Optical Sensors for the Exploration of Oil and Gas

There is a large variety of sensing devices for the exploration of oil and gas. These sensors must operate in exceedingly challenging environments, such as high temperatures and high pressures. The majority of sensors are based on electronics because of the maturity of the technology, but optical sensors have been used successfully for specific measurements where no replacement technology exists. We introduce distributed optical sensing and downhole optical spectroscopy, and their unique measurements and value for the exploration of oil and gas are explained.