Offshore SeisNews ©


••• 14.12.12 TGS announces 3D multi-client survey in Gulf of Mexico.
TGS commences a 3D multi-client survey covering 7,000 km2 in the Central Gulf of Mexico.
The survey, Amerigo 3D, is located in the eastern side of the Central Gulf of Mexico through the Lloyd Ridge, Desoto Canyon and Atwater Valley areas.
"We are pleased to extend our 3D coverage in the Central Gulf of Mexico. This survey enables TGS to leverage our existing adjacent 3D data while utilizing12,000 meter offsets to allow for a deeper image in this attractive play. Industry support of the new survey indicates increasing interest to explore in this region," commented Rod Starr, Senior VP Western Hemisphere for TGS.
The seismic data is being acquired by a Fugro C-class vessel and will be complete Q2 2013. Data processing will integrate the new Amerigo data with TGS’ modern, adjacent 3D data and apply TGS’ newest broadband processing technology, Clari-Fi™. Preliminary data will be available to clients Q3 2013.
The survey is supported by industry funding.
Source: TGS

••• 14.12.12 Statoil: Permanent Seabed Seismic Streamers to Boost Production.
New seismic tools will result in 30 million extra barrels of oil from Snorre and Grane when Norway’s oil company Statoil and its partners now start using permanent reservoir monitoring (PRM). The technology will ensure a better understanding of the reservoirs.
Snorre and Grane are two oil fields with large remaining reserves. Now approx. 700 kilometres of seismic cables will be placed in trenches on the seabed on these to fields. This covers an area totalling approx. 240 square kilometres (190 on Snorre and 50 on Grane). Combined, this will be the world’s largest seismic project of its kind.
It will provide more frequent and better seismic images of changes in the reservoirs, and more knowledge of the reservoir will give more oil. With the current oil prices, Statoil estimates that it could recover additional oil at a value NOK 19 billion on these two fields.
"Better seismic data are essential to the company’s strategy for increased oil production. This is a very important project for Statoil," says Oystein Michelsen, executive vice president for Development and production on the Norwegian shelf.
Today, Statoil recovers 50 per cent of the oil from its operated fields on the Norwegian shelf. The world average is 35 per cent. Every extra per cent we recover from our fields constitute a value of NOK 300 billion with today’s oil prices.
'Statoil is a world leader within increased oil recovery. This technology is an important contribution to reaching our ambition of increasing the recovery rate for oil to 60 per cent from our fields on the Norwegian shelf,' says Michelsen.
The ordinary gathering of seismic data involves towing streamers after a ship which transmits a sound signal. The PRM technology involves embedding the streamers into the seabed on a permanent basis.
When we want to collect seismic data, a ship with a signal source will cross the field, Statoil explains. The cables on the seabed will register the signals and transmit them to the platform and onshore for interpretation.
'This will give us a picture of the changes in the reservoir over time, which is important in order to position the wells more correctly so as to recover as much as possible from the field. We have long experience in monitoring the oil and gas reservoirs, but this is the first time Statoil applies a permanent system,' says Bjorn Kare Viken, acting head of Technology Excellence in Statoil.
The cables will be delivered by the American company Geospace Technologies. The contract has a value of 900 MNOK. DeepOcean will install the cables at Snorre and Reef Subsea Norway A/S will install the cables at Grane. These contracts have a combined value of approximately 700 MNOK. The installation work starts in 2013 at Snorre and in 2014 at Grane.
Source: Statoil

••• 13.12.12 TGS commences 3D multi-client seismic survey Offshore Northwest Australia.
TGS has commenced acquisition of a 3D multi-client seismic survey, The Three Bears, which covers 460 km2 in the Carnarvon Basin, offshore NW Australia.
This survey is located adjacent to the Clio and Gorgon gas fields which are currently in the development stage. Upon completion of this survey, the TGS portfolio of 3D multi-client coverage will exceed 17,500 km2 in this highly prospective area offshore Australia. TGS is also reprocessing the Cazadores survey which covers 4,350 km2 of the Exmouth Plateau region.
The new seismic data is being acquired by the M/V Geo Caspian. Data processing will be performed by TGS and will be available to clients in Q2 2013. The survey is supported by industry funding.
Source: TGS

