Offshore SeisNews©


••• 19.04.21 Fishery agreement for the North Pole needed.
Diplomats and fisheries officials from five Arctic states will meet in Washington later this month to discuss regulations on commercial fishing near the North Pole.
As the Arctic sea ice melts new, huge areas open, making commercial fisheries in this area viable for the first time in human history. That the center of the Arctic Ocean was unregulated was hardly a concern when it was an icebound backwater.
The waters of the Arctic Ocean encompass an area as big as the Mediterranean Sea and are not currently governed by any international fisheries agreements. Such an agreement is needed to close this region to commercial fishing unless and until scientific knowledge and management measures can ensure a sustainable fishery.
Diplomats and fisheries officials from Norway, Denmark, Canada, the United States and Russia will meet in Washington on April 29 to discuss the issue.
If an agreement is made, it will represent the third such accord struck by countries in the far north to manage the commercial development and industrialization of the region, which is expected to increase with global warming. The other two agreements reached so far regulate oil spill response and search and rescue.
Source: BarentsObserver

••• 18.04.21 - Shtokman gas field decision 3 years away.
Formulating a new technical concept for developing the Shtokman natural gas field in Russia's Arctic will take at least three years, Russia's deputy energy minister said Thursday, according to the Interfax news agency.
"For the technical concept, the project will need more than three years," Kirrill Molodtsov is quoted as saying.
Last year, Russia's state-run gas company OAO Gazprom shelved attempts to develop the gas field, which is estimated to hold almost 4 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, as technical studies indicated the project wasn't financially viable.
Gazprom teamed up with French oil company Total SA and Norwegian oil company Statoil ASA to develop the field, with Gazprom holding 51% of the partnership, Total 25% and Statoil 24%.
Launched in the 1990s, Shtokman has been repeatedly delayed because of disagreements between the partners over investment terms and because of the extreme Arctic weather. The project has also become less attractive because the boom in the shale gas industry in the U.S. has disrupted the natural gas market, bringing prices down.
Source: Rigzone

••• 18.04.21 - Veripos Secures Orders for 16 Drillships.
On 17 April 2013, a leading manufacturer of DP systems placed an order for Veripos satellite positioning equipment to be installed onboard a total of 16 drillships to be built in Brazil.
Source: Veripos

••• 17.04.21 - Wind farm survey in Swedish waters.
MMT (Sweden) has just completed a site clearance survey in connection to the planned Karehamn wind farm.
E.ON Vind Sverige AB contracted MMT for a Site Clearance Survey at the new Karehamn wind farm outside the island of Oland. MMT conducted a geophysical survey followed by target inspection, using ROV around each of the windmill foundations and also along the export cable routes. The survey objectives was to identify objects potentially hazardous for the construction jack up rigs.
MMT used the survey vessel Askholmen for this marine survey. Specifically designed as a multi purpose nearshore survey vessel, Askholmen is permanently mobilised and can be rapidly deployed to survey locations in the North and Baltic Sea. It's compact size and versatility makes it especially proficient for geophysical surveys, UXO surveys and ROV inspections at turbine locations for offshore wind farm developments.
Source: MMT

••• 17.04.21 - FOGL updates on Seismic Campaign in Falkland Islands.
FOGL, the oil and gas exploration company focused on its extensive licence areas to the South and East of the Falkland Islands has the following operations update with respect to the ongoing 3D seismic operations.
The PGS M/V Ramform Sterling has completed a 3D seismic survey over the mid Cretaceous Diomedia fan complex within the southern area licences. A total of 5,235 square kilometres of full fold seismic data have been acquired. The survey was operated by Noble Energy on behalf of the Joint Venture, which includes Edison International Spa and FOGL.
More 3D data were acquired in this survey than originally anticipated. The Diomedea fan system covers a large area and given the favourable acquisition conditions, the Joint Venture deemed it sensible to acquire as much data as possible over prospective areas. The survey was, however, completed within the original budget.
The data will now be processed by PGS and a fast track product will be available for interpretation in approximately four months. It is anticipated that the final processed data will be available in the fourth quarter of 2013. The fast track data will be used to commence prospect mapping and well planning. Initial test lines from the survey indicate excellent data quality and imaging of the Cretaceous target interval.
3D seismic survey over the Cretaceous Fault Blocks commenced in the South Falklands basin. A second 3D seismic survey, also using the Ramform Sterling, has just commenced. This survey will cover a minimum area of 1,000 square kilometres and will target a number of prospects and leads in FOGL’s southern licence area, immediately to the west and north-west of Borders and Southern’s Darwin gas-condensate discovery. A further announcement regarding this survey will be made once acquisition is completed.
The Joint Venture is also currently reviewing tender offers with respect to a third 3D seismic survey to be acquired in the northern licence area in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Source: Offshore Energy Today

