GRSG 34th Conference 2023

Title: InSAR service evolution in the energy sector

Author: Ren Capes

Abstract:

Satellite radar interferometry (InSAR) is a space-based remote sensing technology able to map ground and structural motions in the mining industry and on critical infrastructure such as UGS sites located near urban areas, geothermal infrastructure and gas pipelines. It is a satellite monitoring technique that is increasingly being adopted to various fields of application. Since it is a remote sensing technology, the technique does not rely on any ground-based instrumentation at all, representing significant cost savings as well as health and safety benefits to employees who do not need to visit the site. The millimeter accuracy, the high density (i.e., thousands of points per square kilometer) of the measurements, and the ability to cover large areas (hundreds or thousands of square kilometers) make this technology an attractive option for monitoring the previously listed infrastructures.

Finally, besides the ongoing monitoring, extensive data archives from a range of different radar satellite missions mean motion trends can be analyzed as far back as 1992 – a unique capability. In recent years, InSAR has begun to be adopted by geological engineers as a practical and cost-effective way of gaining a synoptic view of overall site, thus helping to prioritise more expensive ground-based investigation.

In this article we illustrate the utility of InSAR in supporting and improving the safety of oil and geothermal sites with three practical examples: 1) In Salah, Kretchba CO2 field, Algeria: CO2 injection and extraction monitoring analysis over different oil wells; 2) Laguna del Maule, Geothermal field, Chile: Monitor a large area of rapid uplift in a volcanically active area with the presence of geothermal and civil infrastructure; 3) Gas Pipeline, Arezzo, Italy: Slope stability analysis and risk classification maps. Identification of new landslides and comparison with existing ones.

Satellite radar interferometry (InSAR) is a space-based remote sensing technology able to map ground and structural motions in the mining industry and on critical infrastructure such as UGS sites located near urban areas, geothermal infrastructure and gas pipelines. It is a satellite monitoring technique that is increasingly being adopted to various fields of application. Since it is a remote sensing technology, the technique does not rely on any ground-based instrumentation at all, representing significant cost savings as well as health and safety benefits to employees who do not need to visit the site. The millimeter accuracy, the high density (i.e., thousands of points per square kilometer) of the measurements, and the ability to cover large areas (hundreds or thousands of square kilometers) make this technology an attractive option for monitoring the previously listed infrastructures.

Finally, besides the ongoing monitoring, extensive data archives from a range of different radar satellite missions mean motion trends can be analyzed as far back as 1992 – a unique capability. In recent years, InSAR has begun to be adopted by geological engineers as a practical and cost-effective way of gaining a synoptic view of overall site, thus helping to prioritise more expensive ground-based investigation. In this article we illustrate the utility of InSAR in supporting and improving the safety of oil and geothermal sites with three practical examples: 1) In Salah, Kretchba CO2 field, Algeria: CO2 injection and extraction monitoring analysis over different oil wells; 2) Laguna del Maule, Geothermal field, Chile: Monitor a large area of rapid uplift in a volcanically active area with the presence of geothermal and civil infrastructure; 3) Gas Pipeline, Arezzo, Italy: Slope stability analysis and risk classification maps. Identification of new landslides and comparison with existing ones.