GEOSCIENCES

Gene Kliewer - Houston

Kosmos, Tullow order Ghana rock physics services

Kosmos Energy and Tullow have contracted Rock Solid Images to provide rock physics-driven, reservoir property inversion services for an appraisal and development drilling campaign in Jubilee field offshore the Republic of Ghana.

“It has been an immensely satisfying experience to have collaborated with Kosmos Energy and Tullow’s world-class exploration teams since 2003,” says Gareth Taylor, Rock Solid Images senior vice president. “We are especially delighted that our rock physics and seismic inversion services have contributed, in part, to the discovery of one of West Africa’s largest oil fields, the Jubilee field, offshore Ghana, and that we have been chosen to assist with the delineation and development of the field.”

Two scientific cruises to map arctic seafloor

The US Extended Continental Shelf Task Force, chaired by the Department of State, plans two arctic cruises by the US Coast Guard CutterHealy this summer, one of which will be conducted in collaboration with the government of Canada. The cruises are part of an interagency effort to collect scientific data about the continental shelf and oceanic basins in the arctic.

The first cruise, under way from Barrow, Alaska, and scheduled to end Sept. 5, employs an echo sounder to collect data for a 3D map of the arctic seafloor in the Chukchi Cap. This cruise is led by the University of New Hampshire’s Joint Hydrographic Center, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The second cruise, scheduled for Sept. 6 to Oct. 1 also from Barrow, will be in cooperation with Canada. TheHealy is to map the seafloor and also to create a straight and open path through the ice, while the Canadian icebreaker Louis S. St. Laurent follows and collects multi-channel seismic reflection and refraction data aimed at determining the thickness of sediment.

This collaboration aims to help define the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean. The US Geological Survey leads the expedition for the U.S., while Natural Resources Canada leads the Canadian team.

In addition to the US Department of State acting as chair, participants in the Extended Continental Shelf Task Force include the Executive Office of the President, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US Geological Survey, the US Coast Guard, the National Science Foundation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the US Navy, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Minerals Management Service, and the Arctic Research Commission.

This is the fourth summer that the US has collected data in the arctic in support of defining the limits of its extended continental shelf (the portion of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles (230 mi [370 km]), where a coastal nation has sovereign rights over natural resources). This data, most of which will be released to the public also, will provide greater scientific insight into relatively unexplored regions of the ocean.

Onboard seismic processing comes to Libya

Geotrace is scheduled to conduct one of the world’s largest onboard seismic data processing projects to BP Exploration Libya Ltd. as part of a seismic acquisition contract awarded to Wavefield Inseis by BP Exploration Libya. Geotrace, through its long-term agreement with Wavefield Inseis, will outfit theGeowave Endeavour with a large computer center for onboard processing. This will allow the seismic data to be managed quickly and cost effectively.

The project will cover 17,000 sq km (6,564 sq mi) of 3D seismic data processing in Libya’s offshore Sirt basin. Geotrace will complete the processing using proprietary software installed on one of the largest Linux clusters afloat. The onboard processing will include surface related multiple elimination, pre-stack time migration, and dense velocity analysis.

“This type of onboard data processing project is ideal for Geotrace,” says Bill Schrom CEO of Geotrace. “It will enable us to utilize some of our advanced imaging techniques while processing in an onboard environment.”

RXT to explore Caspian Sea

Exploration Technology ASA (RXT) has received a 3D seismic contract from CentrCaspneftegas LLP in the Caspian Sea.

The contract covers a 180-day 3D ocean bottom seismic (OBC) survey of the Centralnoye field, in the central part of the Caspian Sea offshore Russia. The survey will be carried out with the vesselRXT3.

“This contract complements very well the [currently ongoing] Kashagan and Shah Deniz projects [in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan] and further validates RXT’s strategy to keep a crew permanently in the Caspian region,” says Michael Scott, CEO of RXT.

Fugro forms gravity, magnetic company

Fugro has created Fugro Gravity & Magnetic Services (FGMS) to market its worldwide gravity and magnetic capabilities for oil and gas E&P.

“The formation of FGMS will allow us to tie together the whole spectrum of gravity and magnetic services – data acquisition and processing, interpretation, multi-client offerings, and software for marine, land and airborne applications,” says Mark Weber, president of the new entity.