Nederlandse Aardolie Mij. BV (NAM) plans a 3D seismic survey on the northern offshore extent of its Groningen license area in Netherlands.
The Shell-Esso combine in mid-May will begin a 5 months survey north of Schiermonnikoog and Rottumeroog, two islands in the chain that separate the Waddenzee region from the open North Sea.
Water depths on the license area are 10-40 m, making it too shallow for use of standard marine streamers. A small fleet of vessels will lay out receivers and tow sources in a "classic" shallow water survey.
Greg Buchanan, marketing manager for Intera Information Technologies Ltd., Henley-on-Thames, U.K., said his company's new Omnitrack system will coordinate the vessels.
He said the survey will mark the first use of real time computing and satellite positioning technology to track a survey.
NAM will use the survey to plan a drilling program scheduled for next year in the survey area. There are fewer restrictions on drilling here than in the Waddenzee.
NAM is one of three companies that plan to drill in the Waddenzee. Early last year it announced plans to drill six wells there, beginning in winter 1995 at the earliest (OGJ, Mar. 7, 1994, Newsletter).
Drilling north of the islands is expected before wells are spudded in the Waddenzee.
NAM said the process of environmental reporting required for Waddenzee licenses means it will be another year before drillsites in this protected area can be chosen.
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