and trust, setting your team apart from competitors still working in 2D.
Reduce Exploration Costs — Studio’s DrillGuide© technology uses geostatistics to determine optimal drill locations before you mobilize. Collect fewer, better-targeted samples while achieving higher-quality resource characterization, a direct cost savings on every project.
Optimize Resource Extraction — Quantify ore volumes, overburden, reservoir capacity, and aquifer yield in three dimensions. Studio’s volumetric calculations give you the precise numbers needed to plan operations, estimate costs, and maximize recovery.
Communicate Clearly to Stakeholders — Transform complex subsurface data into interactive 3D visualizations that any audience can immediately understand, from boardroom investment decisions to regulatory submissions and public consultations.
Bayou Choctaw Strategic Petroleum Reserve — six underground storage caverns with 76 million barrels capacity, modeled in Earth Volumetric Studio. Rotate, zoom, and double-click to probe data. View more examples →
Applications Across Natural Resources
Mining & Mineral Exploration — Model stratigraphic geology, quantify ore volumes and qualities, and characterize overburden from early exploration through active mining operations. Studio handles geophysical data including electrical resistivity tomography to identify seams and structural features like faults.
Petroleum & Energy — Transform field data from oil and gas exploration into 3D volumetric models that ease interpretation, improve reservoir characterization, and lead to better-informed decisions. Studio supports everything from seismic data visualization to salt dome modeling and strategic reserve assessment.
Water Resources & Groundwater — Whether you’re managing surface water, groundwater, or both, accurate resource management requires a volumetric approach. Model aquifer properties, visualize flow paths using MODFLOW/MT3D integration, and assess contamination migration with fully anisotropic variography.
Groundwater & Solute Transport — Visualize and animate results from third-party modeling systems including USGS MODFLOW, MT3D, GMS©, Groundwater Vistas©, and Visual MODFLOW©. Display vector data as streamlines, streamribbons, and scaled arrows to reveal flow patterns invisible in 2D.
In the Field
Mining — From Exploration to Operations
Earth Volumetric Studio was used to model a coal mine in Colombia during all stages from early site exploration through active mining operations. Studio modeled the stratigraphic geology and quantified coal volumes and qualities as well as the overburden associated with various non-coal layers.
In a separate project, C Tech’s distributor in Italy collected electrical resistivity tomography data at a coal mine in Africa. The geophysical survey clearly identified the coal seam as well as a fault which displaced it, demonstrating how Studio integrates geophysical data directly into geologic models.
Groundwater — Visualizing Complex Flow Systems
Studio provides high-level integration with industry-standard groundwater modeling systems. In addition to visualizing simulation results, Studio creates complex gridded geologic models that can be exported directly to Groundwater Vistas© for model initialization, bridging the gap between geologic characterization and flow simulation.
Studio’s visualization capabilities bring groundwater models to life: display vector data as streamlines, streamribbons, scaled arrows, or glyphs to reveal flow patterns that are invisible in traditional 2D output. Animate solute transport results over time to show how contaminant plumes migrate through complex aquifer systems.
Channelized Flow at a California Industrial Complex
In a project with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and IT Group, C Tech visualized the output from a Groundwater Vistas MODFLOW and MT3D99 simulation of a large industrial complex in California's Central Valley. The site exhibits highly channelized flow. The 3D visualization revealed that flow in the lower aquifer crosses underneath the upper channels at approximately 30 degrees, clearly showing the path by which groundwater contamination would eventually reach municipal water wells.
The Industry Standard
C Tech’s software is used by mining companies, petroleum firms, water utilities, and government agencies across six continents. Our customers include the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Geological Survey, major water districts, and the majority of the world’s largest engineering and environmental consulting firms. From open-pit mines to strategic petroleum reserves to regional aquifer studies, Studio tackles the most challenging natural resource projects in the world.
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