OREANDA-NEWS. January 14, 2015. Saudi Aramco prides itself on being an enterprise that deploys the latest advanced technology in a bid to remain a global leader.

This was evident at the recent Remote Sensing Conference, which provided a platform for leading global experts to discuss developments in remote sensing and its innovative applications in the energy industry.

Remote sensing is the science and art of identifying, observing and measuring an object without physical contact. It involves the detection and measurement of electromagnetic radiation of various wave lengths and strength that are reflected or emitted from distant objects.

“Saudi Aramco’s sponsorship of this first Remote Sensing Conference in the Kingdom is a testament to our support to advance this technology further,” said Abdulaziz A. Al-AbdulKarim, executive director of Information Technology. “We are seeing great potential for the use of remote sensing solutions in innovative ways such as utilizing the satellite imagery to monitor oil spills, detecting land encroachments, and in further research, locating potential reservoirs and minerals.”

The conference allowed global technology leaders in remote sensing to share their latest technical expertise with Saudi Aramco specialists and engineers. It was an opportunity for company professionals to share their challenges, requirements and views with world-known vendors to unlock the potential for enhancing Saudi Aramco’s current business processes.

Dr. Abdullah Mah from Saudi Aramco’s IT organization said that it was in 2002 that Saudi Aramco first began using remote sensing technology, through eMap. In the past 12 years, eMap’s journey has seen the service shift from offering simple base maps to assisting in mineral exploration and gas seep detection.

eMap’s remote sensing service now affects almost every aspect of the company’s business. Mineral and geological mapping, along with gas seeps, are important tools for oil and gas exploration.

The service also provides interferometry mapping, which helps maintain stability within the company’s thousands of kilometers of pipelines as well as services to help detect oil spills.

Dr. Paul Murphy from Airbus Defence and Space, explained how improving technologies in remote sensing is crucial for the pipeline planning process. He also said that the agility of sensors and growing satellite constellations provides faster acquisition times to fit in to the project life cycles. With direct access to satellites, remote sensing provides users with a 24/7 ability to acquire imagery in emergency situations.

Dr. Mohammed Al Farhan from the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology explained that remote sensing was used by researchers in a study area of Khuff gas formation exposure near Qassim. He said that using various types of remote sensing technology yielded many advantages, including reducing field visits and allowing researchers to reach places that would otherwise be unreachable.

“I would like to call upon our technology partners to look at further advancements; the need for almost real-time and higher imagery resolution has become a necessity in the business world,” said Khalid Al-Arfaj, eMap division head. “Let’s keep the dialogue open, and let’s sustain the momentum of this gathering.”