ION grows West African library with new 2D seismic program

ION Geophysical has announced a new 2D multi-client program offshore Gabon in cooperation with the country’s Ministry of Petroleum and Hydrocarbons and the Direction Général des Hydrocarbures.

ION Geophysical said on Wednesday that the multi-client program, named EquatorSPAN II, included over 1,900 kilometers of new high-quality, deeply imaged seismic data and was supported with industry prefunding.

The company added that EquatorSPAN II addressed the need for greater understanding of geologic conditions and basin evolution in support of future offshore license rounds. The program will image the deep basin architecture, define the limits of the various basins along the equatorial margin and identify potential petroleum systems.

Also, EquatorSPAN II integrates available offshore well data to regionally calibrate key stratigraphic horizons.

The program is the newest addition to ION’s data library, which includes over 500,000 kilometers of 2D data and over 100,000 square kilometers of 3D data in exploration and production hot spots around the world.

Joe Gagliardi, SVP of ION’s Ventures group, said: “Deepwater oil exploration offshore West Africa has thrived over the last 20 years and this region remains an important component of many E&P companies’ exploration portfolios. In conjunction with existing and planned BasinSPAN surveys in adjacent countries, EquatorSPAN II will enhance the knowledge of the entire basin.”

EquatorSPAN

EquatorSPAN is a 2D seismic program set in the equatorial Atlantic margin offshore northern Gabon. The program is comprised of approximately 2,700 km of new data and uncovers the tectonic architecture of the West African Gulf of Guinea margin.

EquatorSPAN II will tie with EquatorSPAN I as well as the other existing West Africa programs, CongoSPAN and NigeriaSPAN, to create a regional framework of the West African coast.

In related news, ION and Petroleum Geo-Services recently signed a joint agreement last week for the provision of ION’s Orca software to PGS’ fleet. The new five-year contract extended the companies’ technology partnership in marine command and control solutions to over 30 years.