Shearwater not yet done with work in 2024 as ‘landmark’ OBN survey comes its way

Norwegian marine geoscience and technology company Shearwater GeoServices has added more work in Africa to its to-do list, following the award of a deepwater ocean bottom node (OBN) project.

Set to start in the fourth quarter of 2024, the deepwater OBN survey, marked as “landmark”, will have a one-month duration and will take place in West Africa.

The survey is said to be the first to use the SW Tasman’s combined seismic source and dual ROV node deployment capability in a single vessel deepwater OBN survey operation, introducing Shearwater’s Pearl node to the region.

“This project demonstrates yet another operational advantage of our Pearl/Tasman OBN platform. Following its successful mobilisation in India early 2024 and the recently announced Angola projects through late Q2 2025, this award showcases the platform’s growing impact in complex offshore environments,” said Irene Waage Basili, CEO of Shearwater.

“By combining the Pearl node and our unique multi-function SW Tasman vessel, we enhance survey efficiency and unlock the potential of deepwater OBN surveys in environments where cost barriers historically have been too high.”

In early October Shearwater announced it was set to carry out an OBN survey in Block 32 over the Louro and Mostarda fields in Angola for TotalEnergies. Twenty days later it was reported that the French energy major had awarded a second contract to the company in Angola.

This year Shearwater will also perform two consecutive towed streamer survey projects in the Asia Pacific Region, starting in early Q4.

As for 2025, Shearwater also has the task of performing a two-month 4D seismic monitoring project in Ghana, at the Jubilee field, operated by Tullow Ghana Ltd.