••• 16.04.21 - Test-drilling for oil starts in Sea of Japan off Sado.
The energy agency said Monday it has started test drilling for oil in a Sea of Japan location that could turn out to be one of the largest oil and natural gas deposits in the country.
It is the first time in about nine years that Japan has conducted test drilling for oil and gas at the government’s initiative. The operation started Sunday and will continue for about three months.
The Natural Resources and Energy Agency said the project is taking place about 30 km southwest of Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture to drill a well up to 2.7 km below the seabed.
The deep-sea drilling ship Chikyu (Earth) is being used in the project. The vessel also participated in a recent trial to extract natural gas from a next-generation energy source called methane hydrate below the Pacific seabed off central Japan.
The Sea of Japan project has been contracted out to JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corp. and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp.
The energy agency said it plans to estimate the extent of oil and natural gas deposits at the location through the investigation.
JX Nippon said the deposits could amount to the size of a medium-size oil field in the Middle East.
Source: Maritime-connector

••• 16.04.21 - CGG and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs create Ship Management Joint Venture.
CGG and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group (LDA) announced today the creation of a ship management joint venture, GeofieLD Ship Management Services.
Co-owned 50% by CGG and 50% by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group, the new joint venture will provide maritime ship management services for five of CGG’s high-capacity 3D seismic vessels.
This equal ownership reflects the common vision of CGG and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to combine their seismic and maritime expertise and experience in order to align QHSE systems, streamline communication and define the JV’s strategy. This move also underlines the commitment shared by both parties to establishing a reliable maritime platform and maximizing the overall seismic performance of the five vessels managed by the joint venture.
The joint venture will be based in Suresnes, France. Alain Coatanhay from Louis Dreyfus Armateurs will be the Chairman of this new joint venture and David Rapidel from CGG has been appointed as Managing Director.
Source: CGG

••• 15.04.21 - Norwegian Government announced plans to build world's first tunnel for ships.
Norwegian government announced plans on Friday for what is being labelled the world's first tunnel for large ships, aimed at helping them navigate a treacherous section of the southwestern coast.
Unveiling a 10-year transportation plan, the government said it would earmark one billion kroner (134 million euros, $175 million) for the construction of the Stad maritime tunnel, named for the peninsula notorious for high winds and heavy seas.
The 1.7-kilometre (one-mile) passageway will be carved into a piece of the peninsula's mountainside, linking two fjords, hallmarks of the Norwegian coastline. Estimated at a cost of 1.6 billion kroner, construction is expected to begin in 2018 at the earliest and take four years. It was unclear how the costs exceeding the one billion kroner provided by the government would be financed.
Tunnels already exist for barges, for example in France's Canal du Midi, but the Stad tunnel will be the world's first that can accomodate large cargo and passenger vessels up to 16,000 tonnes.
"It will be the first tunnel in the world that can be used by big boats like cargo ships or the Coastal Express," the famed tourist ship that cruises along the Norwegian coast, said Ottar Nygaard, mayor of the small town of Selje and the head of the project.
According to a recent study conducted by the specialised company Nordvest Fjordservice, the waters of the Stad peninsula have seen 46 accidents and near-accidents and 33 deaths since the end of World War II.
Source: Maritime-connector