••• 13.12.12 EMGS receives Letters of Intent for 3D EM surveys in Asia.
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA announced that it has received two Letters of Intent for contracts totalling approximately 10 weeks of 3D EM data acquisition in Asia.
The surveys will be performed using the vessel EM Leader following completion of the previously announced contract for Shell in Malaysia. "The backlog we have secured in Asia confirms the positive market developments in this region and we look forward to further developing our relationship with both new and existing clients," said Roar Bekker, CEO of EMGS.
Source: EMGS

••• 12.12.12 Afren to conduct first 3D seismic programme in the Seychelles.
Afren, the energy firm focused on Africa and the Middle East, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Afren East African Exploration, has begun a major 3D seismic programme in the Seychelles, the first 3D survey to be conducted in the country.
Afren and its partner awarded the seismic contract to Polarcus, the global marine geophysical company, who will use the newly commissioned Polarcus Adira vessel.
Under the programme, two surveys will be carried out on the group's licence areas, which are located in shallow to deep water in the Northern half of the Seychelles Plateau.
The first of the surveys will cover 600 km2 in the southern region of the licence, while the second will be in the northern section and will cover an area of 2,750 km2.
It is estimated that together they gross unrisked prospective resoures for the two areas total 2,800m barrels of oil equivalent.
EAX operates the blocks with a 75% interest and is partnered with Avana Petroleum which holds a 25% interest.
Galib Virani, Director of Afren EAX, said: "The commencement of this 3D seismic programme on Area A is not only a first for the Seychelles but is also a major step toward proving the commercial viability of the country's considerable oil and gas resource potential.
"We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with the government and people of Seychelles as we work to expand the data that has been collected to date. The 3D programme is an important component to reducing the risk and maximising the chances of exploration drilling success and forms an exciting part of Afren EAX's broader high impact exploration programme across the East Africa region."
Source: Afren

••• 11.12.12 Norway considers Unesco protection for Svalbard.
The inclusion of Svalbard in Unesco’s World Heritage list could hamper the Arctic archipelago’s role in future energy projects, industry representatives argue.
According to "Teknisk Ukeblad", Norway plans to nominate parts of the Svalbard archipelago to the prestigious UN protection list. In addition, a new management plan for the area includes expanded environmental regulations for the area.
Oil industry representatives now voice skepticism about the status of the islands, which are located in strategic Arctic waters. Stricter environmental regulations could affect future development of local oil and gas-related logistics, bases and supply facilities, they argue.
The protection of the waters east of Svalbard would conflict with important Norwegian geopolitical, industrial and economic interests, Johan Petter Barlindhaug, Board Chairman of the North Energy company, says to TU.no.
In connection with the plans for a Unesco nomination, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy and Petroluem is now starting up an assessment study on the islands’ potentials in future oil and gas projects. If the northern parts of the Barents Sea are opened for drilling, Svalbard might be strategically well situated for base functions.
Polar areas are currently little represented in the Unesco’s World Heritage list. So far, only the Wrangle islands and the Ilulissat Isfjord are on the list, the UN organization informs. The Norwegian Ministry of Environment in 2007 proposed to include Svalbard in the UN tentative list of new protection sites.
Source: BarentsObserver

••• 10.12.12 Barbados MC2D Phase 1 completed.
MultiClient Geophysical ASA announced that Phase 1 of our Barbados MC2D is now processed and available to E&P companies which want to evaluate this very exciting, under-explored area.
MCG has acquired and processed 4,000 km utilizing the deep information that 10,000m streamer provides. The record length is 13 s TWT which gives an unique image of the deep structures and the very thick sedimentary fore-arc basins.
The Osprey Explorer (Seabird) acquired the data while CGGVeritas processed this high quality dataset.
Numerous structural closures and seismic amplitudes have been mapped in the Phase 1 dataset. Oil and gas dicoveries exist south of the area, in Trinidad Tobago, and oil producing wells can be seen onshore Barbados.
Phase 2 of the MC2D survey will commence in Q1 2013 and consist of 3,000 km, which will bring the total survey up to 7,000 km.
Source: MultiClient Geophysical

