The use of GOCE gravity satellite data in

Geophysical exploration and basin modeling

Arabian Peninsula

Rader Abdul Fattah (TNO)

S. Meekes (TNO)
J. Bouman (DGFI)
M. Schmidt (DGFI)
J. Ebbing (NGU)

Marrakech 5 7 October
MAPG-AAPG 2nd International Convention
 Who is TNO?

INDEPENDENT R&T ORGANIZATION

Founded in 1932 by act of parliament (TNO law)

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Applied R&T organization
technology development &
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special tasks
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e.g. Geological Survey

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 TNO Oil and Gas technologies

Exploration Production Capture & Integrity Process

Optimization Storage Services Instrumentation
Technology

Petroleum System EGR/EOR CO2 & H2S Installation integrity: Multiphase flow
Modeling Separation design, measurement
Real-Time Production troubleshooting
Biostratigraphy Monitoring & Control Sour gas services Soft sensing
Turbomachinery &
Basin Studies & Flow Control & Separation acoustics Non intrusive
Regional Mapping Assurance technology Produced sensing
water treatment Testing
Unconventional Field Development
Planning CCS/UGS/ECBM LNG Test and
Technology Centre
 Exploration technologies

Geological mapping and modelling

Petroleum systems

Special (niche) technologies

Basin Modelling (Heat & Fluid flow)
Exploration Production Capture & Integrity Process
Optimization Storage
Sedimentology Services Instrumentation
Technology
Biostratigraphy
Petroleum System EGR/EOR OrganicCO2
petrology/geochemistry
& H2S Installation integrity: Multiphase flow
Modeling Separation design, measurement
Real-Time Production troubleshooting
Biostratigraphy
Geomechanics
Monitoring & Control Sour gas services Soft sensing
Turbomachinery &
Basin Studies & Flow Control & Separation acoustics Non intrusive
Regional Mapping Assurance technology Produced sensing
water treatment Testing
Goal: New plays, prospects and additional reserves
Unconventional Field Development
Planning CCS/UGS/ECBM LNG Test and
Technology Centre
 Space Systems and Applications at TNO

Exploration and space science

Instrumentation
Satellite navigation
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Earth observation

Environmental and Security modeling

Oil and Gas applications
InSAR monitoring - (induced)
subsidence
Forward gravity modeling for basin
studies
 Remote sensing and hydrocarbon exploration

TRENDS in HC exploration

Future exploration moves to more remote, harsh or unsecure areas.

Less staff on the ground.

TRENDS in Satellite use

Demand Driven Missions (Frascati, 2010)

Satellite data will play a larger role in E&P

 The GOCE satellite gravity mission

Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE)

ESA satellite launched in 2009 and mission

Measures gravity gradient (gradiometer)

Objectives:

Gravity field with high accuracy

Determine the Geoid (1-2 cm)
Spatial resolution of ~ 75 km
 The GOCE satellite gravity mission
Objectives

Ocean Circulation

Solid Earth

Geodesy

Sea-level Change
 Gravity data and Basin studies

GOCE data: suitable resolution for the regional scale studies

Suitable for crust and lithosphere studies (crust thickness)
Gradient data: higher horizontal resolution for crustal structure (densities)
discrimination.
GOCE data can help map the Moho transition; essential for heat flow modeling

GOCE accuracy requirements

GOCE gravity satellite data in Geophysical exploration
and basin modeling

2-Years Project

ESA (European Space Agency)

TNO (Dutch Institute for Applied Sciences)

DGFI (German Geodesic institute)

NUG (Norwegian Geological Survey)

 GOCE gravity satellite data in Geophysical exploration
and basin modeling

Project objectives

Developing processing workflows to make data available for

end-users.

Sensitivity analysis and data evaluation

(North Atlantic case study)

Geophysical exploration

GOCE for Hydrocarbon exploration

(Arabian Peninsula)
 Geophysical exploration and basin modeling
Arabian Peninsula (The Empty Quarter desert)

Gravity data from the GOCE satellite for Hydrocarbon exploration

Based on gravity data a crustal/lithospheric model is constructed

Heat flow maps are created based on the crustal/lithospheric model

Maturity is evaluated using the heat flow model

 Hydrocarbon exploration in The Empty Quarter

The middle-east key fossil fuel source

Unexplored basins (frontier area)
High potential exploration area (Paleozoic plays)
Regional geological system (large scale basins)
 Hydrocarbon maturity in the basin
Organic-rich source rocks in the basin need heat to get mature cooked and produce
hydrocarbon. (oil and gas)

The heat needed for cooking the source rock comes from the crust
Energy from the mantel
Energy from radiogenic elements in the basement Temperature
oC
Vitrinite
Reflectance
Spore
coloration
0 %Rr
Energy from radiogenic elements in the sediments
25
Biogenic
methane 1
50 0.5 Diagenesis

