
Observing Oil
Surface Area Due to
Seepage in Lake Maracaibo
- Josh Bridges, Ronnie Featherston, Jarret Garber,
Maria Squier, Whitney Warneke, Shan Zhao -


Music
Music

Lake Maracaibo is one of the oldest lakes on Earth. It lies in northwest Venezuela and is situated in the center of the Maracaibo basin, covering an area of over 12,000 km². In 1922, it was discovered that the lake was rich in oil and today it accounts for 80% of Venezuela’s oil production [1]. In recent years, unnatural sources such as submarine pipelines, flow stations, and effluents, have caused an increasing number of complications which have led to oil accumulation on the lake’s surface. Although oil spills occur naturally in this area due to seepage through the lake’s floor, reports show a significant increase in oil seepage in July, 2010. However, the local population and the federal government of Venezuela disagree as to the source of this increased seepage. Whether it is from natural or unnatural sources has yet to be determined.
A study for quantifiable as well as visual evidence of the extent and validity of the recent oil seepage on Lake Maracaibo’s surface was conducted. In order to better understand the magnitude of this seepage, data in the form of images has been acquired from the Alaska Satellite Facility on the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) platform. ALOS holds the instrument Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR). The images represent areas on the right side of the lake, where the most significant changes in oil accumulation were noted. The time frame of the study was narrowed to the span between June 24th, 2010 and September 3rd, 2010. The narrowed time frame allowed for the examination of the lake just before, during and just after the increased oil seepage. Six images were collected that fit within the desired time frame and represent areas on the right side of the lake. The ENVI Classic computer program processed the images to help discern the extent of the seepage. The images were also visually examined to note the differences in oil accumulation on the lake’s surface, indicative of the changes in oil seepage. Considerations were taken to determine if the patches of oil were indeed oil or look-alikes, which are environmental and weather conditions often mistaken for oil patches in RADAR data. Findings indicate the areas on the lake’s surface originally considered to be oil are, under the restrictions encountered in the study, indeed oil.
Abstract
Region of Interest



July 19th, 2010
September 3rd, 2010
