Aker BP, Viridien form OBN partnership offshore Norway

Viridien has entered into a partnership agreement with Aker BP concerning multi-client ocean-bottom node (OBN) seismic data acquisition, imaging and technology development for the Norwegian major.

The five-year cooperation framework is structured to align strategy and foster consistent innovation and technology development, Viridien said, with the overriding aim being to optimize Aker BPs’ exploration offshore Norway.

It will combine Aker BP’s operational experience with Viridien’s imaging technology, also expanding the latter’s multi-client OBN coverage to support wide-ranging exploration. The partnership will look to speed up discovery and development of new reserves.

The agreement “follows Aker BP's strategy to transform exploration and production through selected strategic partnerships," Petter Sørhaug, SVP of Exploration & Reservoir Development with Aker BP, said. "Aker BP sees ocean-bottom node seismic as a key enabler for improved imaging and higher-quality subsurface data, both in exploration and field development.”

Dechun Lin, Head of Earth Data with Viridien, added, "This multi-year agreement reflects Viridien’s strategy for long-term collaboration and investment in the NCS [Norwegian Continental Shelf]. Our expertise in seismic imaging and local knowledge has played a significant role de-risking near-field exploration and enabling recent discoveries.”