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SpatialNews Press Release
RADARSAT-1 Supports Environmental Surveillance
of the Gulf of Mexico
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Richmond, B.C. - RADARSAT International (RSI) has signed a one-year contract
to support the Marine North East Region (MNE) of PEMEX, Exploration and
Production (PEP) of Mexico in establishing a maritime surveillance strategy
for the Gulf of Mexico for both off-shore oil seep exploration and
environmental vigilance in the Gulf. The project incorporates routine
imaging by Canada's RADARSAT-1 Earth-observation satellite as well as
innovative processing, interpretation, and delivery services provided
through a collaboration between RSI, the RADARSAT Resource Centre in Brazil
(CBRR at COPPE/UFRJ), and PEP.
RADARSAT-1 is known for its ability to detect the presence of maritime oil
slicks and seeps. In the year 2000, PEP, RSI and the CBRR implemented a
successful pilot project in the Gulf of Mexico using RADARSAT-1 imagery to
separately identify oil spills from ocean going vessels, offshore production
platforms, and natural oil seeps.
"This year we plan to go beyond the pilot study and monitor bigger areas
around the production platforms," says Arturo Mendoza, a member of PEP's
environmental program for PEP-MNE, which includes Cantarell-one of the
world's largest offshore oil fields.
"Earth observation via satellite is the cheapest option," adds Mendoza. "We
get a lot of coverage in one image. For our operations we have selected
images that cover an area as large as 165 kilometers by 165 kilometers in
the Wide 1 operational beam mode. In the pilot projects, we also tested
larger coverage images, such as RADARSAT's ScanSAR Narrow (300 kilometers by
300 kilometers) and ScanSAR Wide (500 kilometres by 500 kilometres) and
found that although the resolution was coarser it was still sufficient for
detection of large oil seeps and slicks. I did market research comparing the
services and capabilities of various satellite image providers. We think RSI
is the best option."
Offshore oil seep and oil spill monitoring are two more examples of the
valuable information RSI continues to provide for offshore exploration and
environmental monitoring projects. A key element in marine oil tracking is
the ability to translate satellite radar signals into useful information
with sophisticated image processing and interpretation. Many of the methods
are proprietary techniques. PEP and RSI have worked with the CBRR and
CENPES, the Remote Sensing Laboratory of Petrobras, to develop these
techniques.
Dr. Fernando Pellon de Miranda, CBRR Chair and Co-ordinator of remote
sensing in the Petrobras geochemistry branch, says, "We have customized an
image processing technique to come up with the most truthful interpretation
of satellite images of slicks. Interpretation is heavily dependent on
weather conditions and knowledge of the area including petroleum geology and
tectonic information. This information minimizes our exploration risk
because we no longer have to blindly enter offshore frontier basins."
RSI considers PEP and its CBRR/CENPES colleagues at Petrobras to be Latin
America's leaders of routine satellite monitoring of offshore oil slicks and
adapting technology to understand and manage this information. Pamela
Welgan, RSI's Sales Director for Latin America, says: "I am really delighted
with the results of RSI's technical and commercial collaboration with our
colleagues in Mexico and Brazil. The technical synergy among our colleagues
has resulted in a long-standing collaboration, which is pushing the
RADARSAT-1 technology to its limits-in the process we are finding new ways
of using the data to respond specifically to client requirements. In my
view, PEP and Petrobras are trail-blazers in new technology diffusion and we
will look forward to future projects."
More Information
Cory Rossignol or Kate Stephens
Communications Department
RADARSAT International
1-(604) 231-5000
crossignol@rsi.ca or kstephens@rsi.ca
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Oct 26, 2001
Jun 26, 2002
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