Uruguay: Offshore aeromag survey planned

Feb. 25, 2011
Uruguay’s Ancap let a contract to Fugro to acquire, process, and interpret 50,000 line-km of aeromagnetic surveys over the Pelotas, Punta del Este, and Oriental del Plata basins off Uruguay.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Feb. 25
– Uruguay’s Ancap let a contract to Fugro to acquire, process, and interpret 50,000 line-km of aeromagnetic surveys over the Pelotas, Punta del Este, and Oriental del Plata basins off Uruguay.

Fugro will cover costs of the multiclient survey and retain exclusive rights to license the data to oil companies interested in the early 2012 bid round, Ancap said. Fugro will begin the survey when it obtains sufficient prefunding.

Ancap already has multiclient agreements with CGGVeritas for nearly 12.000 km of 2D seismic data shot in 2002-08 and has signed an agreement with ION/GXT for the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of 3.000-3.500 km of regional data that will link the Uruguayan basins with the neighboring basins off Brazil and Argentina.

Ancap within weeks will pick the winner of a tender for acquisition of 5,600-7,000 km of exclusive regional and infill 2D seismic. The agency is also negotiating agreements with international service companies to identify oil seeps, analyze offshore well samples for fluid inclusion stratigraphy, evaluate petroleum geology, and carry out other nonexclusive projects.