CGG to acquire seismic data off Mozambique

French geophysical company CGG has been awarded an extensive multi-client program by the Instituto Nacional de Petroleo (INP) to acquire seismic data offshore Mozambique.

CGG said on Thursday that the multi-survey program is designed to improve industry insight into the region’s geology and provide oil and gas companies with a greater level of understanding of the country’s prospectivity.

The program includes a 2D survey of over 6,550 km in the offshore Rovuma basin, including blocks R5-A, R5-B and R5-C, and a large 3D survey over the Beira High in the Zambezi Delta. The 3D survey is expected to be up to 40,000 km², subject to pre-commitment.

It will cover blocks Z5-C and Z5-D and surrounding open acreage in this deltaic area which is believed to be prospective. CGG has also been awarded an onshore airborne gravity and magnetic survey in the Southern Mozambique Basin.

The proposed multi-client seismic program in the Mozambique Zambezi region will form part of a comprehensive, fully integrated geoscience package that will give participating companies a better overall understanding of the region, CGG said.

Marine gravity and magnetic data will be acquired simultaneously with the seismic to aid regional interpretation. The interpretive phase of the program will benefit from the full range of geoscience expertise from CGG’s Geology, Geophysics & Reservoir businesses. This will include geological and remote sensing expertise from Robertson and NPA Satellite Mapping.

Jean-Georges Malcor, CEO, CGG, said: “As our first multi-client projects in Mozambique, these awards fit well with CGG’s long-term multi-client strategy to provide our clients with the most advanced understanding of the subsurface across the world’s key basins. The 5th License Round award process undertaken by the INP in 2015 saw a high level of interest in the Zambezi region and we believe our multi-client projects will highlight the exploration upside potential.”