FTG Gravity data for prospecting and exploration play models

Abstract

Geophysical technologies are routinely deployed to investigate and enhance exploration play models evoked to explain an economic discovery?s geological setting. Such models are diverse for different commodities, but two such models adopted for hydrocarbon exploration lend themselves particularly suited to gravity surveying methods. Salt bodies and 4-way structural closures are unique in that their 3D shape and near homogenous density present themselves as ideal hydrocarbon trapping environments. An added complexity occurs where these bodies exist in both onshore and transition zone settings as deployment of conventional geophysical methods such as seismic becomes cost prohibitive. The arrival of Airborne Gravity surveying capabilities in recent years now makes exploring such exploration play models viable. Air-FTG® offers a high precision, high accuracy technology that determines changes to the gravity field as sourced by sub-surface geology. The technology is ideal for mapping density contrasts due to structural faulting and or the presence of geological bodies of near uniform density as exhibited by salt and 4-way structural closures. This paper will present data examples demonstrating the usefulness of FTG Gravity when investigating the prospectivity of exploration play models.