CGG has announced what the company described as “near real-time imaging results” for a 4,200 sq km BroadSeis 3D marine seismic survey acquired offshore Morocco. CGG said it had delivered the “very-fast-track (VFT) RTM PSDM volume to the client only four days after the last shot”. The Paris-headquartered geoscience company said the result was a “technical feat (that) crowned an excellent operational performance by the crew of the CGG Geo Caspian who worked in a safe, collaborative and effective partnership with the client to complete the program ahead of schedule.
Industry
Senex announces Cooper Basin drilling program
The current drilling program will comprise a multi-well oil campaign including exploration, appraisal and development opportunities, and a high impact unconventional gas exploration well. The first two wells of the campaign are located on the producing Worrior and Spitfire fields. Worrior-11 (ex PEL 93: Senex 70% and operator, Cooper Energy 30%) is a development well targeting oil accumulations in the lower Birkhead and Hutton horizons. The well is due to be spudded in mid-December.
CGG delivers data sets for Gabon South Basin
CGG has released the final processed depth volumes (Kirchhoff and RTM PreSDM) from the company’s recent 3D BroadSeis™ multi-client survey in the highly prospective Gabon South Basin. As technical consultant to the Gabonese Republic’s Ministry of Petroleum and Hydrocarbons, CGG acquired the broadband seismic survey of over 25,000 km2 to support Gabon’s 11th Licensing Round. The seismic survey is part of an integrated geoscience program that will also include reviewed, resolved and interpreted well and geological data, in order to provide a petroleum systems evaluation supported by regional interpretations and reports.
Substantial reserves awaiting development – DW
MOST E&P companies have seen reserve replacement ratios declining as a consequence of a drop off in exploration and appraisal activity, energy intelligence group, Douglas-Westwood, said in a report.
The country that has bucked the trend is Myanmar, which has shaken off political and economic trade embargoes as a result of reform that saw the lifting of international sanctions in 2012. Shell, Eni and Chevron and a number of independents, notably Reliance Industries and Oil India, have been attracted to the country’s gas prospects, specifically in the Rakhine basin.
Woodside, after the discovery of the Thalin-1 well in February, has committed to an exploration program with four to seven drilling campaigns.
Senex completes pilot development in Western Surat Gas Project
SENEX Energy has announced completion of the first pilot development in the Western Surat Gas Project on budget and ahead of schedule. The Glenora pilot marks the commencement of the development of Senex’s Western Surat Gas Project, which involves the extraction of gas from coal seams across approximately 915 km2 of acreage located adjacent to gas fields and infrastructure operated by Australian majors Santos and Origin Energy. Senex is 100% owner and operator of the project and has signed a flexible 20-year gas sales agreement with key LNG counterparty Santos GLNG.
ONGC innovation wins major international award
INDIA’s Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has surfaced as the star oil and gas performer at the Bentley Be Inspired Awards Ceremony in London, scooping the Innovation in Offshore award for enterprising software and performance modelling that enabled the production and exploration company to extend the lifecycle of its critically ageing assets.
Geo job prospects begin to brighten
Employment prospects for Australian geoscientists continue to improve, albeit slowly Employment prospects for Australia’s professional geoscientists continued to improve gradually in the three months between 30th June and 30th September 2016. The picture emerged in results of the latest quarterly survey by the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) in which respondents provided information about their employment prospects during the September quarter of 2016. At 30th September 2016, the unemployment rate amongst Australian geoscientists was 13.9% and the under-employment rate was 18.9%. The unemployment rate fell 2%, from 15.
WA Onshore Acreage Release
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ONSHORE ACREAGE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 2016 Richard Bruce, Exploration Geologist Petroleum Division The Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) continues to provide access to the petroleum potential of Western Australia’s vast sedimentary basins using a specific area release system. On 13 September 2016 DMP released a total of fourteen onshore areas or blocks (see related image). This release comprises six blocks in the Canning Basin and eight blocks in the Officer Basin.
34th International Geological Congress Travel Grant Scheme for Early-Career Australian and New Zealand Geoscientists
2016 Call for Applications is now open! Deadline: 31 October 2016 Specific funding is available to provide Australian and New Zealand geoscientists in the early stages of their careers with opportunities to travel internationally to further their careers as geoscientists by, for example, undertaking field work in appropriate areas, visiting and working with appropriate international experts, inspecting appropriate mines or other geoscientific features such as type localities, participating in professionally-organised geoscientific conferences or conventions, etc. CRITERIA: The Scheme is open to practising geoscientists resident in Australia or New Zealand who hold a degree in geoscience (or equivalent).
Geo jobs directly linked to commodity price movements
The first comprehensive review of long-term jobless data amongst Australia’s geoscientists against mineral commodity price movements over the same period has revealed a startling direct link between the two trends. As commodity prices dip, job prospects for geoscientists plummet – with little or no lag time between one outcome following the other. The results confirm what the profession’s lobby group, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, has suspected for some time – employment prospects for their membership are highly leveraged to prevailing minerals commodity prices.