Seismic survey begins offshore Senegal

Feb. 19, 2007
CGG's MV Symphony has begun a seismic survey for First Australian Resources Ltd. offshore Senegal. The survey will be the largest 3D survey conducted offshore Senegal as part of an exploration program being carried out by FAR and operator, Hunt Oil Co., FAR says.

Offshore staff

SENEGAL, West Africa -- CGG's MV Symphony has begun a seismic survey for First Australian Resources Ltd. offshore Senegal. The survey will be the largest 3D survey conducted offshore Senegal as part of an exploration program being carried out by FAR and operator, Hunt Oil Co., FAR says.

Hunt and FAR are sharing the MVSymphony with the Italian group Edison. Savings resulting from sharing the mobilization costs will go toward extending the 3D coverage by 50 sq km (19 sq mi). The increased survey area, comprising 2,050 sq km (792 sq mi), now includes prospect C1 in the southwest corner of the Sangomar offshore block. Integrating C-1 into the overall 3D grid offers advantages compared to reprocessing old Shell seismic data over this prospect, FAR says.

The new survey follows Edison's recently completed 1,500 sq km (579 sq mi) survey in the Rufisque Deep offshore block to the north.

FAR holds a 30% participation in the Rufisque offshore, Sangomar offshore, and Sangomar Deep offshore blocks.

These offshore concessions in the Mauritania-Senegal and Guinea Bissau basins offer potential for world-class oil accumulations, FAR says.

The proposed 3D survey is designed to validate several potentially significant prospects and a number of leads identified by Hunt based on existing 2D seismic data, in addition to identifying new prospects.

2/19/2007