published Tue, February 21, 2012
The NPD will acquire seismic in the northeastern sector of the Barents Sea
The Government has decided that the NPD will map the geology in the northeastern part of Norway’s new sea area in the Barents Sea.
According to the plan, the seismic surveys
will start this summer and continue into 2013. This will provide
important knowledge regarding possible oil and gas resources in
this area.
"We have very little knowledge concerning the geology in the
northeastern Barents Sea. In order to know more about the resource
potential, we need more data," says Sissel Eriksen, exploration
director in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
On 15 September 2010, Norway and Russia signed the agreement
relating to maritime demarcation and cooperation in the Barents Sea
and Arctic Ocean. The agreement entered into force on 7 July
2011.
On the Norwegian side, the Government has started an opening
process with the aim of awarding production licences in the
southeastern sector of the Barents Sea. The geological mapping
started last summer and will continue until this summer.
Earlier this year, the NPD entered into contracts regarding two
vessels that will acquire seismic data both in the southeastern
sector of the Barents Sea, in the sea area around Jan Mayen and in
Nordland IV and V this summer.
"The plans to also map the northeastern sector of the Barents
Sea mean that we need more capacity to acquire seismic. This
assignment has been submitted for tender," says Eriksen.
Date: 21/02/2012