JV for 3D seismic in Arctic
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Friday, August 7, 2015
Paris-listed seismic giant CGG and Russia's largest shipowner, SCF Group (Sovcomflot), have formally registered a joint-venture company focused on coldwater surveys, reports Interfax.
The joint venture, to be called Arctic Geophysical Exploration (AGE), will be 51 per cent owned by Sovcomflot and 49 per cent owned by CGG. The company will be incorporated in Russia with its headquarters in Moscow.
CGG and Sovcomflot will have a combined total of four vessels scheduled to operate on client projects during the 2014 Arctic navigation season and expect the joint venture to be fully operational by Q4 2014 in order to capture the growing 3D seismic market in this region.
Alexander Dolgachev is the general director. The companies announced the joint venture was being set up a month before the EU imposed sanctions with respect to oil production and exploration on the Arctic shelf, deep-water shelf and shale oil.
The primary aim of the joint venture company is to offer world-class 3D marine seismic acquisition services to operators during the Arctic navigation season.
In addition, the new company will offer its highly advanced vessel capabilities to the international market for the remainder of the year while benefiting from access to the most advanced seismic technologies from CGG’s worldwide operational and technical support.