NPD draws up plans for Barents Sea resource mapping

Feb. 23, 2012
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will map the geology in the northeast of Norway’s newly agreed section of the Barents Sea.

Offshore staff

OSLO, Norway –The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will map the geology in the northeast of Norway’s newly agreed section of the Barents Sea.

Last September, Norway and Russia signed an accord relating to maritime demarcation and cooperation in the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean.

According to theNorwegian government’s plan, seismic surveys will start this summer and continue into 2013, with the aim of providing data on potential oil and gas resources in this area.

“We have very little knowledge concerning the geology in the northeastern Barents Sea. In order to know more about the resource potential, we need more data,” said Sissel Eriksen, NPD’s exploration director.

The government has also started an opening process with a view to awarding production licenses in the southeastern part of the Barents Sea. Geological mapping started last summer and will continue this summer.

Earlier this year, NPD agreed contracts fortwo vessels to acquire seismic data in the southeastern sector of the Barents Sea, the sea area around Jan Mayen and in the Nordland IV and V offshore regions this summer.

“The plans to also map the northeastern sector of the Barents Sea mean that we need more capacity to acquire seismic. This assignment has been submitted for tender,” Eriksen said.

2/23/2012