BP Alliance steps up Sakhalin work

Debra Beachy

Petroleum News contributing writer

BP Alliance and Roseneft are stepping up survey activity off the coast of Sakhalin Island, Far East Russia with a $3 million contract to Romona GeoSolutions to carry out the work, it was announced Aug. 15.

Romona GeoSolutions, a joint venture company between Thales GeoSolutions and its partner in Russia, Romona Ltd., will carry out a range of geophysical, geotechnical and geochemical surveys under the contract, its first major deal, the company said in an Aug. 15 press release. The area where the work will take place, the offshore Rosneft/BP Block, Sakhalin V, off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, is "one of the most logistically and environmentally challenging areas of the globe, " the company asserted.

The MV Thales Eastern, one of the Thales fleet of survey vessels, already has arrived in the region from Singapore to carry out the assignment, the company said.

Rosneft holds the exploration license for the Sakhalin V Kaigansky-Vasukansky block. Under an Alliance agreement with BP, the two companies are pursuing a five-year exploration program of the block, including seismic work. The surveys are part of preparation for drilling a first exploration well in the summer of 2004. A critical part of that preparation involves geotechnical surveys to establish a baseline for an environmental impact assessment and to assess geographical hazards on prospective well locations. To allow 2004 drilling, the survey work needs to be completed in the 2003 ice-free season offshore Sakhalin, the company said.