Title: The spatial distribution of the strike angles derived from EIGEN 6C4 gravity model - a new possibility for oil and gas exploration?

Authors: Jaroslav Klokočník; Jan Kostelecký; Aleš Bezděk; Václav Cílek

Addresses: Astronomical Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Fričova 298, CZ 251 65 Ondřejov, Czech Republic ' Research Institute of Geodesy, Topography and Cartography, CZ 250 66 Zdiby 98, Czech Republic; Faculty of Mining and Geology, VSB-TU Ostrava, CZ 708 33 Ostrava, Czech Republic ' Astronomical Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Fričova 298, CZ 251 65 Ondřejov, Czech Republic; Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, CZ 166 29 Praha 6, Czech Republic ' Geological Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ 165 00 Praha 6, Rozvojová 269, Czech Republic

Abstract: We discovered a correlation between the 'combed' strike angles (one of the gravity functions derived from a gravity field model) and regions with oil, gas, shale gas deposits or ground water, paleolakes or impact craters. The spatial distribution of the combed strike angles may indicate a new cheap and accessible geophysical tool for recognition of some potential oil and gas areas. We work with the global gravity field model EIGEN 6C4 providing a ground resolution of about 10 km and a precision typically 10 mGal. First, we test the well-known oil/gas fields; this attests the success of the proposed methodology. Then, we extrapolate outside the known zones. The new method may be an inexpensive tool for frontier areas in terms of decreasing the risk of deposit exploration. An extensive supplementary material is added. [Received: March 29, 2020; Accepted: September 18, 2020]

Keywords: oil/gas exploration theory; oil/gas exploration methodology; physical geodesy; satellite gravimetry; earth's gravity field models; EIGEN 6C4 gravity field model; geoapplications; gravity aspects; gravity disturbances; Marussi tensor; virtual deformations; combed strike angles; correlation between combed strike angles and oil/gas deposits; impact craters.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2021.118651

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2021 Vol.28 No.3, pp.306 - 332

Received: 29 Mar 2020
Accepted: 18 Sep 2020
Published online: 30 Oct 2021 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article