••• 10.12.12 MCG commences new MC2D acquisition in North Sumatra.
MultiClient Geophysical ASA announced the commencement of its latest MultiClient 2D seismic programme offshore North Sumatra with first shot being acquired on Thursday 6th December.
DMNG’s seismic vessel, Akademik Fersman, pictured above setting off from Lhokseumawe, has been engaged by MCG for its "North Sumatra Basin Regional MC2D Survey". This programme is expected to comprise approximately 4,500 km of long offset regional MC2D Data in addition to which some 900+ km of prospect specific infill lines shall be acquired, located within Kris Energy’s East Seruway Block.
The MC2D survey will provide E&P companies with modern seismic dataset for regional prospective play analyses necessary for optimum exploration in this proven hydrocarbon-bearing province. This area is already seeing an increased exploration in activity recently since much of the ‘political uncertainty’ previously perceived with the area has been addressed.
Acquisition of all Data is expected to be completed by mid to late February with final processed Data becoming available from mid April onwards.
Source: MultiClient Geophysical

••• 10.12.12 Polarcus enters into negotiations with TPAO for long-term collaboration arrangement.
Polarcus Limited announced that the Company has been invited to enter into final negotiations with the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) over a long-term collaboration arrangement between the parties, which will include the sale and reflagging of the 8-streamer 3D seismic vessel Polarcus Samur combined with the provision by Polarcus of seismic data acquisition, management and crewing services for the vessel. The overall arrangement is subject to final negotiation of contracts.
TPAO plans to use the 3D vessel to conduct extensive seismic exploration of the offshore continental shelf of Turkey in both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Through this collaboration arrangement Polarcus will assist TPAO to significantly improve its understanding of the offshore continental shelf of Turkey, potentially opening up several new provinces for future exploration activity, and also position the Company for prime access to this important emerging market. At the same time Polarcus is, through the combined sales and management contract, securing a good financial return and releasing capital for investment into the Company's successful and expanding multi-client business.
Subject to the satisfactory conclusion of negotiations and the execution of contracts, TPAO is expected to take delivery of Polarcus Samur in the first quarter of 2013.
Rolf Ronningen, CEO Polarcus, commenting on the ongoing negotiations said: "TPAO plans to conduct extensive 3D seismic surveys over the offshore Turkish continental shelf. The fact that TPAO has chosen to enter into final negotiations with Polarcus for this important task is recognition of the superior quality of our seismic fleet and our proven track record in marine seismic acquisition services. A successful conclusion to these negotiations will enable us to accelerate our investment in another strategic activity at Polarcus; the growth of our young, but already very highly regarded multi-client business."
Source: Polarcus

••• 10.12.12 BP starts building World's Biggest Commercial Research Computer.
BP has begun building a new supercomputing complex for commercial research that it claims will be the biggest in the world at its Westlake Campus in Houston, the company reported Friday.
The project is designed to keep BP at the forefront of seismic imaging technology and, the firm said, will be a critical tool in its global hunt for oil and natural gas in coming years.
The new High-Performance Computing (HPC) center, scheduled to open in mid-2013, will serve as a worldwide hub for processing and managing very large amounts of geological and seismic data from across BP's portfolio. It will enable scientists to produce clear images of rock structures that are deep underground.
BP said that the added computing power will help its teams to work more efficiently and accurately than ever before, reducing drilling risk and timetables of future exploration programs.
"This is not just about building a bigger and better computer," said BP Executive Vice President for Production Robert Fryar.
"BP's new high-performance computing center will be as important to our global search for new energy resources as any piece of equipment we employ today, and it once again highlights BP's commitment to applying the best technology to the world's biggest energy challenges."
BP's existing HPC center was the world's first commercial research center to achieve a petaFLOP of processing speed (or one thousand trillion calculations per second). But the company said that this has now reached maximum power and cooling capacity in its current space at the Westlake Campus.
The new center will be housed in a three-story, 110,000-square foot facility. Equipped with more than 67,000 CPUs, it is expected to have the ability to process data at a rate of up to two petaFLOPS.
Currently, the world's fastest supercomputer is the non-commercial Cray Titan – which is used for scientific projects at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and was built with funding from the US Department of Energy. The Titan has a processing speed of 17.59 petaFLOPS.
Source: Rigzone

