Business News for the week of 18 March 2013

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Seismic crew survey reports

TGS announces commercial agreement to sell Fugro's 2D multiclient library

18 March 2013—TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA (TGS) announced a commercial agreement to sell Fugro's 2D multiclient library. As a result of this agreement, Fugro provides TGS with an exclusive right to license and market the majority of Fugro's multiclient 2D library and to receive commission fees on the sales of these data.  

The agreement covers more than 1,000,000 km of seismic data in areas of great strategic interest for TGS. While the brokerage agreement provides TGS with more data coverage in existing focus areas such as northwest Europe, it also provides access to a broad range of new client contacts and exposure to seven new countries/areas where TGS is not active today.

 

TGS commences 2D multiclient seismic survey offshore Sierra Leone

19 March 2013—TGS commenced acquisition of a 2D multiclient survey offshore Sierra Leone. The survey, SL13, will add 9191 km of new 2D data to infill the existing 5784 km of 2D data acquired in 2001. Upon completion of the SL13 survey, TGS will have approximately 15,000 km of contiguous 2D multiclient data and 6268 km2 of 3D data offshore Sierra Leone. The seismic data are being acquired by the M/V Geo Arctic. Data processing will be performed by TGS and will be available to clients late 2013.

 

Dolphin appoints three senior Geophysicists

19 March 2013—Dolphin Geophysical has appointed three experienced geophysicists in senior positions, reporting to Gareth Williams, chief geophysicist. Sergio Grion joined as geophysical research manager. He is based in the UK office in Tunbridge Wells. Grion previously worked for WesternGeco and CGGVeritas in various research and development roles and was most recently head of multicomponent research at CGGVeritas. Stuart Denny was appointed geophysical technology manager and is based in Dolphin's Houston office. Denny has previously worked at Digicon, Veritas, and CGGVeritas. Rich Bartlett was appointed depth-imaging manager and is based in Dolphin's UK office. He has worked previously in depth imaging at CGGVeritas and more recently for Monarch Geophysical Services.

 

EMGS and Spectrum join forces in Brazil's Foz do Amazonas basin

19 March 2013—Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS) and Spectrum ASA have entered into a cooperation agreement covering the Foz de Amazonas basin in Brazil.

Spectrum already has over 21,000 km of multiclient 2D seismic data coverage of this highly prospective area of the equatorial margin. EMGS has been given access to these data for planning and improved imaging purposes and will soon start the acquisition of 3D resistivity data in a regional, multiclient program covering approximately 8000 km2 of the Foz de Amazonas basin. The program covers offshore blocks that have been included in the 11th licensing round.

Interest in the Brazilian equatorial margin is high following the Zaedyus discovery northwest of the border in French Guiana; Petrobras's Pecém discovery in the Ceará basin southeast of Foz de Amazonas; and analogous discoveries in the West African equatorial margin.

EMGS's vessel BOA Galatea will start 3D EM data acquisition close to the border of French Guiana's territorial waters and work its way southeast. Survey completion is expected in August 2013. The deliverables include seismic-constrained 3D EM inversion cubes, interpreted lead maps, and probabilistic resource estimates.

 

Dolphin Geophysical partners with Shell to conduct 3D seismic survey off shore Africa

21 March 2013—Dolphin Geophysical and Shell conducted a joint 3D survey in the Orange Basin, South Africa. The four-month long survey commenced in July 2012 and covered an 8000 km2 deep-water basin, lying between 150 and 250 km off the western coastline of South Africa.

 

Paradigm expands EarthStudy 360 services offering

21 March 2013—Paradigm is expanding its service offering for its proprietary EarthStudy 360 technology. EarthStudy 360 reorganizes surface-recorded seismic data in order to generate higher-quality images and information that are not obtainable from conventional methods. The software recovers a full spectrum of azimuth data in situ and in-depth much the way borehole tools sample the subsurface. The procedure avoids the problems associated with the traditional approach of sectoring surface-recorded seismic data in order to obtain subsurface properties that vary with azimuth.