SUMMARY

The Research Center for Quantum Technology, Chiang Mai University is developing a prototype of atom gravimeter to create a modern world gravity map. Continuous measurements of absolute g-value carried out on an ocean liner, small airplane, and drone are expected to provide an accuracy better than any commercially available movable gravimeter (*). Our device would bring about remapping areas believed to run out of petroleum, including all unreachable terrains. It would allow spotting plenty of small crude oil and gas deposits (**) unseen by current commercial gravimeters and reduce risks on plausible fault drill spots, especially in the deep sea.
We are looking for venture capitals to enable seeing energy reserve that is previously unseeable.
New data base of ultra-detailed gravity map that warrants national energy security
will mitigate sudden economic impact due to volatility of oil prices in
the world market and empower a new deep-tech enterprise.

* require mounting on the ground, immobile while measurement, more than half hour for initialization per measurement, e.g. spring-based relative gravimeter, costly and bulky superconducting quantum interference-based gravimeter.

** Smaller than Fang or Chai Prakan oil pools, at the depth accessible via artesian-aquifer drilling technique that costs 80 Baht per meter

THE NATIONAL ENERGY SECURITY

When the public encountered major economic crisis in 2008, the world price of crude oil swiftly dropped by -67%. Likewise, the emergence of oil shale drilling and fracturing technology in 2014 had fluctuated the NYMEX WTI crude oil value by 60% of its average. Such inconsistencies of supply and demand significantly affect financial liquidity of Thailand of which the oil consumption has been substantially greater than the amount domestically produced. Added with the uncontrollable OPEC resolution on oil price, it is easy to see that deficiency on reserved petroleum energy is an important factor that enforces this undesirable dependency. However, the key element can still be retrieved and partially controlled if we can accurately locate and estimate the amount of petroleum deposits formally missed out.

FUTURE TECHNOLOGY TODAY: ACCURACY, RESOLUTION & SENSITIVITY

The geological map of local absolute gravity is directly related to the density difference under the Earth crust. It gives information of the volume and quality of natural resources without complex mathematical modeling. The Research Center for Quantum Technology is currently developing cold-atom system that shares similar technology used in neutral-atom-based quantum computing to construct an ultra-mobile atom gravimeter Our devices are designed to perform continuous g-value measurements on an ocean liner, small airplane, and drone to eliminate the exploration limitation over difficult terrains.

THE ATOM GRAVIMETER

Our atom interferometry uses the coherent splitting and recombination of atomic fountain to make precision measurements of environmental parameters such as acceleration in term of Earth’s gravity. We have designed and built all necessary parts, i.e. ultra-narrow linewidth laser system, high vacuum, and control system, to best fit with the purposes for maximum efficiency.

COLD ATOMS: COLDER THAN THE UNIVERSE

An atomic cloud of rubidium-87 in the surrounding equivalent to the Moon’s atmospheric pressure is laser-cooled, and successively transferred to the chamber where an atomic fountain will be produced.

ATOMIC FOUNTAIN: THE KEY TO ACCURACY AND PRECISION

While the atomic trajectory follows the fountain course, Raman laser are employed to equally separate atoms into two groups, switch quantum states, and then recombine them to create quantum interference. The interference is measured in term of survival probabilities of the two quantum states.

CYCLIC MEASUREMENTS AND EXTRACTION OF g-VALUE

Tens of comparable measurements will be fit with a well-defined mathematical model for the true initial phase so that the absolute g-value may be extracted.

G-MEASUREMENT FOR BUSINESS

The state-of-the-art of the g-value measurement using cold atoms would create new business opportunities to map areas believed to run out of petroleum, including all unreachable terrains. It would allow spotting plenty of small crude oil and gas deposits unseen by current commercial gravimeters and reduce risks on plausible fault drill spots, especially in the deep sea. National energy security warranted by ultra-detailed gravity map would mitigate sudden economic impact due to volatility of oil prices in the world market and empower a new deep-tech enterprise to remap the whole world again.

OTHER INDUSTRIAL OPPORTUNITIES

The same technology has opened several gateways to trade areas with nearly no player. For example, the network for monitoring slow continuous motion of tectonic plates, a system to measure the underground water level with 1-centimeter resolution to national flood control, real-time mapping the air-mass flow during the PM2.5 disaster, earthquake and volcano eruption forecasting system that could make prediction over few days, Military deployment overseeing system, or the quantum compass that navigate a spaceship without communication to the outside.

TOGETHER TO CREATE GLOBAL MULTIPLE PATHS TO INDUSTRIALIZATION

We are looking for investors who would like to participate in our THB 100 million investment round, with minimum investment of THB 10 million for each investor.

Please contact
Mr. Waranont Anukool, Ph.D.,Director of the Research Center for Quantum Technology at +66 89-191-2122
E-mail: waranont.a@cmu.ac.th

Miss Pittayaphorn Pumpuang, Research Center for
Quantum Technology at +66 931837474
E-mail: yaphorn.pumpuang@gmail.com

“QUANTUM ATOM GRAVIMETER FOR PETROLEUM EXPLORATION”