Uchenna Izundu
International Editor
LONDON, Dec. 13 -- The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) interpreted seismic data for Madagascar through a program to assist Madagascar's oil development.
Prompted by high oil prices, Madagascar plans next year to test heavy oil production. In October, Madagascar launched a licensing for the Morondava basin, off west Madagascar.
Two geologists from Madagascar's state agency OMNIS used hardware and software not available in Madagascar at NPD in Stavanger in conjunction with NPD geologists in interpreting the data for the government.
Norway is helping Madagascar under Norway's Oil for Development initiative, a long-term cooperative project including petroleum management, financial management, environment measures, and anticorruption measures.
NPD, the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, and the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority all are cooperating with Madagascar.
NPD principal engineer Gunnar Søiland said, "The country is in the initial phase of its petroleum activities. There has been exploration for oil and gas for a long time in Madagascar, without any commercial discoveries being made."
Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].
