Oil and gas exploration system and method for detecting trace amounts of hydrocarbon gases in the atmosphere

An oil and gas exploration system for land and airborne operations, the system used for locating subsurface hydrocarbon deposits based upon a remote detection of a selected target gas in the atmosphere, the system comprising;

• a diode seed laser connected to a laser oscillator;
• an amplifier connected to said laser oscillator, whereby said seed laser, said laser oscillator and said amplifier provide a near-infrared laser light source and generate a near-infrared light;
• a hydrogen filled Raman cell connected to said amplifier, said Raman cell for converting said near-infrared light to a mid-infrared light, said mid-infrared light in a 2 to 5 micrometer wavelength band range, said mid-infrared light having sufficient optical energy to measure atmospheric gas concentrations over a selected path in the atmosphere, whereby said mid-infrared light has a spectral width sufficiently less than a spectral width of the selected target gas for spectral control in detecting trace amounts of the selected target gas in the atmosphere;
• means for continuously tuning said mid-infrared light by tuning said near-infrared light;
• a light detector adapted for detecting an absorption signature of the selected target gas in said tuned mid-infrared light, said absorption signature acquired as the tuned mid-infrared light travels through the atmosphere from said Raman cell and back to said light detector;
• and
• means for reflecting said mid-infrared light back to said light decor;
• and
• computer means for processing data of said absorption signature to determine a presence or an absence of the selected target gas in the atmosphere.

An oil and gas exploration system for land and airborne operations, the system used for locating subsurface hydrocarbon deposits based upon a remote detection of a selected target gas in the atmosphere, the system comprising;

• a diode seed laser connected to a laser oscillator;
• an amplifier connected to said laser oscillator, whereby said seed laser, said laser oscillator and said amplifier provide a near-infrared laser light source and generate a near-infrared light in a 780 to 980 nanometer wavelength band,
• a hydrogen filled Raman cell connected to said amplifier, said Raman cell for converting said near infrared light to a mid-infrared light, said mid-infrared light in a 2 to 5 micrometer wavelength band range, said mid-infrared light having sufficient optical energy to measure atmospheric gas concentrations over a selected path in the atmosphere, whereby said mid-infrared light has a spectral width sufficiently less than a spectral width of the selected target gas for spectral control in detecting trace amounts of the selected target gas in the atmosphere;
• means for continuously tuning said mid-infrared light by tuning said near-infrared light;
• a light detector adapted for detecting an absorption signature of the selected target gas in said tuned mid-infrared light, said absorption signature acquired as said tuned mid-infrared light travels through the atmosphere from said Raman cell and back to said light detector;
• and
• computer means for processing data of said absorption signature to determine a presence or absence of the selected target gas in the atmosphere.

An oil and gas exploration system for land and airborne operations, the system used for locating subsurface hydrocarbon deposits based upon a remote detection of a selected target gas in the atmosphere, the system comprising;

• a diode seed laser connected to a laser oscillator;
• an amplifier connected to said laser oscillator, whereby said seed laser, said laser oscillator and said amplifier provide a near-infrared laser light source and generate a near-infrared light, the near-infrared light having a first wavelength at S2 and a second wavelength at AS2, AS1, Sφ and S1, said first and second wavelengths adapted for performing differential optical absorption measurements of the selected target gas in the atmosphere;
• a hydrogen filled Raman cell connected to said amplifier, said Raman cell for converting said near infrared light to a mid-infrared light, said mid-infrared light in a 2 to 5 micrometer wavelength band range, said mid-infrared light having sufficient optical energy to measure atmospheric gas concentrations over a selected path in the atmosphere, whereby said mid-infrared light has a spectral width sufficiently less than a spectral width of the selected target gas for spectral control in detecting trace amounts of the selected target gas in the atmosphere;
• means for continuously tuning said mid-infrared light by tuning said near-infrared light;
• a light detector adapted for detecting an absorption signature of the selected target gas in said tuned mid-infrared light, said absorption signature acquired as said tuned mid-infrared light travels through the atmosphere from said Raman cell and back to said light detector;
• and
• means for processing said absorption signature to determine a presence or an absence of the selected target gas in the atmosphere.

A method for locating subsurface hydrocarbon deposits based upon a remote detection of trace amounts of a selected target gas in the atmosphere, the method using a spectroscopic grade laser light source, the steps comprising:

• generating a near-infrared light using a combination of a diode seed laser, a laser oscillator and an amplifier,
• receiving the near-infrared light in a Raman cell, the Raman cell converting the near-infrared light to a mid-infrared light in a 2 to 5 micrometer wavelength band range and emitting the mid-infrared light into the atmosphere, the mid-infrared light having sufficient optical energy to measure atmospheric gas concentrations over a selected path in the atmosphere;
• continuously tuning the mid-infrared light by tuning the near-infrared light;
• detecting an absorption signature of the selected target gas in the tuned mid-infrared light using a light detector, the absorption signature acquired as the tuned mid-infrared light travels through the atmosphere from the Raman cell and back to the light detector;
• and
• processing the absorption signature using data processing equipment to determine a presence or an absence of the selected target gas in the atmosphere.

A method for locating subsurface hydrocarbon deposits based upon a remote detection of trace amounts of a selected target gas in the atmosphere, the method using a spectroscopic grade laser light source, the steps comprising:

• generating a near-infrared light having a first wavelength of S2 and a second wavelength at AS2, AS1, Sφ and S1 for performing differential optical absorption measurements of the selected target gas and using a combination of a diode see laser, a laser oscillator and an amplifier,
• receiving the near-infrared light in a cell, converting the near-infrared light to a mid-infrared light in a 2 to 5 micrometer wavelength band range and emitting the mid-infrared light into the atmosphere, the mid-infrared light having sufficient optical energy to measure atmospheric gas concentrations over a selected path in the atmosphere;
• continuously tuning the mid-infrared light by tuning the first and second wavelengths of the near-infrared light;
• detecting an absorption signature of the selected target gas in the tuned mid-infrared light, the absorption signature acquired as the tuned mid-infrared light travels through the atmosphere from the Raman cell and back to the light detector;
• and
• processing the absorption signature using data processing equipment to determine a presence or an absence of he selected target gas in the atmosphere.