Insights

Notes from the subsurface.

Essays, primers, and field-tested opinions on remote subsurface mapping, exploration economics, NMR geophysics, lithium and critical-minerals markets, and the pre-drill workflow. Written by the team at Inside Earth and occasionally by guests from across the E&P and mining communities.

Industry·9 min read·Apr 2026

The dry-hole problem: why 60% of exploration wells still miss

A plain-language look at why conventional exploration success rates remain stuck at 30-40% — and the three changes to the pre-drill workflow that measurably move the needle.

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Technology·10 min read·Apr 2026

NMR in geology: a practical 10-minute primer

What Nuclear Magnetic Resonance actually measures, how it moved from MRI scanners to well logging to remote subsurface mapping, and what geology students and field geologists should know about it today.

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Markets·11 min read·Apr 2026

Lithium exploration in 2026: why the old playbook won't hit the demand curve

The IEA puts 2030 lithium demand at roughly 4× 2024 levels. The industry's exploration model — drill-first, confirm-later — can't scale that fast. Three structural changes underway.

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