Multi-Disciplinary Application of High-Resolution Digital Aerial Imagery in Exploration — Area 201, Kufra Basin, SE Libya

Wim Kouwe¹, Matthias Stollenwerk¹, Lars Winkels¹, Michael Klitzsch¹, and Anke Riethmueller^2
1Exploration, Wintershall - Libya, Kassel, Libya
²Wintershall - Libya, Kassel, Libya

Exploration in the Kufra Basin (SE Libya) is challenging in many ways. Digital high-resolution aerial photo imagery, derived high-resolution digital terrain models and satellite imagery were integrated to get accurate answers concerning HSE, geology and logistics in a time- and cost-effective way.

The 400,000 sq. km. Kufra Basin straddles the borders of Libya, Chad and Sudan. Fieldwork studies are carried out on the Paleozoic outcrops around the Kufra Basin (where only 3 dry exploration wells were drilled to date) to determine the basin evolution and degree of analogy of the Kufra Basin with the prolific Murzuk Basin (SW Libya) and its Silurian Tanezzuft Hot Shale source rock. Remote sensing with ground truthing is used to effectively target these field studies to specific areas of interest. This demands exact topographic control.

Licence Area 201 (>11,000 sq.km., 5-year XL term) is situated in a remote (700 km from infrastructure), hostile desert environment with mixed terrain with hills and dunes. A 3000 kilometer 2D seismic acquisition lay-out was designed in 4 months, requiring excellent terrain understanding. Human activities remains (archeology, UXO) needed to be avoided during operations.

A digital high-resolution stereographic aerial imagery was acquired over the licence area and selected outcrop areas, using a DMC aerial camera. Digital Terrain Models (DTM) with an vertical/horizontal accuracy of 60/50 cm were constructed, and draped with the orthorectified 40 cm resolution RGB and Infrared images for interpretation. This provided an excellent basis for the various planned studies. This would not have been possible within the available time frame with any single existing standard remote sensing imagery product.

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