••• 07.12.12 iSURVEY has now passed the 2011 record total number of rig positioning projects for one year.
Since established in 2004, iSURVEY Group has successfully completed more than 350 rig positioning projects in North Sea waters, i.e. in Norwegian, Danish and UK sector.
iSURVEY has developed a specialized system range tailored for offshore drill rig positioning emphasizing on cost efficiency and robustness in harsh environments. The iSURVEY staff, from project managers to offshore surveyors, are focused on providing a service where genuine understanding of operational requirement is a key element.
The projects range from semi sub drill rigs involving high precision acoustic positioning of production wells to advanced alongside jack-up rig moves.
The first series of rig positioning projects in Asia have been awarded iSURVEY’s office in Singapore, first operation planned to commence in December 2012.
Source: iSURVEY

••• 07.12.12 Similar faults have been found with the gearboxes on two helicopters which ditched in the North Sea this year.
In a new report updating an investigation into the ditching of an EC 225 Super Puma flight in October - G-CHCN - the UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch has found a fault in the main gearbox which is similar to that found in an emergency involving another EC225 Super Puma G-REDW back on 10 May this year.
Both aircraft suffered from cracks in a vertical shaft inside the main gearbox, an expert technical report has concluded, where the shaft is attached to a bevel gear.
"The failure of the bevel gear vertical shaft on both G-REDW and G-CHCN occurred as a result of high cycle fatigue cracking in the area of the weld and is thought to be as a result of the shaft bending (flexing) as it rotates," the AAIB has reported.
Elsewhere the report says: "On G-REDW and G-CHCN, the cracks initiated and grew to failure in areas of the vertical shaft that had not been, nor were required to be, surface hardened."
In the October incident, the helicopter crew carried out a controlled ditching following indications of a failure of the main gearbox (MGB) lubrication system, which was followed by a warning indicating a failure of the emergency gearbox lubrication system. All passengers and crew evacuated the helicopter and were subsequently rescued without injury.
Previously the AAIB issued a safety bulletin in on 17 October - five days before the later incident - which urged helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter to change part of the aircraft's design. That safety bulletin said: "It is recommended that the European Aviation Safety Agency requires Eurocopter to review the design of the main gearbox emergency lubrication system on the EC225 LP Super Puma to ensure that the system will provide the crew with an accurate indication of its status when activated."
Currently the UK's chief inspector of air accidents has ordered that investigations into the incidents involving G-REDW in May and G-CHCN in October should be combined and reported together.
Meanwhile the AAIB is still investigating loads on the main gearbox and bevel gear vertical shafts on EC225 Super Pumas, and this work is expected to continue into next year.
Source: Offshore.no

••• 06.12.12 EMGS signs contract extension with Petrobras.
Reference is made to the notice dated 13 November 2012 regarding completion of a one-year contract in Brazil and commencement of a new 3D EM data acquisition project in Brazil.
EMGS has signed a contract extension worth approximately USD 12 million with Petrobras. As previously announced, data acquisition is on-going with estimated completion in early January 2013.
Source: EMGS

••• 06.12.12 SBX - Contract award.
SeaBird Exploration Plc announced that Aquila Explorer has received a letter of award from a Company in the Asia Pacific region.
The contract has an estimated duration of 75 days with a value of approximately USD 8 million, with an optional extension of about 45 days with a value of USD 5 million.
Source: SeaBird

