--> Abstract: Radar Imaging Application for Hydrocarbon Exploration Offshore Ukraine: Submarine Seeps, Oil Slicks, and Promising Prospects, by Alexander Kitchka and Irina Nedosekova; #90039 (2005)

Datapages, Inc.Print this page

Radar Imaging Application for Hydrocarbon Exploration Offshore Ukraine: Submarine Seeps, Oil Slicks, and Promising Prospects

Alexander Kitchka1 and Irina Nedosekova2
1 CASRE, Kiev, Ukraine
2 Ukrainian State Geoexploration Research Institute, Kiev, Ukraine

Recent studies on direct measurement and seasonal modeling of dissolved hydrocarbons in the Black Sea (Kovalev et al., 2004) testifies that their concentration in1.5-2 times more that it could be expected from all known sources of man-made pollution. Therefore, there is a significant internal source of hydrocarbons seeping from geological formations. The repetitive oil slicks west of Tarkhankut Peninsula and south of Cape Opuk known for their numerous submarine gas seeps (Shnyukov et al., 2003) allowed delineation of hydrocarbon emission zones and selection of first-order prospects to start exploration drilling in these highly promising but still immature hydrocarbon-prone sub-basins of the province.

It was analyzed archive ERS-SAR images covering the area of interest immediately south of Kerch Peninsula where several structural trends of ENE strike (Subbotina, Abikha, etc.) and other anticlines have been recently mapped by 2D seismics. Nearly half of the scenes have revealed clear evidences of well-developed natural oil slicks on the background featuring different hydrodynamic and weather conditions. In general, slicks are linked to zones of faults bifurcation and overstepping where tensions forces favor to transfer of deep fluids. Besides, ASAR sensor of ENVISAT satellite and VNIR (very near-infrared range) of JERS-1 one have also detected slicks related to the hydrocarbon emission zone west of Tarkhankut Peninsula. It is necessary to mention that Priboyna prospect is located not far from onshore West-Oktyabrske oilfield, one of the few onshore oil fields in the Crimea. Further analysis was to select temporarily repetitive slicks indicating perspective zones of higher confidence.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90039©2005 AAPG Calgary, Alberta, June 16-19, 2005