••• 15.04.21 - Meyer Werft: Keel laid for New Research Vessel SONNE (Germany).
Federal Research Minister Johanna Wanka, together with representatives of the State of Lower Saxony and the Meyer shipyard, held the keel laying of the new deep-sea research vessel SONNE.
The first section of the 116 meter long ship was launched in the dock. The ship will be handed over in January 2015, and it will be able to accommodate 40 researchers on board.
Main areas of work of the new deep-sea research vessel will be the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The SONNE will help answer scientifically and socially relevant research questions, especially in terms of climate change, the supply of marine resources and the consequences of intervention in ecosystems.
The new research vessel SONNE, characterized by high energy efficiency, will replace its 44 year old predecessor. The special construction of this vessel reflects the high level of German shipbuilding and helps secure the jobs at the Meyer shipyard. The total construction project of this research vessel will amount to around € 124.4 million which will be jointly provided by the federal government (90 percent) and the coastal states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Bremen (10 percent).
SONNE will have its home port in Wilhelmshaven.
Source: Subsea World News

••• 15.04.21 - Wartsila 34DF is the first dual-fuel engine family to receive US EPA certificate.
Wartsila, the marine industry’s leading solutions and services provider, has obtained certification of emission standard compliance from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its Wartsila 34DF dual-fuel engines. It will enable Wartsila to strongly enter the American market with marine engine technology that offers operators and owners the option of using either diesel or gas as fuel. The certification was obtained on 17 January 2013.
EPA certification applies to United States flagged vessels. The Wrtsila dual-fuel engine capability enables ships to be operated on either conventional liquid marine fuels or LNG. The switch between fuels can be made seamlessly without loss of power or speed. Such fuel flexibility enables compliance with emission regulations in controlled areas, while giving operators the option of determining the fuel according to cost and availability.
The EPA is an agency of the United States federal government. It was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress. The agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a broad variety of voluntary prevention programmes and energy conservation efforts. The EPA was established in 1970.
Source: Wartsila

••• 12.04.21 - Dolphin Geophysical positioning contract for VERIPOS.
Leading Norwegian exploration seismic contractor Dolphin Geophysical of Bergen has awarded VERIPOS a new three-year contract for provision of satellite positioning services aboard its fleet of specialist high-capacity vessels Artemis Arctic, Artemis Atlantic, Polar Duke, Polar Duchess, the services will also be extended to include Sanco Swift, a new 96-metre vessel due to be commissioned later this year.
All five vessels will use VERIPOS’s latest Apex2 and Ultra2 dual beam Precise Point Positioning (PPP) services using both GPS and GLONASS constellations, supported by an NTrip internet-based correction service. Associated onboard hardware for each vessel comprise triple VERIPOS LD6/LD2 modular receivers with Verify QC processing software, for real-time monitoring and control.
Commenting on the contract award, VERIPOS Vice President for EAME, Angus Scott said that the award marked a further important stage in the company’s continuing support of Dolphin Geophysical’s worldwide operations, following earlier supply of GNSS positioning services which began in 2011.
Source: VERIPOS

••• 12.04.21 - South African offshore survey for Fugro.
Anadarko South Africa (Pty) Ltd in partnership with PetroSA, is operating the first exploration period over frontier block 5/6 and block 7 of the Orange Basin, southwest of Cape Town, South Africa.
Fugro was contracted by Anadarko to conduct a survey within these blocks that involved the acquisition of multi-beam echo sounder (MBES) data from the MV Fugro Gauss, together with onboard seep mapping interpretation. This survey is part of a greater Seafloor Geochemical Exploration survey designed by Anadarko and their partners.
The successfully completed 56,000 km2 MBES survey provided quality bathymetry and backscatter MBES data for the identification of potential, natural hydrocarbon seepage at the seabed. During the acquisition, experienced Fugro geoscientists onboard the vessel performed mapping of potential seeps, interpretation of the surficial sedimentary geology, structural geology and shallow fluid migration systems, and reporting of the acquired MBES data.
Source: Scandoil