••• 06.12.12 NPD: Many applicants in the 22nd licencing round.
When the application deadline for the 22 nd licencing round on the Norwegian shelf expired on 4 December, a total of 36 companies had submitted applications.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has received applications for both the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. The interest is greatest in the Barents Sea.
"It is no great surprise that several companies apply for production licences in the Barents Sea", comments exploration director Sissel Erikson. "After Statoil found oil and gas on "Skrugard" (7220/8-1) last year, the interest in exploring the Barents Sea has risen sharply. The confidence in new opportunities and discovery expectations has increased. Several exploration wells are already planned in the Barents Sea. This round will help maintain the level of activity in the southern part of the Barents Sea, as well as clarify the resource potential", says Eriksen.
This round announced 86 blocks or parts of blocks, of which 14 are in the Norwegian Sea and 72 in the Barents Sea.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy aims to award new production licences in the 22nd licencing round before the summer of 2013.
Source: NPD

••• 05.12.12 Dolphin Frame Agreement with OMV Petrom Romania.
Dolphin Geophysical has a framework agreement for Offshore Marine Services with OMV Petrom SA in Romania.
It was declared and acknowledged by both parties recently, that following awards elsewhere, the Dolphin vessels offered for the work in Romania were unavailable for OMV Petrom surveys this quarter. However, Dolphin look forward to future opportunities within the scope of the framework agreement between the two companies.
Source: Dolphin Geophysical

••• 05.12.12 New Allseas positioning contract for Veripos.
Allseas, a leader in offshore pipeline installation and subsea construction, has awarded Veripos a further three-year contract for continuing provision of specialist GNSS positioning services for its entire fleet of vessels headed by the world's largest pipelaying vessel, the 300m Solitaire.
Other vessels concerned include companion DP pipelayers Audacia and Lorelay in addition to the DP trenching support and subsea installation vessel, Calamity Jane, the anchored pipelay barge, Tog Mor, and the ROSVs Highland Fortress, Highland Navigator and Highland Rover. Allseas expect to add to its fleet during the course of the contract what will be the world’s largest construction support vessel, the platform installation-decommissioning and pipelayer, Pieter Schelte, presently under construction at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea.
All the vessels are to be provided with Veripos's full range of proprietary high-precision GNSS positioning services typically realising continuous metre-level accuracies, including its latest Apex2 service utilising Precise Point Positioning (PPP) methods in conjunction with both GPS and Glonass satellite constellations. Associated vessel hardware being provided includes modular LD6 integrated mobile units which can be readily configured to accommodate an extensive range of positioning solutions.
Commenting on the latest prestigious contract renewal, Veripos CEO Walter Steedman said it marked a further important stage in the Company's acknowledged supremacy as one of the world's foremost suppliers of dedicated positioning services to the international offshore industry.
Source: MarineLink

••• 04.12.12 UTEC announces acquisition of Geomarine Ltd.
UTEC - which is based in Houston, Texas and has offices around the world including Aberdeen, Scotland - has acquired Geomarine Ltd which is headquartered in Newcastle-upon-Tyne with operational offices in Bath, England and Singapore.
The move will capitalize on a natural and highly complementary fit between the two companies, providing a unique opportunity to enhance and increase the range of services offered.
Commenting on the acquisition, UTEC CEO Martin O’Carroll said: "The addition of Geomarine to our team marks a significant step forward in the UTEC group’s overall growth ambitions. Geomarine will add focus to and consolidate our global geotechnical capabilities and increase our service offering significantly."
Geomarine Ltd managing director Peter Allan, who will continue to head the company, added: "This transaction opens up a new field of possibilities for our staff and clients. UTEC has a global presence in the survey industry and will allow Geomarine to support clients more effectively, wherever they are located. “UTEC will be investing in Geomarine, enabling us to grow the business and offer a wider range of services. We believe this will be to the benefit of our clients and look forward to working with them closely to continue to assist their business."
Geomarine Ltd is a geotechnical engineering company providing expert consulting and specialist equipment services to a broad range of clients in the offshore oil and gas, power and telecom cables and renewable energy industries.
UTEC is one of the world’s largest independent offshore survey companies and provides a wide range of survey services including offshore positioning and construction support, geophysical and AUV surveys, dimensional control surveys, laser scanning and modeling, and geotechnical sampling. UTEC has offices located around the world including: Houston, Aberdeen, Rio de Janeiro, Calgary, Perth, Singapore, St. John’s, Naples and Dubai.
Source: UTEC

