The possibilities of applying the lineament maps issued on the base of remote sensing visual interpretation results is substantiated for assessment of potential area for hydrocarbon deposits search. The reliability of the results interpretation was assessed, which confirmed the correspondence of identified lineaments extension in relation to the discontinuous structures of crystalline rocks that determine the fracture permeability of rocks. The use of lineaments patterns spatial orientation coincidence with the known pattern of cracks and faults orientation was proposed. The reliability of faults corresponding to zones of increased number of lineaments was assessed by their spatial coincidence with the faults identified by geophysical data. The lineament density maps of the Earth’s thermic field, established by remote sensing data, were analyzed. It is shown that the lineaments and their density maxima, highlighted as a result of structural interpretation, correspond to discontinuous structures at different scale levels.Application of lineament density maps to assess the potential exploration area for hydrocarbon deposits is shown on the example of the Dnieper-Donets depression Northern board estimation. The area's prospectivity was assessed using the author's spatial-probabilistic forecasting program. The forecast map composed in a good agreement with the prospecting work results confirmed that the all known hydrocarbon deposits are located in the fields with the high prospectivity values. Deposits with the highest hydrocarbon reserves are characterized by the highest prospective values. The promising areas shown on the forecast map are located in the structural conditions similar to the known deposits location.The research performed on the Dnieper-Donets depression Northern board area proved the possibility and expediency of using the structural interpretation results of remote sensing data to estimate quantitatively the area prospectivity for the hydrocarbon deposits search based on a set of features.
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