Egypt's 18,000-square-kilometer seabed seismic survey set to launch

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 18, Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi announced that Egypt plans to launch the first phase of an 18,000-square-kilometer ocean bottom node (OBN) seismic survey in the Eastern Mediterranean within two weeks, led by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) in partnership with SLB and France's Viridien. The project will employ ocean bottom node seismic acquisition technology and is part of a comprehensive Eastern Mediterranean seismic survey program covering a total area of up to 95,000 square kilometers.

The first phase of operations will begin in the Denis and Ras El Bar offshore areas near Port Said and is planned to continue until the end of 2026. The specialized vessel "Commander," tasked with the offshore survey, has arrived at Port Said, with two additional operating vessels expected to join subsequently. The project consortium is completing technical and logistical preparations and arranging offshore seismic data acquisition tasks for 2027.

The survey will use ocean bottom nodes to acquire seismic data, focusing on obtaining high-precision imaging of geological structures beneath the seabed. EGAS is responsible for organizing and implementing the project, while the SLB-Viridien consortium participates in offshore data acquisition and related technical work. After processing and geological interpretation, the acquired data will be used for evaluating undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, screening exploration targets, and supporting research on the development of future exploration blocks.

In April this year, EGAS held technical consultations with Viridien on three-dimensional ocean bottom node seismic surveying in the Eastern Mediterranean, during which the two sides discussed an operational plan to begin in shallow waters and subsequently expand to deepwater areas depending on the availability of specialized survey vessels. The first-phase survey area, participating companies, and near-term launch plan announced this time further clarify the scope of project implementation.