••• 12.04.21 - Hurricanes: active season expected in 2013.
Storm forecasters at Colorado State University are predicting an "above average" Atlantic hurricane season this year, with 18 tropical storms expected.
The US storm research team said nine of those would likely intensify into hurricanes. Four of those will likely be considered "major", with sustained wind speeds above 110 miles per hour.
A typical season sees around 12 tropical storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, according to the researchers.
Hurricane season runs from the beginning of June until the end of November.
This year, warmer waters in the Atlantic Ocean will provide conditions ideal for hurricanes to thrive, the researchers said. They also downplayed the expected effect of El Nino, which can dampen the chances of hurricanes, during the summer and fall.
The researchers said there was a 72% chance that a major hurricane will hit the US coast in 2013. That compares with an average of 52% historically. That includes a 47% likelihood of a major storm hitting the US Gulf of Mexico coast, compared to an average probability 30%.
There were 19 tropical storms in 2012 season, including 10 hurricanes.
Source: Upstream

••• 11.04.21 - ConocoPhillips suspends 2014 Alaska Drilling Plans.
ConocoPhillips will place on hold its 2014 drilling plans for Alaska's Chukchi Sea due to the uncertainties of evolving federal regulatory requirements and operational permitting standards.
While the company is confident in its expertise and ability to safely conduct offshore Arctic operations, ConocoPhillips believes it needs more time to ensure that all regulatory stakeholders are aligned, said ConocoPhillips Alaska President Trond-Erik Johansen in a statement.
"We welcome the opportunity to work with the federal government and other leaseholders to further define and clarify the requirements for drilling offshore Alaska," Johansen commented. "Once those requirements are understood, we will reevaluate our Chukchi Sea drilling plans. We believe this is a reasonable and responsible approach given the huge investments required to operate offshore in the Arctic."
ConocoPhillips in 1998 was awarded 98 exploration lease tracts in the Chukchi Sea Outer Continental Shelf.
Source: Rigzone

••• 11.04.21 - Royale inks Alaska JV.
US explorer Royale Energy has penned a joint venture with an unidentified company to exploit shale oil resources at one of its Alaskan plays. The San Diego-based junior said the newly-found partner will front up the cost of drilling two horizontal wells on the Alaska North Slope acreage, with shale oil resources in the pair's sights.
The joint venture will see Royale let go of 50,875 acres of its 96,000 acres of its North Slope patch for cash plus stock and exploration costs totalling $1200 per acre.
This equates to a spend of $61.05 million from the mystery partner which is to fund all exploration costs for acquiring seismic data and drilling two horizontal wells at a total cost of $38 million.
In addition, the new partner will give Royale $3.37 million for 33,737 acres in its Western Block. Also, Royale will get stock options in the company as well as a right to receive an additional $1.7 million for 17,000 acres in its Central Block.
Royale said on Wednesday: "The focus of the exploration that results from this agreement will take place in the Western Block Royale acquired in December. "Each well location is expected to be selected with the full support of seismic data, to test both conventional and shale oil resource accumulations anticipated to be present."
Royale's joint chief executive Stephen Hosmer said: "This agreement will allow us to confirm participation in a planned 3D seismic data acquisition scheduled to take place later this year over our acreage."
The deal is set to be completed by the end of May.
North Slope is situated in the far north of Alaska, onshore close to the Beaufort Sea.
Source: Upstreamonline

••• 10.04.21 - Statoil contracts for PRM Seismic Imaging Services over Norwegian Snorre and Grane Fields.
CGG announced today that it has been awarded two contracts by Statoil ASA to provide long-term seismic imaging services for permanent reservoir monitoring (PRM) operations on the Snorre and Grane fields in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The scope of each contract also includes acquisition QC services.
The contracts are for an initial fixed term of four years for each field, with an option for Statoil to extend each contract by two further terms of two years each. The first survey is scheduled to commence on 1 October 2013 over the Snorre field.
CGG will set up two PRM dedicated processing centers within Statoil’s offices in Stavanger and Bergen. In this way, acquisition QC and imaging of the data from each repeat survey will be performed by a team of CGG specialists in close collaboration with Statoil’s Snorre and Grane asset teams.
Jean-Georges Malcor, CEO, CGG, said: "These two new awards build on CGG’s already significant PRM imaging experience on the Clair and Ekofisk projects in the North Sea. In the case of Ekofisk, the CGG group provided a fully integrated PRM solution covering the equipment, data acquisition and processing. By winning these new Snorre and Grane awards for acquisition QC and imaging we have confirmed our position as the leading provider of PRM seismic imaging services."
Source: CGG

