Energy

The search for new fields

The search for new field is very expensive, therefore it has to be carried out extremely carefully. The first information is obtained by the study of aerial or satellite pictures, that offer a map of the surface rocks. Then geochemistry, micropaleontology and petrography provide all the needed information about the physical-chemical characteristics of the rocks, their age and composition. Once an interesting area has been identified, in order to find the traps, reflection seismic is used. Seismic waves are created, by means of small explosions (on the Earth’s surface) or with the rapid expansion of compressed air (in the sea). The waves propagate on the land or in the water, they are differently reflected according to what they meet. When they go back to the surface, they are recorded by suitably located geophones. The record processing provides a sort of “map” of soil composition, that gives information about the presence of traps. Not all traps contain oil, and only by creating exploration wells it will be possible to confirm its presence.