The Importance of Utilizing Gravity Tensor Invariant in Determining Hydrocarbon Locations

Authors : Fikret DOĞRU

Pages : 312-319

Doi:10.17824/yerbilimleri.1005583

View : 11 | Download : 10

Publication Date : 2021-12-23

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The region, which covers the northeast of Syria and the northwest of Iraq in the south of the Bitlis-Zagros Suture Belt, which was formed as a result of the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates during the Middle Miocene and Early Late Miocene, has a very important position in the world in terms of hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbon exploration activities require enormous labour and cost. It is aimed to show that the locations of the known hydrocarbon fields in the region coincide with the maximum values of the gravity tensor invariant with this study. In this way, it is aimed to show that both the working area can be narrowed and the cost can be reduced by applying this method beforehand in similar regions. For this purpose, World Gravity Map 2012 global model gravity data, which is one of the most up-to-date satellite-based gravity data used by many researchers recently, was used. First of all, the spherical free air and complete spherical Bouguer gravity data were analyzed and then the potential was obtained by taking the vertical integration of the complete spherical Bouguer data. Tensors were calculated by using this potential data and gravity tensor invariant was calculated from tensors. When the gravity tensor invariant map is examined, it is observed that the areas with the maximum positive values observed and the locations of the known oil wells are mostly compatible throughout the area. As a result, it would be very beneficial to apply this method for the region first for such high-cost studies.
Keywords : gravity, tensor, hydrocarbon, Bouguer, Syria, Iraq