Over the last two years CGG has continued to supply high-quality seismic data to oil companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1998 CGG completed a 25,000 kilometer 2-D marine data set in the deep water Gulf of Mexico. The survey was acquired with a 7,200 meter digital streamer and a 6,000 cubic inch gun array. The long offset was utilized in order to image data in water depths greater than 3,200 meters.
Currently ten oil companies have participated in the survey and interest is building as companies anticipate the return of stabilized oil prices.
The oil company participation in this 2D survey indicates that companies are very interested in the ultra deep water potential in the Gulf of Mexico.
An attraction for oil companies leasing in the area are 10-year lease terms and the capability to partner with other oil companies in order to share risk.
In October of 1998 the CGG M/V Mistral mobilized to the eastern Gulf of Mexico in order to begin a 144 OCS Block Non-Exclusive Survey which translates to approximately 3,355 square kilometers.
The survey is being recorded with 4 x 6,000-meter digital streamers and alternating source in order to acquire 8 lines per vessel traverse.
The data has been collected in anticipation of Lease Sale # 181 scheduled for 2001. This area of the Gulf of Mexico has not been available for lease since November 1988.
There have been numerous discoveries just across the lease line border in the Mississippi Canyon area.
Some of these discoveries have been developed and provided infrastructure that will make producing potential hydrocarbon in this area cheaper and therefore more attractive than similar water depth areas in the Gulf of Mexico.
Due to adjacent discoveries and a 10-year lease term, it is anticipated that the high level of lease activity will continue.
In 1999 CGG began a multi-phase survey in the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico. The survey consists of 6 phases and covers over 14,000 square kilometers.
CGG acquired this survey using 7,200-meter streamers in order to image deeper structures and provide data for specialized processing techniques such as AVO and Depth Imaging.
Industry has responded favorably to the Mississippi Canyon survey which covers a large area with many recent major discoveries.
Currently CGG is completing our second phase in the Green Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico. CGG’s Green Canyon multi-phase survey is the first in the area that utilizes long-offset streamers and Pre Stack Time Migration processing.
Green Canyon Phase I identified three events. Industry has seen that CGG produces a high-quality 3D data set which properly images and identifies the salt flows, near-surface diapirs and sheets that create seafloor topography that determines the location and configuration of depocenters and sediment transport systems.
CGG continues a strong presence in the Gulf of Mexico and offers oil companies quality data sets in a timely manner.
Currently CGG has several surveys planned for the year 2000 and into 2001. Our clients know that they can depend on CGG quality and expertise for their needs in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world.
Source:WWW.CGG .COM
By John Hood