••• 04.12.12 Iran to build Oceangoing Research Vessel.
Iran is due to build an oceangoing research vessel in the next six months, Managing Director of the Iranian National Institute for Oceanography (INIO) Vahid Chegini said, adding that the country will also unveil several books and software about oceanography soon in future.
'Several books and software on oceanography will be unveiled in Iran by the end of this year (the Iranian year which ends on March 20)," Chegini told reporters in the Southern city of Bushehr on Saturday.
Referring to Iran’s advancements in the field of oceanography, he said that Iranian experts are now busy with designing, building and equipping an oceangoing research vessel "which will enjoy hi-tech research devices to be able to carry out research missions in seas and the oceans".
Chegini said that the building of the vessel will be completed by the end of spring 2013.
In relevant remarks in August, Chegini also said that the country is building an oceangoing research vessel to conduct exploratory missions in the South Pole. Chegini told FNA at the time that 35% of the construction phase of the 50-meter long oceangoing research vessel has so far been completed.
He added that the Defense Industries Organization of the Iranian ministry of defense has started construction of the vessel since spring 2011.
As regards Iran’s plan to set up a permanent Antarctic base, Chegini said that Iran initially plans to dispatch its experts to the region through the assistance of countries which have already set up bases in the South Pole in a bid to gather experience and gain permission from international bodies for setting up a base in the Antarctic.
Also in August, Iranian lawmakers discussed a bill which requires the government to build oceangoing ships equipped with special engine and fuel technology allowing the vessel to traverse thousands of miles without any need to refueling.
Source: WorldMaritimeNews

••• 03.12.12 Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has revealed that the rig which tilted today at Jurong Shipyard is Noble Corporation’s Noble Regina Allen jack-up.
Preliminary findings suggest that one of the jacking mechanisms failed for the rig Noble Regina Allen berthed at the shipyard, causing the main hull of the rig to list to one side, leading to the accident. MOM has instructed all work to stop at the affected rig and is currently investigating the accident.
"We also understand from Jurong Shipyard that as of 8pm this evening (local time), out of the 89 admitted to hospital, 77 have been discharged. Of the remaining 12, six are in normal wards while the other six are under observation." MOM said in an update.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS) for Manpower Hawazi Daipi went down to Singapore General Hospital’s A&E department this evening, where he visited two workers who were under observation at the A&E ward. They included a 22 year-old Singaporean female engineer and a Bangladeshi worker.
Speaking to reporters outside the A&E department after the visit, Hawazi said, "MOM takes a very serious view of the accident – this is one of the worst industrial accidents we have seen in recent times. The priority now is to look after the injured and ensure that they receive the best care possible. It is also important to stabilize the situation at the work site and investigate the accident thoroughly to find out what went wrong."
He added, "I would just like to remind all employers that safety of workers is of paramount importance and we should learn from every accident that has happened so that we will not see a recurrence of similar accidents."
Source: OffshoreEnergyToday

••• 03.12.12 EMGS extends Atlantic Guardian charter.
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS) has extended the current charter for the vessel Atlantic Guardian for a firm six months, with two additional three-month options and a flexible start-up date.
The Atlantic Guardian has completed the basalt mapping project in the Norwegian Sea and is currently transiting to dry dock in Bergen for class renewal and general maintenance work at the vessel owner's cost. From around 20 December 2012, the vessel will be available for operations at short notice and at no cost for EMGS during the standby period.
Source: EMGS

