About the development of the Satellite Imaging Corporations' oil and gas exploration, vector data like culture, landcover, wells, and subsurface interpreted areas can be overlaid to the original images once the satellite imagery is acquired. The image transparency capabilities creates powerful interpretation tools for mapping and GIS projects showing the "big picture." These data-filled maps are not valuable to plotting the pipeline courses during the planning survey. It identifies potential problem areas and determines strategy for laying pipe through rural, mountainous, or environmentally harsh areas. During the 3D terrain modeling process accurate slope maps and vegetation data is vital to the process. The DTMs created by Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC) are true to life, allowing engineers to foresee their plans in a virtual 3D landscape before finalizing the route of the pipeline corridor.
Satellite remote sensors (e.g. GeoEye-1, WorldView-2, Worldview-1, Quickbird, IKONOS, SPOT-5, LANDSAT 7+ETM, and ASTER) are being used heavily to search for surface indicators of subsurface oil and gas, risk assessment and monitoring. 
SIC can get images from the most difficult-to-photograph areas of the world.