A seismic shift – pun intended – has been made in ocean bottom node technology. It is being made more efficient and cheaper to deploy, bringing it closer to challenging the high-end towed streamer market. Elaine Maslin reports. Miniaturization…
Schlumberger and TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. (TGS) have entered a new multi- and wide-azimuth (M-WAZ) multiclient reimaging program in the highly prospective Central US Gulf of Mexico. Final results are expected in early 2018, ahead of a period…
Fugro has been awarded a contract by Shell/BG Kenya for the execution of a seabed survey to detect natural leakages of hydrocarbons. The seeps survey complements a seismic exploration program that was completed recently offshore Kenya. Image…
French geoscience firm CGG has been awarded a contract by Brunei Shell Petroleum to operate a dedicated processing center (DPC) at its Seria office in Brunei Darussalam. The contract will run for a period of six years, from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2022…
Australia's Frogtech Geoscience has released a new basement-focused study of the hydrocarbon-rich South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand; a geologically complex region. The study (South China Sea Seebase) includes new, terrane-based plate…
A new geological analysis of the Rockall area offshore the UK suggests that previous exploration failures in the area have been due to a misunderstanding of the subsurface. Exploration in the Rockall Basin, in the North Atlantic, north and west of Ireland and Scotland…
CGG has completed the acquisition and processing of the first-ever airborne gravity gradiometry (AGG) survey of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Conducted on behalf of the Bahrain Petroleum Co. (Bapco), this was the first commercial survey to be acquired worldwide using FalconPlus…
Bell Geospace and Onyx Engineering are launching data from a multiclient FTG program offshore Malaysia, with support from state oil firm Petronas. The multiclient FTG program includes airborne 3D Full Tensor Gradiometry (FTG) and magnetic…
Seismic firm Polarcus has been given an extension to a 3D marine seismic project in South America. The first phase of the project was completed in August 2016. The second phase is due to start in March 2017 and will take about three months…
FAR Ltd. says it has identified more than 1.5 billion bbl of undrilled oil prospectivity in its acreage offshore Senegal through the interpretation of new 3D seismic data. The Stena DRILLMAX is currently drilling the SNE-5 well…
As part of the 21st Century Exploration Road Map initiative (21CXRM), the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), in collaboration with the 21CXRM Technical Advisory Committee, has awarded two contracts for petroleum system related studies for the East Shetland Platform and South West Approaches areas…
Imagine a library where the books are written in a language so old, few alive can speak it; and the pages crumble to dust when turned. In data terms, this is the state of the UK oil industry’s 50+ years of exploration archives. Elaine Maslin reports on one project aiming to fix it…
Norwegian geoscience firm Spectrum has made an offer to acquire fellow Norwegian outfit MultiClient Geophysical for US$13.94 million (NOK 116 million). The offer trumps an earlier offer made by UK-based geoscience firm Geoex by about…
Norway's TGS has inked two new seismic vessel contracts with Norwegian geoscience firms Shearwater GeoServices and Polarcus, for surveys in Europe. Shearwater GeoServices has agreements for two surveys, one firm and one optional, starting between March and May 2017…
Norway's Electromagnetic Geoservices has signed a new charter agreement for the vessel BOA Thalassa with BOA SBL at new and improved commercial terms. The new terms are valid through 1 October 2019 with an option to extend the new agreement through 1 April 2021…