ARKeX completes Gabon Offshore Gravity Gradiometry survey
March 01 2010, Cambridge, UK
ARKeX recently completed a BlueQube Marine gravity gradiometry survey on behalf of CGGVeritas over 9,000 sq km of the Zone Sud area offshore Gabon.
The survey was performed as part of a comprehensive work program undertaken by CGGVeritas in partnership with the Ministere des Mines, du Petrole et des Hydrocarbures with technical support from the Direction Generale des Hydrocarbures to improve understanding of untapped potential in the pre-salt province of Gabon to coincide with the recently announced 10th Gabonese Licensing Round.
The BlueQube Marine data was acquired to better constrain the extent of individual salt bodies, improve the geologic modelling and identify prospective areas where future 3D seismic acquisition should be performed.
"This is the first ever multi-client project to combine ARKeX's high-resolution ship borne marine gravity gradiometry data with seismic data. The combined data set will improve the understanding of the area's petroleum potential, especially in the pre-salt section", said Phill Houghton, ARKeX VP Business Development. "We are very pleased to be working for CGGVeritas and the Ministere des Mines on this project."
Jim Martin, Chief Geophysicist, EAME Data Library, CGGVeritas, commented, "We expect the ARKeX gravity gradiometry data to be extremely useful on this survey. Imaging the pre-salt is complex and the key is to accurately constrain the geometry of the salt bodies for accurate Earth Modeling and prestack depth migration. Gravity gradiometry data will provide a higher resolution model of the shallow section which will also improve the estimate of depth-to-base salt and therefore improve the estimate of the syn-rift sediment thickness to identify potential targets in the pre-salt section".
The BlueQube survey was acquired on a variable grid over 9,000 sq km of the Zone Sud area, offshore Gabon. The FTGeX gravity gradiometer, a full tensor system which records all components of the Earth's gravity field, was deployed on a ship and the acquisition was completed in January.
The 10th Gabonese Licensing Round opens in May 2010 and covers 42 blocks from two of the deepwater basins. In response to the specific exploration challenges each area presents, two offshore regions have been defined - Zone Nord and Zone Sud. The main focus of the licensing round will be the highly prospective deepwater pre-salt plays. These plays have been virtually unexplored to date and are analogous to the recent large high-profile deepwater discoveries in Brazil
About ARKeX
ARKeX provides geophysical surveys for the oil, gas and mineral exploration industry, using BlueQubeTM technology.
BlueQube is a cutting-edge technology that gives explorationists an accurate picture of subsurface geology. The key
technology in BlueQube is gravity gradiometry. It measures minute variations in the earth's gravitational field to
help image--from an airplane or ship-- oil, gas and mineral bearing structures deep underground. ARKeX, based in
Cambridge, UK, has offices in Sherington, UK, and Houston, USA, and has global operational capabilities.
www.arkex.com
About CGGVeritas
CGGVeritas is a leading international pure-play geophysical company delivering a wide range of technologies, services and equipment through Sercel, to its broad base of customers mainly throughout the global oil and gas industry
www.cggveritas.com
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ARKeX
Mark Champion, Marketing Manager
Tel: + 44 (0) 1223 427407
