Oil / Gas (Exploration & production mapping)
Eagle Ford Texas – Shale Project
Project location: SW Texas
Project size: 11,000 sq. miles
Services/products: DTM acquisition, 4-band (RGB/IR) Ortho-rectified imagery
To assist the domestic oil and gas companies with facilities planning and monitoring of production Spatial Intel has been providing remote sensing services for the Eagle Ford Texas Shale region since 2010.
Services provided include Digital Elevation Model (DEM) acquisition, multi-spectral 4-band aerial imagery (RGB/IR) and ortho-rectification of imagery at 1-foot resolution of multiple contiguous counties totaling in excess of 11,000 square miles (over 7 million acres).
Key to the program’s success from a mapping perspective was the specification generated by Spatial Intel staff to ensure the current and going-forward program goals will be met from a viewable detail and horizontal accuracy perspective. It was essential to create a highly precise base map in year one, then duplicate that positional integrity in subsequent years, making sure each aerial flight mission overlayed precisely on the previous data.
CloudMAP Services data acquisition network was called on to provide access a stabile twin-engine turbo-charged aerial survey platform equipped with:
1. On-board GPS navigation and sensor/platform positioning.
2. Inertial measurement unit (IMU) platform / sensor monitoring and, 3 large format Vexcel multi-spectral imaging sensor to accurately and efficiently capture the area. Spatial Intel has been asked to stand-by to continue the program and looks to acquire the area again in late 2013.
Oil / Gas Exploration
International – Eastern Europe
Project location: Eastern Europe
Project size: 8,000 sq. miles
Services / products: DTM acquisition 4-band (RGB/IR) ortho-rectified imagery
A US based client of Spatial Intel was investigating remotely sensed ortho-rectified imagery for a rather large Oil Concession in Eastern Europe totaling 20,500 sq. km.
Initial plans were to task satellite data capture assuming it would be the easiest and more economical route. A proposal to use satellite was deemed disappointing in terms of low resolution, minimal accuracy, cloud cover, and nearly a 1-year proposed delivery schedule. Knowing our ability to acquire data anywhere, we were asked what we could offer in terms of resolution, accuracy, schedule and cost. Through our world-wide network of data acquisition experts and access to existing “off-the-shelf” data sources, Spatial Intel proposed a state of the art direct digital large format sensor (Zeiss DMC) and twin engine (stable) aircraft specifically engineered to collect co-registered 4-band imagery.
Through use of the right technology we were able to offer higher resolution data, better accuracy, one third the delivery time at a much better cost. We provided 40 cm 4-band ground sample distance ortho’s with better than +/- 3 foot horizontal accuracy within 3-months of data capture – in lieu of 1-year for satellite. (Cloud free!)
The program remains in the exploration phase and if the concession goes to production, Spatial Intel has been notified we will re-map the area and ensure the new data overlays right on top of the previous.
International/Oil and Gas
(Remote Sensing / LiDAR)
A well respected Geo-technologies firm was hired to oversee a 5,600 square kilometer Oil / Gas exploration project in Peru. The program required generation of an accurate digital elevation model (DEM), and a service provider in the project country was being considered to provide airborne LiDAR. In an effort to ensure the aerial survey would support the needs of the program, Spatial Intel’s experience and knowledge of LIDAR was called upon to review the prepared LiDAR specifications and the contractors response to the request assess the potential for success and identify any issues to be addressed prior to selection and mobilization of equipment and personnel to the project site. In addition to the technology and approach we sought clarification on terminology and context of language to ensure a meeting of the minds to avoid downstream issues.
The major components of the specification and solution scrutinized consisted of the following:
Acquisition plan and system capabilities (flight height, side lap, laser pulse rate, post spacing in rugged terrain, capture angle off Nadir (FOV), land cover and AOI
Processing software, procedures and schedules (are they deemed effective and realistic)
Accuracy and compliance criteria requested and proposed. (Relative vs. absolute)
Field procedures and collection support including base station locations, spacing, Pdop parameters, ground control procedures and access plan / permissions
Geodetic parameters (proper H/V reference and density)
Ensure all permits and licenses are accounted for and assigned
An adequate safety plan was in place
QA/QC procedures and reporting agreeable
Project progress reporting (method, frequency and content)
Mitigation parameters established should problems arise
Media and formatting compatibility
Thoroughness of proposed approach and presence of a contingency plan
Mitigation parameters and resolution established should problems arise
Spatial Intel identified some proposed anomalies that were addressed in a revised proposal prior to the start of the project. The major concern involved an attempt to operate the equipment outside manufacturer suggested guidelines (flying too high) in order to minimize collection time. This could have had disastrous consequences on precision, point density and ability to accurately model the surface through vegetation due to very low pulse return energy.
Additional clarification proved important in overall confidence (by both parties) and has resulted in compliant data too date. (Project is ongoing at the time this summary was prepared.)