About HGI

hydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc. (HGI) was founded in 1981 as a geophysical consulting and service provider centered on the application of geophysical methodologies to analyze, understand, and image near subsurface earth structures associated with mining, petroleum, mineral exploration, groundwater, archaeology, site clearance, and environmental remediation.

We are a geophysical consulting and service provider focused on applications of geophysical methodologies to analyze, understand, and image near subsurface earth structures…

Over time, our project resume has expanded and our team of experienced engineers and scientists continues to seek out challenging projects that require technological innovation.  In 1999, HGI was invited, as the sole commercial contractor, to participate in the ‘Vadose Zone Transport Field Study’ (VZTFS) managed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the US Department of Energy (US DOE).  The project goal was to evaluate technologies capable of tracking the movement and distribution of contaminants within the subsurface (vadose zone) at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in eastern WA State.

Terrestrial view of a Hanford tank farm. Each Tank farm typically contains 12, one million gallon tanks.

Of particular importance was finding a technology capable of reliable detection of very small leaks from large subsurface nuclear waste storage tanks.  The one million gallon tanks were constructed as part of the Manhattan Project, in the 1940’s, to hold process waste from the generation of nuclear material for the World War II and Cold War atomic bombs.  HGI provided an innovative technology that utilized steel well casings, already installed around the tanks, as “sensors” connected via cabling and used the casings to transmit and receive electrical signals.  The technology formed part of HGI’s High Resolution Resistivity Leak Detection Monitoring (HRR-LDM^TM) program, which was selected as the best available technology following two years of competitive down selection testing against eight other technologies from several national laboratories.  In addition, HGI was awarded a patent for leak quantification using the HRR-LDM technology.  In 2003, HGI  received an exclusive contract by the US DOE (managed by prime contractors CH2M Hill and Washington River Protection Solutions) to provide geophysical leak detection support for the 177 single shell tanks at Hanford.  The project continues today and HGI provides 24/7 leak detection support using our custom designed and fabricated hardware and specialized software.

 HGI’s High Resolution Resistivity Leak Detection Monitoring (HRR-LDM^TM) program, was selected as the best available technology following two years of competitive testing against eight other technologies from several national laboratories. 

During this time, HGI was repeatedly asked to consult on leak detection projects at commercial industrial sites with storage ponds, retention basins, lined ponds/dams, and chemical storage facilities.  Quite often we were contacted after several failed attempts to locate the leak by our client or their sub-contractors.  Seeing a market opportunity, we utilized our extensive experience in the nuclear industry to develop cost effective, portable, and highly accurate methods for commercial leak detection.  To date, our commercial leak detection methods have a 99% success rate and are routinely used in extreme environments containing highly acidic and highly conductive solutions within complex industrial environments.

HGI geoscientist performing leak location survey on a HDPE geosynthetic liner at a Nevada mine

 Our success is based on careful evaluation of the unique project site, application of a site specific leak detection survey, rigorous quality assurance practices, and continued investment in technological improvements.