Correlation of Remote Sensing, Earth Resistivity, and Near-Surface Geochemical Data at Offset Well Test Facility, Whitley County, Kentucky

E. Ray Garton, Kelley Deem

Remote sensing mapping for lineaments revealed one lineament crossing the U.S. Department of Energy and BDM Corporation Offset Well Test Facility (OWTF). An ERPS (Earth Resistivity Profiling Survey) geophysical survey was designed to cross the entire length of the OWTF and extend to the southeast along an azimuth of about S48°E. This direction would cross at least one more mapped remote sensing lineament and several others if the survey were run far enough. The ERPS data showed 11 natural fracture zone anomalies. The fracture zone at 430 ft along the survey exactly corresponds to its mapped remote sensing lineament. The natural fracture zone at 755 ft along the survey is within 25 ft of its mapped remote sensing lineament. Nine additional fracture zones were also cro sed on the ERPS survey. The high-resolution geochemical survey was run along the same line as the ERPS survey but was 500 ft shorter. Three major geochemical anomalies were observed. The first geochemical anomaly is at station 8 or 300 ft along the ERPS survey. This anomaly is within 60 ft of an ERPS natural fracture anomaly. The second geochemical anomaly is at station 17 or 700 ft along the ERPS survey. This anomaly is within 55 ft of an ERPS natural fracture anomaly. The third major geochemical anomaly is at Station 26 or 1,050 ft along the ERPS survey. This anomaly is within 10 ft of an ERPS natural fracture anomaly. Therefore, based on the data presented herein, the correlation between the remote sensing, ERPS, and geochemical data is excellent.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91031©1988 AAPG Eastern Section, Charleston, West Virginia, 13-16 September 1988.