Santos basin 3D campaign starting off Brazil

Jan. 23, 2006
Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) let a contract to Petroleum Geo-Services ASA (PGS) to acquire 1,266 sq km of 3D seismic data on prospect area BM-S-42 in the Santos basin off Brazil.

Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) let a contract to Petroleum Geo-Services ASA (PGS) to acquire 1,266 sq km of 3D seismic data on prospect area BM-S-42 in the Santos basin off Brazil. The prospect encompasses six blocks auctioned during National Petroleum Agency’s (ANP) sixth round of bidding (OGJ Online, Aug. 25, 2004).

PGS’s Ramform Challenger seismic vessel is on site and will remain for about 53 days. The survey will use two sources and 10 cables with 100-m spacing.

In late February or early March, the Challenger will begin a 3D campaign for Petrobras on the BM-S-40 prospect, which contains 12 blocks from the fifth bidding round (OGJ Online, Aug. 25, 2003). The new survey, to be conducted in an area of 2,617 sq km, is expected to take 73 days to complete.

Before beginning the Santos mapping campaign, the ship operated in Espírito Santo in the BM-ES-24 area, with the first survey concluded on Dec. 18. The Challenger arrived in Brazil in October.

PGS’s Ramform Valliant seismic vessel also is conducting a campaign in Brazil in the Camamu-Almada basin on behalf of Petrobras and Statoil ASA. Scheduled for conclusion in June, that work is taking place in an eight-block area covering 7,000 sq km.

CGG work

Separately, ANP extended to June 30, 2007, the effective date of authorization No. 112 granted in May 2002 to Compagnie Generale de Geophysique SA (CGG), Paris, for acquisition of nonexclusive seismic data in the Sergipe-Alagoas, Camamu-Almada, Jequitinhonha, and Jacuípe basins. The same authorization that extended the deadline excluded gravimetric acquisition by CGG.

ANP requires CGG to obtain 2,900 sq km of 3D seismic data in these basins.