ONGC planning $83m onland seismic tender
In one of its largest onland seismic tenders ever, ONGC has set a September 4 deadline for bids to shoot 2010-sq km ‘full-fold’ 3D in the Vygreswaram area of Andhra Pradesh that includes the Bantumilli-South discovery made in 2012.
According to a potential bidder, the contract is valued at around Rs500cr ($83m). ONGC wants to deploy three seismic crews across the 1792-sq km 1B nomination block, where Bantumilli-South is located.
ONGC is encouraged by the success of the BTS-1 gas find at Bantumilli-South in 2012, drilled to 4232.3 metres and testing 99,000 cm/d (3.5m cf/d) from the Lower Cretaceous Nandigama formation at 4221 to 4232 metres. But contractors say deploying three crews won't result in good seismic.
“With three crews working together data quality will be affected,” says one. “Noise data will get interference as shots are taken at three different locations.
” Another contractor says ONGC could remove interference while processing. Contractors also worry because ONGC wants work completed by July 2016 or within two seasons but they feel it will take three seasons.
ONGC wants contractors to shoot 200,000 shots in 500 days - or 400 shots a day. “At most we can shoot 200/day," we hear.
"If ONGC awards the contract in October and we begin in November or December it’s unlikely we can complete work by 2016.”