Remote sensing for petroleum exploration, Part 2: Case histories

Abstract

An overview of the science of remote sensing was presented in Part 1 (TLE, April 1998). This second and final part illustrates the role of remote sensing in two major oil discoveries. The case histories are taken from publications by my colleagues and me at Chevron from which I retired after 37 years of service. Chevron’s initial exploration success with remote sensing was in southern Sudan in the late 1970s. Images from the first‐generation Landsat were compiled into a mosaic that was interpreted to show a previously unrecognized sedimentary basin. Subsequently, gravity and aeromagnetic surveys confirmed the presence of the basin. Leads from the images were used to guide the seismic program that defined drilling prospects. Several oil fields were discovered before political unrest halted exploration and development. This early success encouraged Chevron’s continued use of remote sensing. The following case histories show the use of radar images in Papua New Guinea and Landsat images in the Central Arabia...