TDI-Brooks to mobilize vessel this quarter for survey offshore Jamaica

Ireland-headquartered oil & gas company United Oil & Gas has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with U.S.-headquartered TDI-Brooks International to secure a specialist survey vessel for a planned survey program offshore Jamaica.

TDI Brooks‘ survey vessel Gyre will perform a piston coring and surface geochemical survey on the Walton Morant license and will collect 40-60 seabed cores across the Walton and Morant Basins, alongside bathymetric, multibeam and heat-flow surveys.

The campaign is said to form a key part of United‘s forward work program under its extended license to January 2028.

The data will be analyzed for geochemical and thermal signatures to confirm the presence of thermogenic hydrocarbons, assess source rock maturity, and refine basin modeling, materially enhancing the definition of key prospects, including Colibri and Oriole, the company said.

Following formal contract execution, expected shortly, TDI Brooks will mobilize the vessel later this quarter. Field operations will last for two to three weeks, with completion anticipated within a short operational window and initial analytical results expected in late Q4 2025 to early Q1 2026.

According to United, as there is currently strong regional demand and limited vessel availability as survey assets mobilize toward other Caribbean work programs, this agreement with TDI-Brooks ensures access to a suitable vessel that is transiting via Jamaica en route from Trinidad, enabling the completion of the program efficiently within a specific window and realizing significant mobilization and demobilization cost savings.

“Securing the vessel agreement with TDI Brooks is a decisive move that takes United from preparation into execution. The piston coring and geochemical survey will deliver vital new data to confirm the presence of hydrocarbons and materially de-risk the Walton Morant Basin. With a short operational window and high regional demand for vessels, it was essential we moved now to secure capacity,” said Brian Larkin, Chief Executive Officer of United Oil & Gas.

“This programme represents a pivotal value catalyst for United, and we strongly anticipate it to strengthen our technical position, accelerate farm-out discussions, and demonstrate our commitment to driving tangible shareholder value through disciplined, timely execution.”

Weeks after Jamaica’s National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) had given the go-ahead for surveys to be undertaken at United’s 100%-owned Walton Morant license, the firm was granted the Beach license, which enables it to undertake seabed sampling operations within the Walton Morant Basin.

The article was amended on October 14 at 09:20 a.m. to state the name of the vessel, as well as the addition of an appropriate photo.