Fugro succeeds with new seep survey license sales offshore Newfoundland

The data were acquired during two separate hydrocarbon seep surveys in the Orphan Basin (2017) and Carson Basin (2018), both situated on the continental margin of Newfoundland.

The comprehensive data packages are being licensed by Fugro and include multibeam echo sounder data (bathymetry, backscatter intensity and water column), sub-bottom profiler data, heat flow measurements and shipboard geochemical screening analyses; advanced geochemical analyses, including biomarkers on select samples, are also included.

The Orphan Basin package covers an area of 11,070 square kilometres and the Carson Basin package covers an area of 18,880 square kilometres; each survey was followed by heat flow and geochemical sampling and analysis. Both programmes were planned so that purchasing clients would have the data in advance of the upcoming lease rounds, so data could be used in derisking their potential investment. Purchase post lease round is also advantageous from numerous perspectives including guiding – and potentially reducing the scope of – expensive 3D seismic surveys. Geochemical datasets (shipboard, conventional shore-based and AGI adsorbent-based analyses) all suggest the presence of thermogenic hydrocarbons.

“With the keen interest in these licences to international E&P companies, and recent record-breaking bids in the Orphan Basin, it is clear to us there is much excitement surrounding Canada’s growing offshore industry and Newfoundland and Labrador’s licensing rounds,” said Keith Kneale, Fugro’s Business Development Director for the Americas.

These data will continue to be useful throughout the life of the field. A variety of further investigations - such as establishing environmental baselines, evaluating seafloor geohazards and preliminary planning for field development - ensures the data will deliver long-term value to any client purchasing a licence. Nalcor Energy-Oil and Gas was a partner in these work programmes.

Caption: High-resolution bathymetric map, viewed in Fledermaus, of the Orphan and Carson Basins, offshore Newfoundland; lease blocks are outlined in yellow. The Fugro Searcher acquired the data with its hull-mounted, Kongsberg EM302 MBES system.