innovative applications of satellite interferometry in …€¢ allow oil&gas companies to...

Copyright - Tele-Rilevamento Europa - 2004

© Tele-Rilevamento Europa 2010

Innovative Applications of

Satellite Interferometry

in the Oil&Gas Industry

A. Ferretti(1), G. Falorni(3), F. Novali(1),

F. Rocca(2), A. Rucci(2), A. Tamburini(1)

(1) Tele-Rilevamento Europa - TRE

(2) Politecnico di Milano

(3) TRE Canada Inc.

ESA-ESRIN Worshop, 14-15 Sept. 2010


• Surface deformation measurements are lately gaining increasing

attention within the reservoir engineer community, which is

searching for new monitoring tools to complement seismic

surveys.

• These monitoring technologies are relatively low in cost and their

information content adds significant value, if properly interpreted

and integrated with more conventional data.

• In particular, satellite radar data can provide high-quality,

remotely sensed data about surface deformation. The use of

radar sensors mounted on board Earth-orbiting satellites started

about two decades ago. Over time, these early algorithms have

been significantly upgraded and are much more powerful, today.

Background

2


The Basic Idea

3

1st acquisitionR1

2nd acquisition

Δt = 8/11/24/35 days

R2

ΔR

Area affected

by surface deformation

Detection of possible

range variations


Why interferometry?

4

D R

= 5.66 cm

R1

R2

R1 R2

Df

DR = c · Df

L band = 23.5 cm

C band = 5.6 cm

X band = 3.1 cm

With InSAR displacement is measured

using the wavelength


Multi-interferogram techniques

5

• Satellite images are analysed using a multi image approach

• Images are acquired each time the satellite passes over the same area of ground

• As interferograms are acquired, they are stacked

• Consistent radar targets (PS/DS) are identified in the data

• Individual displacement time-series

is calculated for each measurement

point

Stack of interferograms

Tim

e

Time-series (PS)


Accuracy (PSInSAR™ data)

6

Positioning E - W N - S Height

Precision (1s) 6 m 2 m 1,5 m

Displacement

(LOS)

Average

Displacement Rate

Single

Measurement

Precision (1s) <1 mm/yr 5 mm

Typical values @ < 1 km from the reference point

>40 images – ERS and ENVISAT satellites (C-band)


Are InSAR analyses “operational”? Yes!

7

Whole Country Mapping:

• ESA data

• >15k scenes processed

• <1.5 years of processing

• >15 million ground points

identified


Scalable data

8

From national

mapping…

…to single

structures

Oil field


Synoptic Table

9

Advantages Limitations

• Regular updates over large

areas. Cost-effective.

• Historical archives available

• High PS density

(up to 10,000 PS/km2)

• Fast data processing /

low user interaction

• High accuracy (1-2 mm)

• Data easily imported into GIS

• Vegetated and forested areas

prevent any PSInSAR™ data

processing using natural PS.

• Reflectivity variations (e.g. snow,

heavy rain)

• Temporal sampling limited by

satellite repeat-cycles

• Only “slow” deformation can be

measured (<10 cm/yr in LOS)

• “Full 3D” displacement vectors

cannot be estimated (2D yes)


Satellite Radar Sensors

10

Sentinel-1 A

Sentinel-1 B


C-band (SB) vs X-band: an example

11

130

PS/km2

1,200

PS/km2

RADARSAT S3 TERRASAR-X SM


Why are InSAR Data Useful?

12

In a nutshell, InSAR data:

• Map the temporal evolution of ground

displacements (time-lapse analysis)

• Enable a wide-area understanding of

ground subsidence/uplift

• Provide users with the ability to

quantify historical ground movement

• Allow oil&gas companies to regularly

monitor production areas for

environmental monitoring and risk

mitigation (e.g. case failure, etc.)

• Allow oil&gas companies to develop better

reservoir models, by calibrating model parameters using surface

deformation data

Oil field deformation: California, USA

-10mm 0 +10mm


• The ability to map the subsidence

or uplift patterns, using satellite

data, powerfully complements

ground-based techniques and

enables measurement in areas

where access is difficult or

expensive.

