Gazprom eyeing Barents Sea 'gray zone' and northern Kara Sea
MOSCOW. July 25. (Interfax) - Gazprom is eyeing the former 'gray zone' on the Barents Sea shelf and the northern part of the Kara Sea, in addition to evaluating the oil and gas potential of the Baydaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea.
Gazprom subdivision Gazprom geologorazvedka has announced a tender to find contractors to process and interpret seismic survey in these areas.
In the former 'gray zone,' the Russian gas major is interested in the Fedynsky and West Kola structures, with the total research area covering 98,020 square kilometers. Contractors will be asked to process retrospective seismic 2D materials covering 6,600 linear km and to craft a report by the end of 2012. This work is estimated to cost 9.3 million rubles.
The former 'gray zone' is a section of the Barents Sea shelf, which Russia and Norway agreed to divvy up last July. Russia's Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has urged state-owned companies to intensify the development of the Russian portion of the 'gray zone,' since Norway has already initiated geological survey at its section. Rosneft has already received the Central Barents, Fedynsky and Perseyevsky sections of this 'gray zone,' and it has agreed with Italy's Eni to jointly develop the first two.
Gazprom is interested in evaluating oil and gas potential in the northern part of the Kara Sea as well, with the research area covering 370,100 square km. Contractors will be expected to process and reinterpret retrospective 2D seismic materials covering 16,000 linear km and submit them by the end of this year. This work is estimated to cost 15.3 million rubles.
Rosneft is already working at three East Prinovozemelsky sections in the southern part of the Kara Sea.
In the Baydaratskaya Bay, Gazprom wants to assess the oil and gas potential of its northern portions, with the research area covering 41,959 square km. In this case, the contractor will have to process, reinterpret and summarize 2D seismic materials for 9,800 linear km, pinpoint the geological structures in the research area and put together recommendations on selecting the main thrusts of geological survey work for future licensing directions. This work should be prepared by the end of this year and be worth 11.7 million rubles.