••• 10.04.21 - WesternGeco commences IsoMetrix Multiclient Seismic Survey in Barents Sea.
WesternGeco announced that it has begun acquisition of its Ice Bear 2 multiclient 3D survey in the western Barents Sea using its new IsoMetrix* marine isometric seismic technology. The isometric inline and crossline sampling delivered by the IsoMetrix technology will provide high-resolution broadband imaging in this geologically complex area.
"The Ice Bear 2 survey, which is supported by industry prefunding, will improve the understanding of play potential and economic viability for hydrocarbon production in the region," said Celine Blachere, vice president, Europe, Africa, Russia and Caspian, WesternGeco.
Ice Bear 2 lies to the north of the WesternGeco Bjornoya Ice Bear and West Loppa 3D seismic survey areas where the Havis and Skrugard discoveries were made. Exploration and production activities in the region have increased as a result of these and other discoveries in the area.
Source: Schlumberger

••• 09.04.21 - Borders & Southern completes South Falkland Basin seismic work.
Borders & Southern, the London based independent oil and gas exploration company, provides an update on its activities in the South Falkland Basin.
The PGS vessel Ramform Challenger has completed the Company’s 3D seismic programme in the South Falkland Basin offshore the Falkland Islands.
It acquired 1,025 square kilometres of full fold seismic data. The data will now be processed by PGS and a fast track product will be available for interpretation in about three months. The final, depth processed data will take approximately nine months to be delivered but work will commence on well planning using the fast track data, with ultimate well locations to be selected using the final product.
Source: Offshore Energy Today

••• 09.04.21 - Integrated management, planning needed for Arctic Development.
Decisions regarding development and conservation in the Arctic will require an integrated management approach involving the best available science to integrate cultural, environmental and economic factors, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of the Interior's (DOI) Alaska Interagency Working Group.
The report - Managing for the Future in a Rapidly Changing Arctic - chronicles how Arctic residents are dealing with rapid, climate change-induced impacts on their resources and traditional ways of life, at the same time that new economic activity and opportunities in oil and gas, marine transportation, tourism and mining are emerging, said Interior Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes in a statement.
While the report does not recommend new regulations or represent new policy decisions, it does call for a review of activities of over 20 federal agencies involved in the U.S. Arctic by the end of this year with an eye toward increased coordination and the elimination of duplication of efforts.
"It is imperative that we reduce redundancies and streamline federal efforts as we safely and responsibly explore and develop Alaska's vast resources while preserving the region's rich ecosystems that will sustain future generations," Hayes commented.
DOI also has launched a new government website, the Arctic Science Portal, by the Arctic Research Commission. This website will provide decisionmakers and other interested parties with easier access to scientific information about the Arctic.
Source: Rigzone

••• 08.04.21 - CGG: vessel utilization update for 1st Quarter.
CGG provides, for the first quarter of 2013, its vessel utilization and its fleet allocation updates with the new fleet perimeter including from the 1st of February the four Fugro C-Class vessels (Geo Coral, Geo Celtic, Geo Caribbean and Geo Caspian) and the Geo Atlantic and Geo Barents vessels.
Vessel utilization for the first quarter 2013:
The vessel availability rate1 was 88%. This compares to a 84% availability rate in the first quarter of 2012 and a 93% rate in the fourth quarter of 2012.
The vessel production rate2 was 93%. This compares to a 92% production rate in the first quarter of 2012 and a 89% rate in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Fleet allocation update for the first quarter 2013:
CGG’s 3D vessels were allocated during the quarter 64% to contract and 36% to multi-client programs compared to 23% and 24% of the 3D vessels allocated to multi-client in the first and fourth quarters 2012.
Source: CGG

