oa An Advanced Airborne Geophysical Approach for Exploration of Petroleum Resources

Recent advances in mapping technologies coupled with the emerging needs of the exploration industry<br>to precisely characterize the sub-surface systems, have led to the resurgence in interest for gravity<br>and magnetic methods in oil and natural gas exploration. These methods are typically used in frontier<br>areas to carry out reconnaissance surveys, to identify new and prospective basins as well as to explore<br>more seismically challenging areas. An integrated approach combining gravity, magnetics and seismic<br>along with other geological data is becoming the modern/latest approach for oil and gas explores to<br>push the envelope and venture into new frontier environments. Traditionally the potential field (Gravity<br>and magnetic) measurements are time consuming. But the need for acquisition of large gravity and<br>magnetic data sets at a greater speed has renewed the demands for precise airborne measurement<br>system, which has unlimited accessibility over any terrain conditions such as coastal areas covering<br>both land and shallow sea, over remote deserts, marshy lands, thick forests and icy lands etc.<br>Significance of airborne geophysical approaches have increased with major advances in satellite<br>positioning technology such as GPS and GLONASS, which enables the determination of 3-D position of<br>the moving platform (aircraft) with greater accuracy. UTS Geophysics utilizes the latest version of<br>airborne gravity systems called TAGS (Turnkey Airborne Gravity System) on a fixed wing geophysical<br>survey aircraft, which is already equipped with a magnetic acquisition system as well as radar and<br>laser altimeters. Prior to offering the services of this new system, a pre-purchase test of the gravity<br>meter was undertaken. The system performance was tested mainly in three different ways, (a)<br>repeatability along predefined survey flight lines, (b) crossover errors and (c) comparison with ground<br>data. The results provided a high level of confidence in offering this multi-system airborne geophysical<br>approach to the petroleum industry. A detailed discussion on the system details and test survey results<br>will be presented.