“Adrok is attracting considerable attention from both the mining and energy industries because it offers a scanner that can locate underground resources without the need for exploratory drilling. We think there’s a tremendous business opportunity for exploration that can be carried out at low cost and with little environmental impact,” said the minister.

“It’s a good sign that this company has chosen to set up in Prince Edward Island. I look forward to seeing the jobs and opportunities that materialize as Adrok makes its way into the North American market.”

Adrok conducted its first commercial exploration in 2007 in Morocco and has since used its patented technology to assist energy and mineral exploration in the North Sea, Europe, North America, Australia and Asia.

Alan Goodwin, VP Operations says, “Our expansion into Canada opens up a vast new marketplace for us. With approximately 90 per cent of the country still waiting to be explored for a whole myriad of resources, we are confident that our “game-changing” technology will provide the environmentally friendly solution companies and government agencies have been waiting for. The province of PEI has been amazingly supportive of our aspirations, and the incredible support given by Innovation PEI proved to be a major factor in our decision to base ourselves here. PEI is quite simply a fantastic place to do business from, with honest and friendly people ready to give advice and assistance wherever needed. Everything we need to grow is here on the Island in both infrastructure and workforce, and we look forward to continuing working closely with the province in the future.”

Innovation PEI, the province’s lead economic development agency, is supporting Adrok’s move to Prince Edward Island with an $11,000 rental incentive and with a labour rebate that could reach $201,000 if the company reaches its target of hiring six Island employees by the end of 2015.

BACKGROUNDER

Adrok is a Scottish-based company that has patented their product Atomic Dielectric Resonance (ADR), which provides a non-invasive geophysical survey (virtual bore holes) of sites leading to more accurate searches for natural resource products while saving exploration companies money because of the system’s speed and accuracy. The system sends electromagnetic beams to great depths in the ground and can work through rock, seawater, earth, salts and metals.

ADR is a non-destructive process that requires less staff and energy to perform the same tests that are currently performed through other techniques including seismic testing. The ADR system penetrates materials to determine what is below the earth’s surface providing fast and accurate results that help a resource company determine whether to develop an area. The Adrok process costs a fraction of the normal drilling cost for test wells (typically 70 - 90 per cent savings).

The Adrok ADR system is very portable and can be deployed from a plane, helicopter or truck.

A small survey crew will arrive at a site and work the site over the course of two weeks using the ADR system. All data recovered will return to the Adrok home site in PEI for further analysis. Final analysis will be done at Adrok headquarters in Scotland.