Abstract: Role of Remote Sensing in Petroleum Exploration in Timan-Pechorian Province: from Tectonic Zonation to Investigation of Petroleum Fields

SMIRNOVA I. O.*, VNIIKAM, Y. N. GOLOLOBOV, V. G. KOTS, O. M. PRISCHEPA, and A. A. ROUSANOVA

Computer technology of remotely sensed and geoscience data-processing and analysis developed in VNIIKAM for petroleum exploration at subarctic areas of Russia (northeast part of Timan-Pechorian petroleum province) provide extraction of regional geologic information: revelation of exposed and subsurface geological features, framework faults, detection of blocks with different structure and mapping of promising areas as well as extraction of indirect indicators of petroleum traps. It includes special processing of multispectral (Resurs, MK-4, JERS-1) and radar (Almaz, JERS-1) data with high spectral and spatial resolution, detail analysis of the relationship between subsurface geologic structures and their landscape expression, integration of remotely sensed and geoscience data via GIS.

The application of technology has allowed the study of the structure of different horizons of sedimentary cover and basement, compositiion of the schemes of tectonic and petroleum zonation of the area, revelation of framework faults and blocks, controlling petroleum traps distribution, prediction of the location of prospective structures and detection of blocks with high petroleum potential within petroleum fields.

Cooperation of VNIGRI and VNIIKAM in interpretation of seismic cross-sections for regional profiles in northeast part of Timan-Pechorian province have permitted substantiation of the penetration depth of faults of different ranges, definition of the nature of seismic anomalies and influence of basement uplifts to overlying horizons.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90942©1997 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Vienna, Austria