The amount of heat within the basin is controlled (defined) Yellow

by the heat flow within the basin 0.7

100 5
Oil
1.0 Orange
Oil window

Catagenesis
Brown
150 1.3
Dry
gas 10 Black

1.9
Gas
200 window

2.5

Graphite Metagenesis
250
 Basal heat flow in the basin

Basement heat flow is important parameter affecting source

rock maturity.
Basement heat flow is determined by crustal structure and
can be estimated from crustal models
Depth of the basement, lithosphere and crust thickness,

Crust structure, composition and properties

(radiogenic heat production, thermal conductivity)

Variations (heterogeneity) within the basement

Variations in basal heat flow

Maturity anomalies within the basin

The case in the Arabian Peninsula

Empty Quarter
 Basal heat flow in the basin

Arabian shield is composed of different structures

amalgmated Pre-Cambrian island arcs and micro-continents,
and igneous plutons
(tectonic terranes and suture zones)

Different structures and different properties

Continues below the Phanerozoic sediments in the

Arabian Platform

Variations (heterogeneity) within the basement

Variations in the basal heat flow
Maturity anomalies within the basin (Nehlig et al., 2002)
 TNO approach to understand maturity
Probabilistic tectonic heat flow modeling (PetroProb)

A multi- 1D tectonic heat flow modelling approach

(Temporal and spatial variations)
Based on inversion of basin subsidence data
(sedimentation, erosion, PWD, .. etc)
(Modelled tectonic heat flow)
Incorporates the effect of sedimentation infill and
heat production in the crust
(Improved McKenzie model)
Includes uncertainty in the input parameters
(Probabilistic approach)
Conducts calibration with measured data and
sensitivity analysis
(Calibration with measured data)

Main inputs:
Lithosphere and Crust thicknesses
and properties
 TNO approach to understand maturity
Probabilistic tectonic heat flow modeling (PetroProb)

Subsidence Inversion Heat flow Uncertainty Maturation Uncertainty

tectonic heat flow
Uncertainty
Tectonic Uncertainty
Sedimentary
Subsidence Tectonic Subsidence
Thermal properties
curve (PWD/erosion)

Uncertainty
Lithosphere
Lithosphere
Parameters
Parameters
(crust/lith)

End-members

Experimental design
Inverted alternative
Tectonic model Inverted
Tectonic models

MC sampling MC sampling

Uncertainty
Default tectonic Uncertainty
tectonic
Bsmt heat flow Maturation
bsmt heat flow

Sensitivity Analysis - Calibration

 How GOCE Gravity data will be used

Litho-stratigraphic model of the area will be built:

Basement depth map of the area (from Seismic refraction data)
Stratigraphic information (regional correlations and well data)

A gravity model will be made (gravity gradients, gravity anomaly)

Forward of inverse modeling procedure

A model of the crust (basement) will be constructed

Geometry and properties
Uncertainties assigned
Stratigraphic
The model with the uncertainties will be used in the HF model

modeling tool.
Maturity of source rock units is calculated

Gravity
model

Maturity
model Heat flow Lithosphere GOCE data
model Crust model
 Data requirements availability

Literature and publications

Local contacts (work groups):
KFUPM (Arabian Transect project)
Saudi Aramco (Basin modeling team)
SRAK (Shell. Basin modeling team)
KOC
KISR

(Pollastro, 2003)
Data: Geological model (stratigraphy)

(Pollastro, 2003)
 Data: Basement model, Calibration data (Maturity modeling)

Basement depth Moho depth

(Stern and Johnson, 2010) (Al-Damegh et al., 2005)

( Milner, 1998)

Jurassic maturity (Vr %) Permian maturity (Vr %) Surface heat flow (mW/m2)
 Data: Available gravity data
(Geological survey of KSA)

Land surveys

Elevation data

GRACE mission

Gravity anomaly maps

Marine Gravity from Geosat and ERS 1 Satellite Altimetry Geoid undulation Earth Gravitational Model EGM2008
Status of the project

GOCE gradient data are processed :

Component corrections
Frame Orientation adjustment
Data collection (north Atlantic case study)
Initial geological model of the Arabian
Peninsula case study.
Model specifications.
 Summary
Satellite technology becomes more important for HC exploration.
Large area with difficult accessibility.
This study can show the relevance of satellite data (e.g. GOCE-data) for
exploration for hydrocarbons.
GOCE gravity gradient data have huge potential for HC as well as other
applications.
This study will develop workflows to handle GOCE gradient data.
GOCE Gravity data will be available for FREE in useable formats.
Implementations for the North Africa (large unexplored areas, harsh
environment) !!

www.goce4interior.dgfi.badw.de