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Shallow Cavern Detection through the Acquisition and Interpretation of Airborne Full Tensor Gradiometry
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 24th European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, Sep 2018, Volume 2018, p.1 - 5
Abstract
Evaporite sediments within the Delaware basin of west Texas are known to be significantly karsted through the action of surface and subsurface water. Surface geomorphology offers indications of subsurface karsting, but such features may be occluded by more recent sedimentary cover. Recent drilling efforts have penetrated shallow caverns resulting in the loss of drilling fluids and the abandonment of the borehole after mitigation methods failed to stem further fluid loss. Airborne Full Tensor Gradiometry (FTG) is acquired to locate the known karst penetrated by the wells and to assess further risk in the adjacent leased acreage. FTG acquisition is rapidly acquired, processed and interpreted in order to allow risk assessment to take place within the strict time frame imposed by drilling commitments. Such data acquisition could not take place through ground methods due to the extent of the acreage and the time required to secure multiple permits which are not required by airborne data acquisition.