Egypt Launches Largest Regional Ocean Bottom Node Seismic Program in Eastern Mediterranean
France-based geophysical services company Viridien and U.S.-headquartered technology player SLB are set to begin a large seismic acquisition and imaging program offshore Egypt that will help explorers and investors identify new opportunities for exploration and enhanced production. Viridien and SLB entered into an agreement with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company to launch the multi-client ocean bottom node program in Egypt’s Eastern Mediterranean offshore, a project said to be the largest of its kind in the region.
According to Mahmoud Abdel Hamid, Chairman of EGAS, the Egyptian Eastern Mediterranean has great potential for development but features some of the most challenging environments for seismic imaging owing to the complex faulting and the Messinian evaporite layer that masks deep reservoirs formed from complex channel sand bodies. Data acquisition is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of the year.
The project is expected to give explorers and investors a clearer understanding of the region’s subsurface and help them identify new opportunities for exploration and enhanced production. Dechun Lin, Head of Earth Data at Viridien, said the agreement with SLB and EGAS marks a significant milestone for Viridien, giving new momentum to the company’s commitment to Egypt as a key partner with over 30 years of in-country operating experience. Expanding the multi-client data library into the Egyptian Eastern Mediterranean with advanced OBN imaging technologies will help showcase Egypt’s subsurface opportunities to the world.
Egypt is also accelerating the development of offshore gas resources by deepening technical collaboration with major international partners. A recent workshop with Arcius Energy, bp and ADNOC’s joint gas venture, focused on fast-tracking undeveloped Mediterranean discoveries by tying them into existing subsea infrastructure to shorten time to first gas. Arcius plans to invest $3.7 billion in Egypt over five years, including $109 million in the North Damietta offshore area.
EGAS also met with ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy to review exploration progress in the Cairo and Masry offshore blocks in the Nile Delta. The partners discussed seismic data results, geological studies and upcoming drilling plans scheduled for this year. ExxonMobil operates the blocks with a 60% stake, while QatarEnergy holds 40%. The discussions emphasized using advanced seismic processing technologies to guide future drilling and strengthen data integration across the partnerships.
ExxonMobil also signed a letter of intent last year with EGAS to expand its natural gas exploration in the Mediterranean Sea. The agreement will allow ExxonMobil to invest in a new concession west of the Zohr Field near Cypriot waters. This addition brings the company’s total offshore operating areas in Egypt to four.
Sources: offshore-energy.biz, offshore-mag.com
