Assessment of Southern California environment from ERTS-1

ERTS-1 imagery is a useful source of data for evaluation of earth resources in Southern California. The improving quality of ERTS-1 imagery, and our increasing ability to enhance the imagery has resulted in studies of a variety of phenomena in several Southern California environments. These investigations have produced several significant results of varying detail. They include the detection and identification of macro-scale tectonic and vegetational patterns, as well as detailed analysis of urban and agricultural processes. The sequential nature of ERTS-1 imagery has allowed these studies to monitor significant changes in the environment. In addiation, some preliminary work has begun directed toward assessing the impact of expanding recreation, agriculture and urbanization into the fragile desert environment. Refinement of enhancement and mapping techniques and more intensive analysis of ERTS-1 imagery should lead to a greater capability to extract detailed information for more precise evaluations and more accurate monitoring of earth resources in Southern California

Use of ERTS-1 data to assess and monitor change in the Southern California environment

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

A CO(2)-O(2)-light hydrocarbon-soil-gas anomaly above the Junction orogenic gold deposit: a potential alternative exploration technique

A soil-gas survey conducted above the Junction orogenic lode-gold deposit near Kambalda in Western Australia detected strong, broadly coincident, CO₂–O₂–light hydrocarbon anomalies through cover sediments above known mineralization. Alternatively, only CO₂–O₂ aberrations (without light hydrocarbons) were detected above areas where non-gold related carbonate and sulphide mineralization exists. Oxidation of the alteration assemblage associated with mineralization and the release of the gases in the fluid inclusions they contain are proposed as the source for these CO₂–O₂–light hydrocarbon anomalies. We believe that soil-gas exploration for orogenic gold deposits has widespread potential as an exploration method in Western Australia where regolith cover can make detection of mineralized shear zones by traditional exploration methods for gold problematic to impossible.P. A. Polito, J. D. A. Clarke, Y. Bone and J. Viellenav

Characterization of a Shallow Horizontal Fracturing Treatment in Western Missouri

Normally, the objective of hydraulic fracturing is to design and execute a fracture treatment that achieves the desired fracture dimensions (length & conductivity) to maximize a wells production rate and reserve recovery. Treatments are most typically applied in reservoirs with in-situ stresses that yield vertical fractures. Case studies of horizontal fractures and identification of the key parameters unique to horizontal fractures are uncommon, in part due to the fact that oil and gas reservoirs occur in relatively deep subsurface formations. A research project, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, was undertaken to demonstrate a development method for the significant heavy oil reserves that exist at ultra-shallow depth in the Pennsylvanian sands in Southwestern Missouri and Southeastern Kansas. The principal objective is to demonstrate an economically viable and sustainable method of producing the shallow heavy oil using a combination of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) treatments and horizontal fracturing in vertical wells. In this application, the purpose of hydraulic fracturing is to expose additional reservoir surface area for subsequent microbial injection. Once the hydrocarbons are contacted by the microbes, the horizontal fractures are to provide a conductive pathway back to the wellbore for the lower viscosity hydrocarbons to flow. Two wells in the study area, Fauvergue 1 and 5, were cased, perforated, and hydraulically fracture stimulated. Analysis of the treatments with surface tiltmeters confirmed that horizontal fractures were created. Geomechanical studies conducted prior to fracturing confirmed that the Pennsylvanian sands are more competent and have a greater Young\u27s Modulus than previously reported in the literature. This paper provides documentation of the extensive laboratory study conducted to develop an understanding of the elastic properties of the Warner and Blue Jacket sandstones and shale, fracture fluid sensitivity, and embedment testing. The paper also reports the horizontal fracture stimulation execution and pressure analysis. Surface tiltmeter data are reviewed with the hydraulic fracturing performance, to determine whether the treatment objectives were achieved