Exploration for hydrocarbon prospects using aerial spectral radiometric survey data in Egypt

A new exploration method was developed by Saunders et al. (1993) which uses surface and aerial gamma-ray spectral measurements in prospecting for hydrocarbon accumulations in stratigraphic and structural traps. This method was applied on the recorded aerial gamma-ray spectrometric survey data of the Bahariya Oasis area, Northern Western Desert, Egypt. The study area displays a special importance in recent years, due to the discovery of economic iron ore deposits in Algedida and Nasser areas as well as petroleum in economic quantities in a near-by area. The application of this method on the survey data led to the identification of nine zones along nine profiles over the study area, which show valid anomalies. These zones may define possible subsurface hydrocarbon deposits within the area under consideration