Infoterraoil slick mapping project off Seychelles

23 June 2009, 1:29pm

23rd June 2009 - Infoterra Ltd, a leader in the provision of geographic information products and services, and a subsidiary of Astrium, has completed an oil slick mapping and interpretation project of offshore Seychelles in collaboration with Seychelles Petroleum Company (Seypec).

This is the largest slick mapping project ever undertaken of offshore Seychelles - with the acquisition of over 150 radar satellite scenes across the 500,000 km2 area - the project was undertaken during April and May to take advantage of the optimum weather window.

Infoterra's team of experts characterised and ranked all oil slicks, as probable natural seepage or man-made pollution, immediately the satellite imagery was received. This approach is a powerful method for assessing the probability of the presence of a mature source rock and an active petroleum system, saving both time and money. The team also mapped the location and movement of all shipping visible in the area to give a more complete picture.

Infoterra has worked in partnership with Seypec prior to an offshore licencing round later this year. "Seeps data is valuable information prior to any exploration, especially in this relatively unexplored region. We will use this data to support the planning of seismic projects and subsequent geochemical programmes," stated Patrick Joseph, Exploration Manager for Seychelles Petroleum Company.

The seeps data will be added to Infoterra's Global Seeps database which is available to be licensed by oil exploration companies to help focus exploration effort and minimise environmental impact.

Infoterra Global Seeps database

Infoterra

Geo: International