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Petrobras will adopt technology developed by NASA to monitor oil signals in the Equatorial Margin, increasing the accuracy and efficiency of exploration research
Petrobras has been officially accepted into the mission's early adopter program NISAR, an innovative project by NASA and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The objective of the mission is to monitor changes on the Earth's surface via satellite.
The Brazilian state-owned company will use this technology to monitor the Brazilian Equatorial Margin, a strategic region for the exploration of oil, located between the states of Amapá, Pará and Maranhão.
Innovative Technology for Environmental Monitoring
The mission NISAR will be launched in 2025 and features an unprecedented SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) image collection system, which will be used in the Environmental Geochemical Observatory of the Brazilian Equatorial Margin (ObMEQ) project.
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The technology offers the ability to capture high-resolution images of the Earth's surface, regardless of weather or light conditions, something essential for Petrobras' area of operation.
The NISAR satellite operates with two radars: an L-band radar provided by NASA and an S-band radar provided by ISRO.
These radars emit microwave signals that can penetrate clouds and operate at night, enabling data collection in any conditions.
NISAR will be able to scan nearly the entire surface of the planet twice every 12 days, providing detailed data on natural phenomena such as land changes, melting glaciers, earthquake displacements and landslides.
Strategic Partnership with Petrobras
Regarding its use by Petrobras, the technology will benefit the company in monitoring the coastal region of the Equatorial Margin.
This area is highly relevant for oil exploration, and ObMEQ aims to improve environmental and geochemical management in this region. Renata Baruzzi, Petrobras’ Director of Engineering, Technology and Innovation, explained the cooperation with the NISAR mission, highlighting the convergent scientific interests between the two projects.
The partnership will allow information sharing between the Brazilian team and mission experts, optimizing the observation plan and benefiting Petrobras in the exploration and environmental monitoring process.
NISAR will bring significant progress by monitoring even signs of oil in the waters, in addition to helping in the management of natural resources and in combating deforestation and climate change.
The mission will allow measuring millimetric displacements of the Earth's surface, creating 3D maps that identify gradual changes over time.
The satellite will also be able to perform a detailed analysis of the Earth's surface, focusing on detecting changes that affect both the environment and natural resources.
The launch of NISAR will take place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India, marking the first technical collaboration between NASA and ISRO on an Earth observation mission.
