SPECTRAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HYDROCARBON SEEPAGES IN BRAZILIAN CONTINENTAL BASINS

Abstract

This project aims to establish prospective models to determine direct and indirect hydrocarbon seepage from data and remote sensing techniques. The study will include the spectral characterization of rocks, soils and vegetation associated with seepage in two continental basins of the Brazilian territory, where various natural reservoirs of oil and gas have been documented: the Potiguar Basin (State of Rio Grande do Norte) and the São Francisco Basin (State of Minas Gerais). These basins are, respectively, in semi-arid and semi-humid tropical environments, allowing the generation of models for two key physiographic situations found in Brazil. The research will mainly use hyperspectral imagery provided by the ProspecTIR-VS sensor, with 357 bands between 0,4-2,5 um (spanning from visible to shortwave infrared wavelengths) and spatial resolution of 0.6-1m. Data with such specifications will be used for this purpose the first time in remote sensing studies in the country, which could bring significant advances to the methods currently used to detect hydrocarbon seepage in Brazilian basins and elsewehere.