In a lava over oil prediction system

摘要

Aberdeen university researchers are taking part in a two-year project to develop a software modelling system that could unearth major new oil fields beneath lava on the sea bed off the Shetland Isles. The Faroe-Shetland basin is, at 300 sq km, one of the world's largest lava fields where a 3km thick layer of lava acts as a seal, trapping sand and mud - the sediment where oil can be found. The team, from the university's College of Physical Sciences, hopes to develop a system that can predict the conditions and location of the oil in a way which has never before been trialled. The first wells in the region were drilled in 2001 and showed experts that the geographical area contained significant resources. However, traditional seismic techniques employed for oil exploration give readings that are hard to interpret. It is hoped the new technology will allow mapping of sediments between the lava flows and so the identification of oil reservoirs.