The imaGeau technology was patented in France and Europe in 2006 and 2007. This is currently unique in the domain of subsurface monitoring.

A technological leap

imaGeau’s approach represents a true technological advance in comparison with other tools on the market today. We are now able to transfer into the public domain a whole range of methods and hydro geophysical tools developed by the CNRS during their most recent research programs. Similar tools (based on the installation of monitoring devices in boreholes) exist already in some limited areas of oil exploration (at several kilometres deep) in the geotechnical domain, for the assessment of mechanical constraints on large projects (such as dams).

However, such devices used near the surface for hydro geological or environmental purposes remain the exception. imaGeau has developed a R&D program in hydro geophysics in partnership with the CNRS (through its geosciences laboratory in Montpellier) in particular through national and European joint research projects.

A unique patented technology

The innovative aspect of our monitoring devices is threefold:

an accurate and permanent instrumentation in a soft, unstable and therefore hardly known zone, situated near the surface and most exposed to human activity. This approach is different from other methods commonly used in hydrogeology in particular the more global analysis provided by the piezometric technique;
entirely automated subsurface devices with minimal human intervention (economical and safer), as well as a high frequency time series for real time monitoring (possibly on a daily basis) over a long period of time (possibly many years) allowing managers to take important decisions as early as possible in terms of public protection and/or business performance;
a technological transfer: in our approach to subsurface monitoring we have associated traditional methods commonly used in hydrogeology to the latest and most advanced monitoring techniques used in the oil exploration field.  imaGeau is pursuing its strategy of technological development in order to widen the range of its services and of its scope of applications as well as to present our customers with a better understanding of subsurface dynamics.

imaGeau - Scientific knowledge & innovation Services

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