• Observation of the spatial patterns

of vertical displacement can provide

insight into the structural geology of

a reservoir by highlighting the

location of active faults or

fractures. This information can be

integrated with other types of data

as input to reservoir models and

can assist in designing recovery

strategies.13

Why are InSAR Data Useful? (2/2)


Examples

14


Subsidence Analysis – Coastal Areas

15


Oil Field – Average Deformation Rate (LOS)

Wells

50

-50

mm/yr

Radarsat-1 data

AOI: 120 Kmq

More than 200,000 PS identified


Oil Field – Close Up

50

-50

mm/anno

Radarsat data

Wells

© Tele-Rilevamento Europa 2010 18

Analysis of faults and fractures

A’

sez1-V-soglia3-mm5

-160

-140

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000

progressiva (m)

spos

tam

ento

ver

ticale (m

m)

D20050108

D20050128

D20050217

D20050309

D20050329

D20050418

D20050508

D20050528

D20050617

D20050707

D20050727

D20050816

D20050905

D20050925

D20051015

D20051104

D20051124

D20051214

D20060103

D20060123

D20060212

D20060304

D20060324

D20060413

D20060503

D20060523

D20060612

D20060702

D20060722

D20060811

D20060831

D20060920

D20061010

D20061030

A


2D velocity gradient vs. fault map

Monitoring horizontal and vertical surface deformation

over a hydrocarbon reservoir by PSInSAR

First Break, volume 28, May 2010


• In Salah gas storage is JIP of Sonatrach, BP and Statoil Hydro

• Field produces gas with up to 10% CO2

• 1 million tons CO2 captured from gas and injected annually

• ~ 3 million tons CO2 injected by end of 2008

20

CO2 Sequestration - In Salah, Algeria


Time lapse analysis of surface displacement

+10- 10[mm]

Displacement along LOS

~25 km


What we learned (CCS projects)

22

• Due to the complexity of CO2 movement within the subsurface, and the

requirement to ensure that it does not migrate towards the surface, there is a

need to monitor the injected fluid.

• Satellite-based surveillance

can be more cost-effective,

more frequent and less

invasive than other

geophysical monitoring

techniques.

• The PSInSAR results

have proven that satellite

based observations can be

used to infer information

about the CO2 plumes and

even the permeability of the

reservoir (Vasco et al., 2008),

as well as the identification of fault reactivation.


Underground Gas Storage - Modelling

Injected/extracted volume

Surface displacement


Blockages/Difficulties

24

• Satellite tasking can be challenging with “dual-use” (military/civilian)

data sources. The more the number of data sources, the better.

• Estimation of full 3D deformation fields is still challenging, even when

combining 4 data-stacks from different acquisition geometries. Left-

looking sensors could play a role to get 3D measurements.

• Apart from environmental monitoring, there is still a lot of work to be

done for designing “standard”, operational procedures that could be

used to translate surface deformation data into reservoir parameters

and optimization strategies. There is a need of joint research projects

among radar specialists, geophysicists, geologists and petroleum

engineers.


Conclusions

• Advantages of InSAR data: high precision; quantitative and reliableinfo; fast data processing; regular updates; cost-effective.

• Limitations: vegetated areas, snow coverageartificial reflectors; not 3D measurements

• Benefits for the oil&gas sector: – assessment of the environmental impact of pumping activities.

– reservoir monitoring.

– geophysical inversion (pressure/permeability)

– synergy with seismic surveys

• More and more satellite data are becoming available and weeklymonitoring is becoming feasible.

• SAR measurements in synergy with GPS are becoming a standard monitoring tool for surface deformation monitoring.


Bibliographic References

26

•Klemm H., I. Quseimi, F. Novali, A. Ferretti, A. Tamburini: „Monitoring horizontal and

vertical surface deformation over a hydrocarbon reservoir by PSInSAR™‟ First Break,

Vol. 28, May 2010, p. 29-37.

•Vasco D. W., A. Rucci, A. Ferretti, F. Novali, R. C. Bissell, P.S. Ringrose, A. S.

Mathieson, and I. W. Wright: „Satellite-based measurements of surface deformation

reveal fluid flow associated with the geological storage of carbon dioxide‟ Geophysical

Research Letters, Vol. 37, L03303, 2010, doi:10.1029/2009GL041544.

•Vasco D.W., A. Ferretti, and F. Novali: „Estimating permeability from quasi-static

deformation: Temporal variations and arrival-time inversion‟ Geophysics, Vol. 73(6),

Nov.-Dec 2008, p. O37–O52.

•Tamburini A., M. Bianchi, C. Giannico, F. Novali: „Retrieving surface deformation by

PSInSAR™ technology: a powerful tool in reservoir monitoring‟ International Journal of

Greenhouse Gas Control, doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2009.12.009, 2010.

•Bell J. W., F. Amelung, A. Ferretti, M. Bianchi, F. Novali: „Permanent scatterer InSAR

reveals seasonal and long-term acquifer-system response to groundwater pumping and

artificial recharge‟ Water Resources Research, Vol. 44, February 2008, p. 1-18.

•Castelletto N., M. Ferronato, G. Gambolati, C. Janna, P. Teatini, D. Marzorati, E. Cairo,

D. Colombo, A. Ferretti, A. Bagliani, S. Mantica, „3D geomechanics in UGS projects. A

comprehensive study in northern Italy‟ Proc. of the 44th US Rock Mechanics

Symposium, Salt Lake City, June 2010.


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