Fugro to start offshore survey program in Timor-Leste this year

July 17, 2026, by Nadja Skopljak

Dutch Fugro has won a contract to perform a survey program offshore Timor-Leste that will support the planning and development of critical offshore energy infrastructure associated with two gas developments.

Fugro will deliver an extensive offshore site characterization program, including geophysical, seismic and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) surveys for the Greater Sunrise and Bayu Undan developments at a survey area that includes deepwater areas with water depths exceeding 3,000 meters.

The program will provide comprehensive seabed intelligence and geotechnical insights to support pipeline routing, engineering design, geohazard assessment, and the safe execution of offshore operations.

Fugro will use AUV technology with real-time support from its remote operations centers to execute the work. Survey data will be processed and quality-controlled through the company’s regional data centers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Perth, Australia.

Project mobilization and planning activities are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with offshore survey operations to begin in the fourth quarter. The offshore campaign is expected to run for approximately three months and will include geophysical, seismic, AUV and environmental survey activities across both development areas.

“This award reflects our client’s confidence in Fugro’s ability to execute complex offshore survey programmes in challenging marine environments,” said Safri Drahman, APAC Regional Business Line Director at Fugro. “By combining advanced geophysical, seismic and AUV technologies with our strong regional expertise, we will deliver the critical Geo-data needed to support the safe and successful development of this strategically important energy infrastructure.”

The Bayu-Undan is a gas-condensate field located 250 kilometers south of East Timor, within Timor-Leste’s maritime exclusive jurisdiction. It commenced production in 2004, with the companies behind the project having secured a seventh extension of the term of the production sharing contract (PSC).

The Greater Sunrise development, located approximately 140 kilometers south of Timor-Leste, comprises the Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields. Discovered in 1974, the complex holds resources of 5.1 trillion cubic feet of gas and 226 million barrels of condensate. The project is expected to start producing natural gas by 2028-2030. Partners in the project are TIMOR GAP with 56.56%, Woodside Energy with 33.44% and Osaka Gas with 10%.