Fugro, TGS Hunt For GoM Hydrocarbon Seeps

Fugro and TGS are working together to find hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) as they carry out a survey called Otos, a news release said.

The survey follows the 2016 completion of TGS’ industry-funded Gigante survey, which spanned 1,500 km (932 miles) in the Mexican GoM, in 2016.

The latest effort involved deploying two geophysical survey vessels—Fugro Gauss and Fugro Brasilis—to acquire multibeam echo sounder (MBES) and sub-bottom profile data over the western, central and eastern regions of the U.S.’ continental slope, according to the release.

Geoscientists onboard the vessels, in water depths ranging from 750 m (2,461 ft) to more than 4,000 m (13,123 ft), will analyze seafloor bathymetry, acoustic reflectivity, and shallow subsurface structures to identify hydrocarbon seep features on the seafloor and throughout the water column, the release said.

Hopes are that the results will provide insight into the regional-scale distribution of hydrocarbon seeps throughout the entire deepwater area of the northern GoM, the release said. Data collected will aid a subsequent geochemical coring campaign. TGS will license the data to E&Ps to support development activities in the region.

Norway Proposes Record Number Of Barents Oil Exploration Blocks

Norway has announced preliminary plans to nominate a record number of blocks for oil and gas exploration in the Barents Sea.

Oil majors are restarting their search for giant offshore fields in the region after a two-year lull as recent stability in oil prices revives appetite for exploration.

The Oil and Energy Ministry said it had proposed 102 blocks for Norway’s 24th oil and gas licensing round. Ninety-three blocks are in the Barents Sea in the Arctic, and nine are in the Norwegian Sea.

“This is the biggest number of blocks proposed in the Barents Sea ever, but it can change when the final announcement is made,” a ministry spokesman said.

More than half of the blocks proposed in the Barents Sea are north of Wisting, the northernmost oil discovery made in Norway so far.

The ministry plans to make a final announcement in the second quarter after public consultations during which environmentalists, regulators, local communities and others can express their views.

Statoil Makes Gas Discovery Near Alves Field

Statoil struck gas while drilling a wildcat well and an appraisal well in the Norwegian Sea about 6 km (3.7 miles) east of the Alve Field.

Well 6507/3-12, drilled to a vertical depth of 3,428 m (11,247 ft), hit a 7-m (23-ft) gas column in a Late Cretaceous sandstone layer, 30 m (98 ft) of aquiferous sandstone in the Garn and Not formations and about 65 m (213 ft) of aquiferous sandstone in the Ile and Tofte formations, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). However, appraisal well drilling was forced to stop due to technical issues that concerned a “presumed gas-filled sandstone.”

The discovery could hold between 1 Bcm and 5 Bcm (35 Bcf and 175 Bcf) of recoverable gas based on preliminary estimates, the NPD said, adding “the licensees will assess the discovery along with other nearby discoveries/prospects with regard to a possible development.”

Both wells, which were drilled by the Deep Sea Bergen, are located in production license 159.

—Staff & Reuters Reports

Offshore