Polarcus completes Porcupine basin survey off Ireland

Polarcus has completed acquisition of a major new 3D broadband multi-client project in the southern Porcupine Basin, offshore SW Ireland.

The extensive survey, undertaken in partnership with ION GeoVentures, saw the technologically-advanced 3D seismic vessel Polarcus Amani tow an ultra-wide 1,350m receiver array comprising ten 2Hz solid digital streamers of 8,100m length.

This large seismic spread, towed at 14m to maximize weather uptime, enabled the vessel to cover 4,300 square kilometers in just 73 days within a challenging Atlantic frontier environment.

The multi-client project provides 3D coverage over Providence Resources’ “Drombeg” exploration prospect and the adjacent open acreage on offer in the current 2015 Atlantic Margin Oil and Gas Exploration Licensing Round. Polarcus and ION GeoVentures are also partnering with SeaBird to acquire up to 6,600 km of regional 2D multi-client data across the entire basin with the objective of providing a regional context to this new frontier hydrocarbon province.

A preliminary data volume from the 3D survey will be available by year end 2014 with the final data volume available in March 2015, well ahead of the closing date for license round applications of 16 September 2015.

Providence says the regional 2D seismic acquisition survey, which is nearing completion, will provide coverage over company’s “Newgrange” exploration prospect, situated in Frontier Exploration Licence (“FEL”) 6/14 in the Goban Spur Basin, off the south west coast of Ireland.

Commenting on today’s announcement, John O’Sullivan, Technical Director of Providence said:
“We are very pleased to note the conclusion of these surveys, which will provide valuable new data on these two significant exploration prospects, as well as giving us access to new regional data which will put us in a leading position to evaluate the remaining exploration potential in these basins in advance of the upcoming licensing round.”

Related: Providence to start largest 3D seismic survey offshore Ireland