7 seismic surveys for hydrocarbons in the last 7 years in Greece
By Haris Fludopoulos
For a few days now, it has been going on openly on the borders of the continental shelf with Italy the geophysical seismic survey conducted in Block 2 by specialist legal firm PGS on behalf of Energean. The Greek multinational that started with the production of hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Kavala is the Operator of the specific project which is carried out on behalf of the Greek State by a joint venture scheme in which HelleniQ (formerly Hellenic Petroleum) also participates with 25%.
In the effort to identify exploitable hydrocarbon deposits, the carrying out of geophysical seismic surveys has become almost routine for our country, as no more or less in the last 7 years, 5 such surveys have already been completed.
Life extension in the old deposits of Prinos
The beginning of this sequence (which succeeded the extensive PGS survey in 2011-2012 in the Ionian and the areas west and south of the Peloponnese and Crete) was carried out in the summer of 2015 in the Gulf of Kavala by Energean in preparation for the development of the new Epsilon field and the company’s new drilling program but also to identify any new targets that would be of interest. Guided by the 3D survey and data for 340 sq km, the company carried out the largest drilling program in the history of the Prinos fields, drilling three wells at the Epsilon joint, which will be put on production in about a year, as well as 14 interventions in older wells. This program reached daily production at a record level for the last 20 years, exceeding 4,000 barrels of oil per day on average in 2018, while citing the life of the Kavala Gulf fields, which have now seriously produced since 1983 about 1 .million barrels of oil and just under 1 billion cubic meters of gas.
HelleniQ took the baton with the seismic survey it conducted in the Gulf of Patras a year later. They covered over 1,800 sq km with 3D survey and over 300 km with 2D survey. The data was considered particularly promising and there was no shortage of estimates by officials that these marine areas hid at least 100 million barrels of oil equivalent. However, the joint venture, in which Energean subsequently entered with a 50% stake, faced considerable graphical problems, mainly with the inability to secure the necessary port facilities for the continuation of research at the level of an exploratory well. Thus, the two Greeks are now in discussions with the supervising Company for the Management of Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources (EDEFYEP) for the return of the specific area to the State.
They didn’t leave traces, they gave hope
In the 2018-2019 period, a seismic survey was carried out in six municipalities of the prefecture of Ioannina by a joint venture with Operator the Spanish Repsol and 40% participation of Energean. The survey was spread over 400 km of lines in a particularly difficult part of the geomorphic area, where it is typical that now the signs (holes) of the survey cannot be located. He also gave encouraging data, with the result that Energean, after the withdrawal of Repsol in 2021 for strategic reasons, is preparing for the execution of the “Epirus 1” exploratory well in the area of the Municipality of Zitsa with the aim of starting it within the first half of . 2023.
This winter, HelleniQ completed two tentative seismic surveys, one in the Cypriot Gulf (Block 10) covering approximately 3,400 sq.km and another in the Ionian Sea covering approximately 1,800 sq.km. Data processing is underway to prepare for a 3D survey, which is scheduled to take place by next July.
The exploration that Energean is now carrying out in Block 2 and at a distance of 30 km from the Greek coast, will cover approximately 2,400 sq. km and will last until mid-December. The object is to explore potential targets for natural gas deposits in a structure that also extends into the Italian seas. An old acquaintance, the Norwegian PGS is again the contractor of the specific project, while the time of its implementation has been determined by the approved Strategic Environmental Impact Study with the aim of the least possible disturbance to fishing and tourist activity and also with the criterion of avoiding vehicles . marine mammal populations.
When cetacean monitoring stops research
After all, as is the case with all research of this kind, the provisions of the ACCOBAMS treaty apply for the protection of cetaceans in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and, in this regard, three Marine Mammal Observers and two Sound Recorders are on board the research vessels. Passive Acoustic Monitoring) that signal the ships’ personnel to slow down or stop their course if cetaceans or sea turtles approach the ships at a distance of less than 800 meters.
Accordingly, special personnel exist to communicate with the fishermen and the port authorities, in order to avoid the approach of the research area by other vessels, based on the NAVTEX already issued by the Navy authorities.
The series of Crete
At the same time, however, it seems that the ExxonMobil – ELPE joint venture is ready to proceed with its own two-dimensional seismic survey west and southwest of Crete. In fact, according to unconfirmed information, it is only a matter of time, if they have not already started, for the investigations to begin in the next period of time in Crete as well. It will be the 7th seismic survey in seven years in our country, in a project that has been delayed due to legal appeals by ecological organizations against its conduct, with the decision of the Council of State to be made within the next few days. According to information, and in this research, special seismographic ships of the Norwegian PGS were active. The goal is to acquire 6.5 thousand kilometers of intermittent seismic data.