Print this pageA New Methodology for Delineating Hydrocarbon Reservoirs Using Remote Sensing Data and Surface Fracture Analysis
GUO, GENLIANG, STEPHEN A. GEORGE, and RHONDA P. LINDSEY
A new methodology for delineating oil and gas reservoirs using remote sensing data and surface fracture analysis is presented. The methodology employs the interpretation of satellite images and aerial photos for mapping surface lineaments and fracture traces, and geological and mathematical analyses of these surface linear features for delineating subsurface oil and gas traps. Information on the surface lineaments and fractures, and subsurface structures in Osage County, Oklahoma were analyzed for the development of the methodology. Five indicators of subsurface structural complications were identified. The correlation between these indicators and subsurface structures was quantitatively evaluated, as was the relative effectiveness of these indicators in locating subsurface oil and gas traps. A computer software was developed to facilitate the mathematical manipulations of surface fracture characteristics.
Both stratigraphic and structural traps in Osage County, Oklahoma were found to remarkably follow the trends and positions of the surface lineaments. The strike orientations of the subsurface structures mapped from the Mississippian Chat Formation were very consistent with those of the surface lineaments and fracture traces. New exploration leads were developed in Osage County, Oklahoma.
The methodology provides a cost-effective approach for delineating hydrocarbon reservoirs using remote sensing data and surface fracture analysis. It may be used to delineate additional reserves in mature fields. It may also be used to identify priority locations for exploratory drilling or for further geochemical and geophysical surveys in frontier regions.