New seismic ship in action in Malaysia

A new model of seismic vessel has completed its first hybrid survey off Malaysia, Schlumberger, the ship’s designer, announced on Thursday.

The WesternGeco Vespucci multi-purpose vessel surveyed some 340 square kilometres, combining data collected from ocean-bottom nodes with those received from a towed-streamer spread, the press release added.

“Providing a hybrid OBS [ocean-bottom seismic] and streamer acquisition option with our multipurpose vessel versus a traditional OBS or towed streamer survey gave the customer a versatile and cost-effective solution to better fit their specific challenges and budget,” said Maurice Nessim, the president of WesternGeco, Schlumberger. “This industry-first acquisition underscores our commitment to offering our customers innovative approaches to offshore seismic acquisition challenges.” 

The news came a day after Repsol contracted the UMW Naga-5 jack-up rig to drill offshore Malaysia for a year, with an option for a one-year extension. The contract is valued at USD 26.4 million.