NPD seismic in northern Norway completed
Vesterålen. Photo: Wikipedia.
On Sunday, August 2, the seismic data acquisition by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) in Troms II, northwest of Senja, was completed. Acquisition will continue for a few more days in Nordland VII in Vesterålen.
The acquisition in Troms II has gone completely according to plan, writes NPD on their web site. It commenced on June 30, and a total 805 square kilometers of 3D seismic has been acquired. The acquisition was concluded one week ahead of schedule as the NPD now believes the data basis for Troms II is adequate to provide the Storting with the necessary technical assessment of the possibility of petroleum in this area.
The data will now be processed and interpreted, and Sissel Eriksen, exploration director at the NPD, believes the results will be submitted to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy during the spring of 2010. A revised management plan for the Barents Sea and the areas off Lofoten and Vesterålen will be presented to the Storting during 2010.
The weather conditions during the acquisition were good, and the cooperation with local fishermen was excellent, according to the fisheries expert on board the seismic vessel Ocean Explorer. The NPD exploration director Sissel Eriksen is satisfied with the summer’s data acquisition, and is pleased so many fishermen accepted the NPD buy-out agreement
The NPD entered into agreements with approx. 120 fishermen who normally fish in Nordland VII and Troms II during the summer. ”This gave us access and enabled us to do our job, as we were asked to do by the Storting,” she says.
Read more on The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s web site
