EXPLORATION

Remote Sensing applications provide sigificant support to oil and gas industry efforts to find new gas reserves.

Most new gas reserves are in inhospitable places that are difficult to reach. Remote sensing allows exploration to occur in these places.

Remote Sensing is a critical first step in begining the exploration process. Basic sensors such as Landsat, SPOT or Quickbird and their multispectral sensors can help find oil and gas seeps which could lead to productive oil reserves. Since oil and gas are generally found in locations that consist of similar geological circumstances, remote sensors can identify the likely locations for followup detailed surveys. Also, remote sensing data can be used to generate detailed topographic surverys, using lidar, which are crtical for geophysics to conduct seismic survery for oil reserves.

Direct Impacts

Indirect Impacts

Some remote sensing platforms can provide data that narrows the search areas for exploration because of its ability to detect oil reserve characteristics below the surface of the earth. Most notably, petroleum engineers are using the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiement (GRACE) to detect oil reserve properties underground. GRACE, a tandem satelleite constellation in low orbit, can accurately and precisely measure the earth's gravity field. Because of the consistent properties of oil reserves, the gravity field measurement can point engineers in the right directed for additional seismic surveys and future drilling.

The Gravity and Climate Experiment satellites use the earth's gravity field to located underground features favorable to oil development. NASA/JPL

Terrestrial Remote Sensing

Remote sensing platforms are not limited to satellite or airbrone based platforms. Terrestrial based remote sensing technologies play an enormous role in the exploration of oil and gas reserves. Some applications, such as seismic and bathemetric surveys, are critical to selecting final drill sites for oil and gas fields.

The USNS Bowditch performs bathemetric surveys that can be used to support underwater oil and gas drilling. Military Sealift Command.