Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS) has announced that Brazil's Agência Nacional de Petróleo (ANP) has, for the first time, included electromagnetic (EM) seabed logging as a valid work item in the minimum exploration work program commitments for future licensing rounds.


Starting with the upcoming ninth bidding round scheduled for November this year, operators can now include seabed-logging surveys in their exploration work program commitments. Previously, these work commitments were restricted to more conventional exploration techniques such as seismic surveys.


Terje Eidesmo, EMGS president and chief executive officer, said, "ANP is now the second government petroleum agency to officially adopt seabed logging as a valid exploration technology in work commitment programs. Norway's National Petroleum Directorate included seabed logging as a compulsory element for certain licenses awarded during its 2005 licensing round for awards in predefined areas.


"With more than 250 seabed-logging surveys completed for most of the world's leading energy companies, we welcome this development with ANP as it provides further evidence that seabed logging is becoming a mainstream exploration technology. Brazil in particular is an important exploration province to which EMGS is fully committed, and we anticipate that this validation of our technology by ANP will strengthen our business activity in the region."


For more information please visit http://www.emgs.com