InSAR: Get Value from an Under-Appreciated Technology

InSAR, short for Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, is a relatively new technology for the petroleum industry although it has been in used by government agencies and universities since the 1990s. The radar data are acquired by orbiting satellites and processed using complex algorithms to obtain measurements of changes in ground elevation that are measured in the millimetre/month. These changes at the surface are caused by small-scale swelling, compressing, or other movement within the underlying geological layers. These volume changes can be directly related to fluid flow within reservoirs that are in active production.

InSAR is a very cost-effective technology, easy to visualise, and easy to integrate with corporate databases. It can complement and confirm onshore interpretations made from 4D seismic, GPS stations, and continuous tiltmeter arrays.

The technology is illustrated by examples from the Belridge and Wilmington oil fields in California and the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands. All three are giant fields with significant production problems and EHS concerns.

We have never seen an onshore field without a deformation signature that InSAR can detect. The technology should be part of the toolkit for every geoscientist and petroleum engineer.