After several delays, large survey over Brazilian field ready to begin

Norwegian seismic company PGS has received the final permit for a large 4D survey for Petrobras in the Campos basin off the coast of Brazil, enabling it to start operations after being postponed multiple times.

With the start-up meeting completed and the final permit received from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), the Norwegian company said that the data acquisition in the Barracuda Caratinga fields can begin.

The project has faced several delays after PGS announced the 4D contract award win in December 2022. The work was originally expected to begin in Q2 2023 and was bumped to early Q4 2023.

The Ramform Victory, which will be performing the acquisition assignment, is on its way from Rio de Janeiro to the Campos basin after undergoing final preparations. The survey is scheduled to start in early June under an eight-month contract. The more complex survey areas will be completed by PGS Apollo, set to arrive at the fields in September.

Adrian Burke, Vice President – Brazil in PGS, remarked: “The Operations and Sales & Services organizations of PGS have been working relentlessly to plan and optimize this project and as with previous large and complex 4D projects in Brazil, the team is ready to deliver according to the plan in Barracuda Caratinga. We are happy to see Ramform Victory begin mobilization.”

With a length of 86.2 meters and a width of 39.6 meters, the 1999-built Ramform Victory seismic vessel is capable of towing up to 18 streamers. While waiting for permits, it was engaged in multiple MultiClient programs. 

Rune Olav Pedersen, President and CEO of PGS, stated: “PGS has acquired multiple 4D surveys offshore Brazil and gained significant operational experience in the region. We appreciate Petrobras’ recognition of our Ramform vessel acquisition platform in combination with our GeoStreamer technology, which are well suited for large, high-quality 4D acquisition programs.”

The Norwegian player has been busy securing jobs in the past few months. In May, it landed a gig in West Africa, while in April, it won a 4D seismic data contract in Northern Europe, and a 3D contract offshore South Atlantic margin, all with undisclosed clients.

Petrobras recently went through a management change when its former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) decided to step down. After appointing an interim one, the new CEO took the helm at Brazil’s oil and gas giant on May 24.