By Paul Gorman
A project by Brazilian environmental remediation experts, Geoambiente S/A, has been recognised with a prestigious 2025 Year in Infrastructure Founders’ Award for its innovative use of technology to clean up a contaminated site. By creating a high-resolution three-dimensional conceptual model, Geoambiente was able to track contaminant flow with remarkable accuracy, leading to a faster, cheaper, and more effective remediation that protected the local groundwater supply.
Lithological data points used in the construction of the 3D geological model. The vertical logs represent field-collected stratigraphic information, which supported the definition of hydrostratigraphic units and the interpolation of contaminant plume geometry
The challenge: A threat to a vital water source
Illegal tapping of a buried fuel pipeline in central São Paulo State, Brazil, had contaminated soil and groundwater, posing a significant threat to the water supplies of nearby rural communities. The petroleum-based contaminants were spreading through a complex geological setting of alternating fine and sandy sediments and were beginning to discharge into a nearby river. Geoambiente, with 24 years of experience, was commissioned to design and implement a solution to this urgent problem.
- The complex and highly variable geology of the site.
- A large volume of historical data in unstructured formats, such as PDF documents.
- The need to integrate multiple data sources into a single, unified model to accurately guide the remediation efforts.
The solution: A subsurface conceptual model and advanced analytics
Geoambiente’s solution was to build a high-resolution 3D model of the contaminated site using Seequent’s Leapfrog and GeoStudio software. This provided a dynamic, data-driven representation of the subsurface, enabling the team to visualise and understand the complex contaminant plume.
A key innovation in this project was the use of artificial intelligence to process and extract lithological data from historical PDFs. AI-powered tools used data from graphs to automatically group non-significant variations. This optimised the data input into Leapfrog, enhancing the accuracy and interpretability of the 3D model.
The precise subsurface model integrated all available data, including borehole logs, high-resolution site characterisation data, and historical records. This allowed for precise mapping of the contamination and the design of a targeted, advanced chemical remediation plan.
The outcome: A resounding success
The results of the project were remarkable, demonstrating the power of this digital approach:
- 70% reduction in remediation costs, saving US$1.4 million.
- The project was completed 45 days ahead of schedule, saving over 2,100 hours of technical work.
- The volume of chemical reagents needed was reduced from 100 tonnes to just 30 tonnes, resulting in an estimated reduction of 18 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions.
The contaminant mass in the target zone was reduced by 85%.
- The accurate modelling avoided unnecessary regulatory constraints, leading to indirect savings of an estimated US$600,000.
By embracing a digital-first approach, Geoambiente was able to deliver a more sustainable, cost-effective, and technically robust remediation strategy, safeguarding both the environment and a potable water supply.
- * Geoambiente was a recipient of a Founders’ Honor in the Sustainability category at Bentley Systems’ Going Digital Awards 2025.