PGS offers â€کcutting edge' seismic technology to ONGC
Norwegian seismic contractor PGS is offering ONGC what it claims to be â€کcutting edge’ technology as part of its return to the growing Indian exploration market.
PGS tells us its GeoStreamer imaging technology was unveiled last year and is now being used in the North Sea and offshore Australia. “We have sent a letter to ONGC offering a 2D vessel fitted out with the GeoStreamer for the fourth quarter of 2009,†PGS tells us.
“If our offer is accepted ONGC will be one of the early users in Asia.†PGS says it is fitting out all its seismic survey vessels with the GeoStreamer.
“Asia, Europe-Africa and the Americas will have two such vessels each by late next year: one for 2D and the other for 3D,†says PGS. GeoStreamer technology incorporates a â€کhydrophone’ and a â€کgeophone’ to remove the â€کghost’ effect seen in data shot with conventional streamers.
“Compared to conventional and existing technology, our GeoStreamer gives a much wider bandwidth,†stresses PGS. “The GeoStreamer can be towed at water depths of 15 metres, making the data acquisition exercise impervious to the weather window.
We can image deeper targets and also shoot longer into the season.†In India, PGS says the GeoStreamer could be used to image below the thick layer of basalt rock from the Gulf of Kutch to the Kerala-Konkan Basin in the Arabian Sea, and which so far has eluded traditional imaging technologies.
Better images from below the basalt “could open up India’s western offshore to more exploration.†How much will ONGC pay “The benchmark is (Schlumberger’s) Q-Marine technology for which ONGC is paying around $78m per vessel per season,†we hear.
“GeoStreamer technology will be available to ONGC at the same terms as Q-Marine.†PGS says ONGC will also be offered 3D seismic survey vessels fitted with the GeoStreamer at a later date.