••• 08.04.21 - EMGS vessel activity for Q1 2013.
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS) has resolved to release information on vessel activity and utilisation 4-5 working days after the close of each quarter. EMGS provides the following summary of vessel activity and utilisation for the first quarter of 2013:
Vessel utilisation for the first quarter came in at 63% compared with 72% in the first quarter of 2012.
In the first quarter of 2013, the company's vessels were allocated 29% to contract and 34% to multi-client programs. In the first quarter of 2012, EMGS's vessels were allocated 65% to contract and 7% to multi-client programs.
EMGS recorded 10 vessel months in the first quarter of 2013 compared with 12 in the first quarter of 2012. Read more...
Source: EMGS

••• 05.04.21 - Eni to carry out Seismic Survey in Ireland’s Atlantic Waters.
ENI Ireland BV will carry out a 2D seismic survey in the Atlantic waters of the Irish Designated Continental Shelf, The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in Ireland has announced.
The planned start of the survey is mid-April 2013 and, weather permitting, will continue until mid-October 2013.
The seismic acquisition will be carried out by the seismic vessel M/V BGP Explorer, which will be accompanied at all times by guard vessel M/V Alk Explorer.
The proposed survey consists of 18,000 km of a full fold 2D seismic survey in offshore waters beyond the 12 nautical mile limit, and extends into international (high seas) waters. The survey vessel M/V BGP Explorer will tow a single solid 10km streamer.
Source: Offshore Energy Today

••• 05.04.21 - ION Geophysical awarded a contract to conduct a seismic survey off Lebanon.
ION Geophysical awarded a contract to conduct a seismic survey of an additional 1,650 kilometers off Lebanon’s coast, Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil announced Wednesday.
Bassil said that the latest 3-D survey Lebanon has signed with the international energy exploration firm will help narrow down the geological location of the hydrocarbon deposits in Lebanon’s 22,000 kilometer zone of the Levantine Basin and determine whether the country’s potential petroleum deposits are in the form of oil or gas.
The Britain-based company Spectrum has surveyed 3,000 km off the southern coast of Lebanon. The Lebanese government has earned a net of $31 million from the sale of gas data to international firms.
Source: Geonews

••• 04.04.21 - New Zealand: NZOG starts Kokako Seismic Survey.
Octanex N.L. has announced that a 3D seismic survey, to acquire approximately 590km2 of new 3D data from within and adjacent to PEP 53473 (Permit), has commenced. The survey has been named Kokako.
The Permit covers approximately 853 km2 and is located north of the producing Tui oil field, in the offshore Taranaki Basin, and between the PEP 51906 and PEP 52593 permits, in which Octanex NZ holds 22.5% and 50% interests respectively.
Of the total 590km2 of new 3D data being acquired by the Kokako survey, approximately 513km2 will be acquired within the area of the Permit.This is more than double the Permit’s work programme requirement to acquire 250 km2 of new 3D data.
The main focus of the Kokako 3D survey is two attractive leads within the Permit. The first lead, Kokako, is located in the south-east corner of the Permit while the second, Toutouwai, is located in the north.
The Kokako survey is being acquired by the Schlumberger-owned vessel UMV Western Monarch. The vessel will utilise a 10-streamer array of 8.3km streamers and is scheduled to take 20 days to complete the acquisition, subject to weather and any other interruptions.
Source: Offshore Energy Today

