The Potential of Remote Sensing Data for Oil and Gas Exploration in Indonesia: a Review

Abstract

Oil and gas are important commodities in Indonesia and remain the main source for energy in various sectors. Therefore, the government aim to produce 1 million barrels of oil per day (BOPD) by 2030. To achieve this goal, exploration work is needed to discover new reserves and maintain production in existing fields. This study reviews the experience of oil and gas exploration in Indonesia using remote sensing data and the potential of using remote sensing data for oil and gas exploration through surface anomalies. Surface anomalies are changes or deviations that occur on the surface as the result of the presence of oil and gas underneath. These anomalies included vegetation growing stunted, yellowing or dying, changes in the quantity and composition of clay minerals, iron oxide, increased concentrations of hydrocarbons, helium, radon, carbon dioxide, microbes, and the presence of paraffin dirt formation, as well as geomorphological changes. This study aims to assess and explain the capabilities of remote sensing data in Indonesia for oil and gas exploration. The results show that remote sensing can be used for the initial exploration of oil and gas by delineating areas of potential oil and gas traps based on topographical anomalies and geological mapping integrated with gravity data and increasing confidence in the presence of oil and gas in the subsurface based on surface anomalies. These results are expected that the usefulness of remote sensing can be used to support oil and gas exploration in Indonesia and can be recognized and used for oil and gas activities by utilizing existing methods and discovering methods for data processing and their applications.