Offshore staff
MOSCOW -- Rosneft has initiated seismic acquisition surveys in two separate areas offshore northern Russia.
At the South Russky license block in the Pechora Sea, awarded to Rosneft in 2010, the company’s RN Shelf Far East subsidiary is managing a 1,200-sq km (463-sq mi) 3D common depth point seismic survey.
Three field exploration parties from Yuzhmorgeologiya are performing the work, usingYuzhmorgeologiya, Iskatel 5, Vyborgsky, and Petrogradsky research vessels and around 20 support vessels. The program should run through October.
Rosneft is implementing measures to avoid disturbing colonies of Atlantic walrus during the program. Measures include comprehensive environmental monitoring, halting work, and performing a soft launch of pneumatic guns should animals be detected within 500 m (1,640 ft) of seismic survey equipment. For baleen whales, the safety zone will be extended to 1,400 m (4,593 ft).
South Russky block covers 9,700 sq km (3,745 sq mi), with potential recoverable resources of 270 MM metric tons (297 MMtons) of oil and 64 bcm (2,260 bcf) of gas.
In the Kara Sea, Rosneft has commissioned seismic surveys over the East Prinovozemelsky 1 and 2 license blocks, one year ahead of the license schedule. These were two of the blocks cited in the joint development agreement the company signed with ExxonMobil in August 2011.
Over East Prinovozemelsky 1, 3,000 sq km (1,158 sq mi) of 3D seismic will be acquired by theWestern Trident, capable of carrying up to 12 seismic cables, with support Russian vessels Neftegaz 61 (seabed bathymetric survey) and Kapitan Kosolapov.
The contractor is Dalmorneftegeophysica, with assistance from WesternGeco.
At East Prinovozemelsky 2 a 5,300-km (3,293 –mi) 2D survey will be performed by the Russian seismic vesselGeolog Dmitry Nalivkin, supported by Sleipner. Here the contractor is Russian marine seismic company MAGE, which has experience in this region.
Site investigation work is also scheduled at East Prinovozemelsky 1, with the results used to develop plans for exploration wells.
For an extended look at activity in the offshore arctic,click here.
8/17/2012
