Our Arctic Neighbors: Greenland and Barents Sea data being collected

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Geophysical company TGS is acquiring data off the coast of Greenland and in the Barents Sea this summer for clients interested in hydrocarbons. This is the tenth consecutive year of new data acquisition by TGS in Greenland, the company said in a release July 7. TGS will conduct a 2-D seismic survey over 9,600 kilometers (5,962 miles) off the west coast of Greenland in Baffin Bay. The program has been designed to assist in the evaluation of the Baffin Bay area prior to a major bid round recently announced by the Greenland authorities.

In the Barents Sea TGS is undertaking a multiclient 3-D survey using the vessel MV Geo Barents. The survey covers a 4,300-square-kilometer (1,660-square-mile) area over the Hoop Fault Complex, about halfway between the northern coast of Norway and the Svalbard archipelago. This will be the largest 3-D survey conducted by TGS on the Norwegian continental shelf, the company said in a release June 29.

“Interpretation work that TGS has completed utilizing its existing library suggests that favorable conditions are present for the occurrence of hydrocarbons in the project area,” said Kjell Trommestad, vice president and general director of Europe-Russia for TGS. “Participating oil companies will benefit from the efforts we put into the planning and design of this survey as they work towards the next major licensing rounds in Norway.”

—Sarah Hurst