••• 04.04.21 - CGG announced that its fleet set two new industry records.
CGG announced today that its new fleet, with the addition of four high-end vessels from its recent acquisition of Fugro Geoscience, set two new industry records that highlight the strength of its marine capabilities.
Firstly, through its proprietary ground-breaking StagSeisTM survey configuration, CGG can claim the record for deploying the longest offsets in the industry for a full-azimuth (FAZ) multi-vessel survey. For the recent multi-client ‘IBALT’ survey in the Gulf of Mexico, offsets were a record-breaking 18km.
StagSeisTM data are acquired using multiple vessels with an innovative staggered configuration, developed to provide the ultra-long offsets, full-azimuth and broad bandwidth (especially low frequencies) required to face the challenges of imaging in complex areas such as the Gulf of Mexico. As the data are acquired in a regular grid, processing is compatible with conventional wide-azimuth techniques, allowing faster turnaround than alternative non-linear methods.
Secondly, the Geo Caribbean operating in the Gulf of Mexico can claim the title of the largest man-made moving object on the face of the earth, with its record-breaking 13.44 km2 towing configuration.
The challenge was to design a configuration that would enable the client to meet its survey objectives in a cost-effective and efficient manner, while also achieving the survey’s geological objectives. CGG proposed a wide tow of eight streamers with a 160-m separation, 60% wider than a typical survey with a 100-m separation, enabling a greater area of data to be acquired in a single pass and hence greater production efficiency. By deploying a streamer length of 12000m, CGG delivered the long offsets required to achieve the survey’s geological objectives. The end-result is an efficient survey design and the largest single-vessel acquisition footprint in the world.
Source: CGG

••• 04.04.21 - Statoil: Norway needs to make a new giant oil and gas discovery every other year.
Norway needs to make a new giant oil and gas discovery every other year for the next decade to offset falling production, Statoil ASA's Chief Financial Officer Torgrim Reitan told Dow Jones Newswires Wednesday. "We expect the production on the Norwegian shelf to go on pretty well until 2020 or 2025, and after that it will fall," Mr. Reitan said in an interview at the sidelines of a parliament hearing on Norway's public financing needs up to 2060.
Norwegian group Statoil and other oil companies operating on the Norwegian continental shelf are key contributors to Norway's massive wealth. The country's oil and gas revenues were 372 billion kroner ($64 billion) in 2011. It has a $700 billion oil fund and no net debt.
But the high oil sector activity is likely to fade in the coming decade, Statoil warned, unless new acreage is awarded and new discoveries made. Norway's crude oil output has halved since 2000, although somewhat offset by higher gas output. Statoil expects the production fall to accelerate sometime after 2020.
"To illustrate the challenge, we need a discovery the size of Johan Sverdrup every other year to offset that fall. This is the size of the challenge. We need to open more areas," Mr. Reitan said.
Statoil has made "a couple of fantastic discoveries" in recent years, Mr. Reitan said, including Johan Sverdrup - one of Norway's biggest ever and estimated to hold 1.887 billion barrels - Skrugard and Havis. But these discoveries can't offset falling output from aging giant fields such as Ekofisk, Oseberg and Gullfaks.
The current record-high Norwegian oil sector activity "is to a large degree driven by discoveries that were made earlier and have become profitable with a higher oil price, and that were not profitable in the eighties and nineties," Mr. Reitan said.
Later this year, Norway is expected to open its first new acreage since 1994, in a formerly disputed area of the southeastern Barents Sea, next to the Russian border. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has estimated the area holds about 1.9 billion barrels of oil equivalent, slightly more than a year's worth of Norway's total oil and gas output.
But there is no guarantee the acreage will deliver the expected resources, Mr. Reitan warned. "You never know an area before you open it, and that's also the case in the southeastern Barents Sea," he said.
Source: Rigzone

••• 03.04.21 - 52 Oil & Gas Firms want Lebanese Offshore Acreage.
Lebanon’s pre-qualification phase for the 1st License Round has attracted bids from 52 oil companies. The companies had until March 28, 2013 to send in their offers in closed envelopes.
The applications came from 25 different countries all around the world. Oil majors such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Eni, Petrobras, Shell, Total, INPEX, ONGC and Repsol all filed their pre-qualification applications.
The Middle Eastern country’s energy ministry has said that the assessment of the applications is in progress. The names of companies who have been successful in pre-qualifying will be announced on 18 April 2013.
The 1st licensing round for hydrocarbon exploration within the Lebanese offshore EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) is planned to open on May 2, 2013 when the bidding for Lebanese offshore acreage will begin.
Source: Offshore Energy Today

