MEMBERS OF ARAL CONSORTIUM MADE A DECISION ON MOBILIZATION OF THE THIRD SEISMIC CREW FOR SEISMIC SURVEY IN TRANSIT AREA
In order to ensure the effective implementation of a seismic survey
program in the Uzbekistan sector of the Aral Sea the members of the
international consortium made a decision on mobilization of an extra seismic
crew to the contract area.
For this purpose a base camp will be installed in the operating area,
including a stand-alone social and household module and a set of specific
equipment, incorporating seismic data registration station, shot synchronization
system, topographic and communication equipment as well as vehicles designed for
shallow water and coastal marshy land: crawler tracked and wheel type cross
country vehicles, snow and swamp-going vehicles, airboats and light boats.
New seismic crew will focus on investigations in the transit area. The scope
of studies has significantly increased due to the change of depths in the
eastern part of the offshore area of the Aral
Sea as compared to design data. In the areas, where water
depth does not exceed 2
meters, a well drilling technology will be applied instead
of offshore seismic in order to implement shooting operations to stimulate
elastic vibrations.
About 700
km of seismic profiles have been processed since September
2007, which was the starting date of field studies. It is almost one third of
the work program, which is expected to be completed in the end of the year. Due
to improvement of weather conditions and resuming of offshore seismic crew
operations in early April, seismic survey is picking up steam. PSA on Aral
project was signed on August 30, 2006 by the Government of Republic of
Uzbekistan and the consortium of investors comprised of National Holding Company
Uzbekneftegaz, LUKOIL Overseas, CNPC International (China), Korea National Oil Corporation
(Korea) and Petronas Carigali
Overseas (Malaysia). The project
operator is Aral Sea Operating Company (legal entity of the Republic of Uzbekistan), PetroAlliance, the Russian
company, is acting as the main contractor for seismic survey.
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