WesternGeco and PGS have been awarded contracts for seismic acquisition in the southeastern Barents Sea.The surveys cover blocks proposed for the 23rd concession round by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) and will in total cover an area of approximately 13,700 square kilometres.

Statoil is the operator for a project for joint acquisition of seismic 3D data from these areas with 33 participating oil companies.

The surveys will commence in April and continue throughout the second and third quarter this year, with subsequent processing of data until the summer of 2015.

The objective of the project is to acquire 3D data as preparation for applications to the 23rd round in a resource-efficient manner.

A coordinated project gives very low acquisition costs and ensures high data quality by utilising the companies’ collective professional expertise within geological understanding and seismic acquisition and processing.

The surveys will utilise broadband technology, which means one can expect better resolution on the seismic data and hence a more detailed interpretation of the subsurface.