Offshore staff

CYPRUS – SeaBird Exploration has won two new 2D seismic acquisition contracts with a combined value of $10-12 million.

Osprey Explorer has a letter of intent from a major oil company for a 2D survey covering 8,000-11,000 km (4,971-6,835 mi) in South America. The vessel will mobilize to the region after completing its current commitment in the Gulf of Mexico, and work on the survey between September and December.

GGS Atlantic will mobilize from the GoM to the Barents Sea for an 8,600-km (5,344-mi), multi-client survey starting in July and continuing through mid-October 2011.

Over the past few months, SeaBird has worked with a Norwegian shipyard to develop and plan construction of a second vessel (after the Hugin Explorer) for deployment, retrieval and servicing of ocean bottom nodes (OBN).

Sea Bird says it had a mutual understanding with the yard that for the vessel to be delivered in spring or summer next year, a firm shipbuilding contract would have to be signed by May 2011. However, at present it does not wish to undertake further commitments.

Nevertheless, SeaBird is working on plans for a second OBN crew. The company says it has completed six surveys for four super majors over the past two years, and continues to see growing interest in this technology, with potential for longer-term contracts. It will look again at expanding vessel capacity at a later date.

06/17/2011