••• 03.12.12 MMT has conducted seabed surveys for BKK Nett AS, Norway.
This was the first time MMT used its Mohican ROV fully equipped for geophysical survey.
BKK Nett AS contracted MMT for seabed surveys that were conducted in October and November 2012. The 420 kV link between Modalen and Kollsnes is planned to be in operation within a few years with new subsea cables and overhead lines.
MMT's part in this project is to produce a detailed design for the submarine cable-route between Modalen and Kollsnes via Mongstad. The result from these surveys will assist BKK's development of the final route planning. The seabed survey was conducted in three Western Fjords in Norway: Hjeltefjorden, Lurefjord and Fensfjorden.
MMT used its 40 meter long state of the art survey vessel IceBeam for this operation. An extremely detailed 200 meter wide corridor for the cable was mapped. The steep fjords and high trafficked area presented no complications for MMT's experienced and skilled crew and survey team.
This was the first time that MMT used its fully equipped Mohican ROV for detailed geophysical mapping and investigation. The Mohican ROV, a remote-controlled underwater vehicle, was equipped with multibeam, side scan sonar, sub-bottom profiles and video cameras. In addition, MMT took geotechnical samples along the route with a vibrocorer, which is a type of drilling method. Based on the collected data MMT presented charts with seabed features and topography. The charts are used for planning and laying of the submarine cable.
The fully equipped Mohican ROV that was used for this survey was a success. The result was the same as using the equipment on a large work class ROV, but this is a much more cost effective solution for the client.
Source: MMT

••• 03.12.12 Damen Shiprepair Den Helder (The Netherlands) was rewarded a contract for modification activities on the Polarcus Adira.
The vessel arrived on berth Den Helder November 2nd for a port call of 4 days. Repairs executed were, amongst others: works in the Seismic Control Room as to insulation and lighting, delivery and installment of Barovani Stands & Reel Frames, rerouting cables and pipelines of the AC unit in the Engine Control Room.
The bad weather situation (heavy rain and storm) didn’t influence the mentioned activities during the port call of 80 hours. The team was active in two shifts of 12 hours each. Before departure a word of thanks was shared by the Master & Management of M.v. Polarcus Adira of all involved with the activities.
Polarcus is operating an ultra-modern seismic fleet incorporating advanced maritime and environmental features and capable of operating in the most challenging of conditions. Polarcus offers a full range of services from classic 3D/4D seismic, wide and multi-azimuth projects, Arctic frontier operations to their wide-tow First Pass TM operations.
Damen Shipyards Den Helder (DSDH) performs ship repair, maintenance and newbuilding activities at both their Den Helder and Texel island yards for several markets, including the offshore, fishing and naval industries. In addition DSDH executes repairs on-site when the client so desires.
DSDH often acts in close cooperation with local Ship Chandlers, noticeably Den Helder Support Services, to which the Polarcus fleet is no stranger.
Source: Damen Shipyards

••• 30.11.12 Dolphin Group ASA - Letter of Intent for 3D survey.
Dolphin Geophysical announced that Company have received a Letter of Intent (LOI) for 2.5 months 3D project in North West Africa, with an undisclosed client.
The survey will be acquired by the Artemis Arctic, in direct continuation of the current project.
Source: Dolphin Geophysical

••• 30.11.12 Armed gang robbed ferry passengers.
A gang of armed criminals has held up a passenger ferry with 150 passengers on board off Papua New Guinea.
Around 20 men posed as passengers and boarded the ferry MV Geamsao on Tuesday, for the trip from Finschhafen to Lae on PNG's north coast.
When the vessel was out to sea, and out of mobile phone coverage, they produced guns and knives and told the 150 passengers to lie on the deck.
Tonessi Ewebi, the acting CEO of the ferry's operator Lutheran Shipping, says the men also sabotaged the ferry's radio.
"Then they robbed everybody of their cash and the ship's takings," he said.
The gang fled in two dinghies.
Police are investigating and say many of the robbers were recognised by the passengers.
Source: Maritime-Connector

••• 29.11.12 EMGS awarded 3D EM contract in Malaysia by Shell.
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA has been awarded a contract worth approximately USD 7 million by Shell to acquire 3D electromagnetic (EM) data offshore Malaysia.
The 3D EM survey will be performed from the vessel EM Leader and will start upon completion of its current work program.
"This contract award confirms the increasing demand we are witnessing for our services in Asia. We are confident that the survey will be the first of numerous back-to-back projects in this region, providing substantially improved utilization levels for the EM Leader in the quarters to come," says Roar Bekker, CEO of EMGS.
Source: EMGS

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