GEOSCIENCES

Gene Kliewer • Houston

Survey, acquisition news

Tap Oil Ltd.’s Labatt 3D Marine Seismic Survey in Bass basin permit T/47P offshoreAustralia is completed with more than 524 sq km (202 sq mi) of full-fold data acquired. The survey concentrated around the Cormorant-1 well and Tap anticipates it will generate drillable prospects. It is a follow-up to earlier 2D seismic work.

Final volumes are to be available in 2Q 2008 for interpretation, and a rig has been contracted to drill two wells starting early next year.

Tap (Shelfal) Pty Ltd. is operator with 40%, SPC Production Co. has 35%, and Jubilant Energy Ltd. holds 25%.

Norway’s SeaBird Exploration Ltd. has received two letters of award from Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd. of India (ONGC) for two surveys totaling approximately 82,000 linear km (50,952 mi) of long offset 2D survey off the east coast ofIndia. The total gross contract value is estimated to be around $100 million. Two or more of the company vessels will be scheduled to perform the surveys.

MEO Australia Ltd. says the PGS seismic acquisition vessel,M/V Orient Explorer has acquired approximately 250 sq km (96.5 sq mi) of new 3D seismic data in permits WA-360-P and WA-361-P offshore Australia.

Some 250 line km of 2D acquisition in MEO’s third Northwest Shelf permit, WA-359-P, began on Dec. 28, 2007. The 2D survey covers further possible stratigraphic trap leads (D, F, and H) in permit WA-359-P.

The approach of Cyclone Melanie caused a suspension of acquisition activities on Dec. 30, 2007. Approximately 100 line km or 40% of the 2D survey has been acquired. MEO will coordinate with PGS Australia to finish acquiring the balance of the 2D data when theOrient Explorer is next in the immediate region.

Fugro-Geoteam AS seismic vesselGeo Atlantic began the Endurance 3D seismic sweep in ConocoPhillips’ WA-398-P permit off Western Australia. The survey will extend over 1,400 sq km (540 sq mi) in the permit, with a further 500 sq km (194 sq mi) outside the permit. The seismic acquisition is expected to be complete in 1Q 2008.

The 3D survey is aimed at the Dufen and other shallow water leads prior to the arrival of a drilling rig. ConocoPhillips and Australian partner Karoon Gas chartered Transocean semisubmersibleSedco 703 to drill one well each in WA-314-P, WA-315-P, and WA-398-P over a 200- to 225-day period, with an option to extend the contract for another 25 days. The rig is expected to arrive in August after completing a campaign with Woodside Petroleum.

ConocoPhillips will fund 80% of the drilling and testing costs for the exploration wells and 60%of the drilling and testing costs for the exploration well in WA-398-P. ConocoPhillips owns 60% in WA-398-P and a 51% in WA-314-P and WA-315-P. Karoon holds 40% interest in WA-398-P and a 49% stake each in WA-314-P and WA-315-P each. The three permit areas lie in 400 to 800 m (1,312 to 2,324 ft) of water, on trend with the Scott Reef/Brecknock gas fields, which are being appraised for development.

Seismic vessel business

SeaBird Exploration Ltd. has received a contract extension for its vesselKondor Explorer from CGGVeritas. The new time charter contract extends CGGVeritas’ use of the Kondor Explorer as a source vessel until early November. The contract extension is worth $15.5 million.

PGS has exercised both six-month options of the time charter contract for SeaBird Exploration Ltd.’s multi-purpose vesselAquila Explorer, making the contract firm until February 2009.

The extensions have a total value of approximately $20 million.

Bergen Oilfield Services AS (BOS) has started 2008 on a high with one more vessel to its flotilla.

BOS purchased the Stad Angler late December 2007 and while it is on long term lease to EMGS, plans have been prepared to use this vessel to undertake 2D/Source/OBS seismic survey in the future.

Study results

CGX Energy Inc. has released the results of a Gustavson Associates LLC. study of four of CGX’s prospects in the Corentyne license offshore Guyana. According to Gustavson, the P50 reserves estimate for the four prospects, developed using probabilistic analysis, totals 2.7 Bbbl. Historic well data, regional geology, and 2D seismic were reviewed by Gustavson to prepare the estimate.

The study covered the 9,170 sq km (3,541 sq mi) offshore portion of the Corentyne PLL. CGX holds 100% of the working interest. The four prospects are called Eagle Shallow Fan, Wishbone Shallow Fan, Eagle Deep West, and Eagle Deep East.

4D applications

Reservoir Imaging Ltd. (RIL), the 4D seismic software services consultancy based in Edinburgh, Scotland, announced the award of major contracts from Shell UK Ltd. and BP for projects in the North Sea during 2008. The company will be advising on the implementation of all aspects of these 4D seismic surveys from initial design and planning through to quality control (QC), either on board the vessels or remotely from onshore.

One of RIL’s key contracts this coming year will be work on Shell U.K. Ltd.’s 4D surveys to be acquired on two producing Central North Sea fields as part of the oil company’s reservoir management strategy. RIL will assist in the planning and perform in-field QC as well as implement its proprietary field-based GIS system designed to optimize survey repeatability.

“RIL’s rapidly growing clientele in the last three years has been assisted by its GIS database approach to 4D seismic projects,” says Keith Watt, managing director. “The company’s objective has been to develop a method of isolating all the contributing elements to a 4D seismic survey so that they can be accurately measured for comparison purposes with previous and future surveys over the same reservoir. Project information on crucial variables such as the acquisition technology, survey geometry, and the steering and feathering of the towed streamer recording equipment is logged for future reference so that any subsequent survey can repeat the same parameters. By building a global GIS database RIL provides oil companies with a key resource to ensure the ‘repeatability’ of their 4D seismic surveys carried out over time.”