Morphostructural analysis, radar and SPOT image interpretation as tools for petroleum exploration: an example from the Gabian-Pezenas area (Herault, Southern France)

To determine the neotectonic framework of the Gabian-Pezenas area for oil exploration purposes, we have applied a multi-scale approach utilizing the anomalies of the drainage patterns, the radar and SPOT analyses, followed by field data confirmations and seismic profile interpretations. Existing structural data have been reinterpreted. They result in the extension of the Gabian Fault towards the South, and in the recognition of an important detachment fault previously interpreted as a major thrust. Such a multisource and multiscale approach may provide data critical for the identification of potential oil prospects.