Cairn launches Sri Lanka Mannar basin seismic
By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 10 -- A unit of Cairn India has begun a 3D seismic survey on Block 2007-01-01 in the Mannar basin in the Gulf of Mannar off Sri Lanka.
CGG Veritas AS is to complete acquisition by the first quarter of 2010 using the SR/V Viking II seismic vessel. The 3,000-sq-km block is in 400-1,900 m of water northwest of Colombo. Drilling is to start in the first half of 2011.
Cairn India holds 100% participating interest in the block. The exploration phase one commitment includes 1,450 sq km of 3D seismic, reprocessing 5,700 line-km of 2D seismic, 5,700 line-km of gravity and magnetics, and drilling three exploratory wells.
No drilling has occurred, but a sparse 7 by 15-km 2D seismic grid is interpreted to disclose some possibilities of hydrocarbon plays by analogy to the Cauvery basin to the north.
Several leads were identified. The main lead is a four-way dip closure at multiple levels in Cretaceous and Tertiary. Other leads are stratigraphic in nature and include, in geological terms, canyon fills, fans, channels, and pinchout/wedges, Cairn India said.
Cairn Lanka Pvt. Ltd. is conducting numerous other activities in preparation for the start of drilling in April 2011.