Researchers at the Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research (CIPR), a joint venture between the University of Bergen and Uni Research, are using drones to map new oil reserves from the air.
According to research Aleksandra Sima, the drones facilitate efforts to define the geology and to find oil. Sima is a member of CIPR's Virtual Outcrop Geology group. The group's main task is to create digital 3-D maps of potential oil fields. Using laser scanners, infrared sensors and digital cameras, the researchers create realistic, virtual models. Every tiny pixel of an image can store information on minerals and rocks.
These high-tech models help the geologists criss-cross the landscape. This virtual fieldwork enables the researchers to gather information on anything from the type of rock to the thickness of the sedimentation, all with a few mouse clicks on the computer.
Image courtesy of CIPR.