Aker Taps Fugro for Pecan Field Survey Off Ghana

Fugro has been awarded a contract by Aker Energy for geotechnical and geophysical survey services in relation to the Pecan field offshore Ghana.

The surveys will obtain seabed and sub-seabed information to facilitate the planning and emplacement of the Pecan subsea infrastructure and the floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.

“This project will build on the extensive experience that our vessels and staff have gained in Ghana and the wider West Africa region, and we look forward to using this knowledge to execute a safe and successful campaign,” said Jaco Stemmet, Fugro’s director for Africa.

The contract includes surveys performed from two vessels for a 10-week period starting in March, and subsequent laboratory testing.

Geophysical survey data will be acquired using the Fugro Searcher and one of Fugro’s fleet of deepwater AUVs, Echo Surveyor VI.

The geotechnical vessel Fugro Scout, designed for geotechnical operations in water depths of up to 3000 meters, will then follow to provide drilling, and seabed sampling and in situ testing.

“For Aker Energy, this contract is an important next step as we prepare for the ramp up of the Pecan project,” said Olav Henriksen, senior vice president for Projects at Aker Energy.

Local Content

As part of the contract, Fugro said that an emphasis has been placed on local involvement via its Ghanaian office. The shore base for the two ships will be Takoradi, in the west of the country, materials will be locally sourced where possible, and the Fugro team will comprise at least one trainee surveyor and one experienced surveyor from Ghana.

In addition, a series of educational and capacity-building activities will be rolled out through partnerships with Ghanaian educational institutions and the Petroleum Commission of Ghana.