••• 03.04.21 - Seven Viking nominated as "Ship of the Year 2013".
The IMR vessel Seven Viking has been nominated as "Ship of the Year 2013" by the maritime magazine "Skipsrevyen".
Seven Viking has been working for Statoil in the North Sea since February, and carries out a multitude of tasks including inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) of subsea oil installations, alongside scale treatment and RFO operations. The vessel is designed and constructed by ULSTEIN and owned by Eidesvik Offshore and Subsea 7.
Source: ULSTEIN

••• 03.04.21 - CGG acquires First BroadSeis 3D Multi-Client Seismic Survey in Norway.
CGG announced today that it has started acquiring Phase 1, known as Halten Terrace, of its Steppingstone BroadSeisTM 3D multi-client survey program offshore Norway. This is the first time CGG has acquired a 3D multi-client survey in the Norwegian North Sea using its proven broadband marine solution and the project has received high prefunding from the industry.
The Halten Terrace survey or Steppingstone Phase 1 covers 2,260 sq.km over the highly prospective Halten Terrace and targets the southern trend of already producing Jurassic reservoirs and discoveries in the Cretaceous. The survey is being acquired by the Oceanic Champion and the operation is expected to last three months.
The BroadSeis acquisition and processing parameters for this survey are being optimized to focus on providing better imaging of prospective Jurassic rotated fault blocks, inversion anticlines and shallow targets. The survey is expected to open up potentially prospective late Cretaceous/Tertiary turbidite plays to the west.
Jean-Georges Malcor, CEO, CGG, said: "After the success of several proprietary BroadSeis surveys for clients offshore Norway in 2011 and 2012 we decided to make our technology and experience available for this first BroadSeis 3D multi-client survey in the Norwegian shelf. Close dialogue with oil companies operating in the area confirmed strong industry interest for this high-end technology to produce the new and modern 3D data needed to improve imaging of the complex geology. We believe that our BroadSeis multi-client data set will bring valuable insight to the industry and increase exploration activity in this high-potential area."
Source: CGG

••• 02.04.21 - Japan to study Ice Gas Reserves.
Japan is planning a three-year study into how much methane hydrate, or 'ice gas', it has within its territorial waters in the Japan Sea over the next three years, the country’s trade and industry minister said Tuesday.
Japan will also continue to develop technologies to extract natural gas from undersea methane hydrate reserves with the aim of making commercialization of the process viable by as early as 2023, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshimitsu Motegi said.
Methane hydrate is a compound in which a large amount of methane is trapped within a crystal structure made up of water, so forming a solid that is similar to ice.
Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) reported March 12 that it successfully extracted natural gas from methane hydrate deposits from under the seabed offshore Japan.
Source: Rigzone

••• 02.04.21 - SeaBird: Letter of award.
SeaBird Exploration Plc announced that the Geo Pacific has signed a LOA with estimated total duration of 85 days in the Caribbean.
Estimated contract value is approximately USD 12.5 million. Commencement is expected second part of April.
Geo Pacific is currently undergoing sea trials offshore Las Palmas.
Source: SeaBird

••• 01.04.21 - Gas Production starts from Tamar Field Off Israel.
Israel has achieved a major milestone on Saturday when natural gas production commenced from the Tamar field off Israel’s Mediterranean shore, Reuters reports.
The country is expected to become a gas exporter by the end of the decade.
Partners in the fields stated that they had invested $3 billion in developing the field, estimating the new gas supplies would save Israel’s economy. Tamar has already secured numerous supply contracts.
Noble Energy Chairman and CEO, Charles Davidson, announces the company and the partners would now work to invest in increasing piping capacity at Tamar. Tamar, located 90 kilometres offshore Israel’s northern coast, has an estimated 10 trillion cubic feet of gas.
The partners in the Tamar field are: Noble Energy (36 percent), Isramco Negev (28.75 percent), Avner Oil Exploration (15.625 percent), Delek Drilling (15.625 percent) and Dor Gas Exploration (4 percent).
Source: Offshore Energy Today

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