Seafloor Sampling Cruises
  • In situ sediments for seismic tie in areas with no well control
  • Seep localities for identification and characterization of active petroleum systems
  • Improved geological understanding of frontier basins

Our work areas are in the NE and NW Atlantic conjugate margins with focus on licensing blocks and important areas for future development.  Seabed sampling results are important to improve licensing applications, constrain basin models, and increase success rates in exploration for oil and gas in frontier basins.

Gravity Coring (EGS16)

The seabed above potential hydrocarbon traps is tested for seepage using samples collected with a gravity corer and analyzed with two geochemical (APT and AGI) and one microbial (MPOG) methods. Stratigraphic samples collected across exposed fault escarpments are age dated and tested for source and reservoir rock properties, and results presented as a pseudo well.

See our Sampling Proposals in both mature and frontier areas.  Companies are invited to nominate survey areas (strict confidentiality guaranteed).

 

North Atlantic Margin Sampling 2018

Synthesis report presenting our conjugate margin approach for exploring the outer mid-Norway and SW Barents Sea margins by integrating seafloor sampling results, geology, and plate reconstructions models to understand the hydrocarbon prospectivity of these frontier areas.

Report merges all sampling results from the seven Seafloor Sampling surveys acquired from 2000 to 2016  (VTMS00, JMRS11, EGS11, EGS12, ABS12, EGS16, VS16)

Vøring

Seeped thermogenic hydrocarbons provide evidence for a working petroleum system along the outer Vøring Basin Margin. "Hot areas" identified within Fenris Graben.

Barents Sea (Repro)

Calibration of database acquired in 2014 (BSS14) and development of workflow for improved identification of hydrocarbon phase and ranking of exploration targets.

 

Vøring Transform Margin

First pre-breakup seafloor samples from the outer Vøring Basin.
Seismic tie and pseudo-well of Cretaceous and Paleogene sequences.

Jan Mayen Ridge

New seabed samples reveal active Jurassic oil seeps and Mesozoic sedimentary sequences on the Jan Mayen Ridge.
Seismic tie to pseudo-well. Relevant for sub-basalt exploration on the Norwegian margin.

East Greenland

First oil samples from the NE Greenland Shelf.
Unique data points to calibrate Paleogene and Mesozoic seismic sequences and basin models.

Ammassalik Basin

The ABS12 survey is located in a frontier area for oil and gas exploration offshore SE Greenland. Sediments were recovered from nine coring sites, showing evidence of seepage of hydrocarbons.

Baffin Bay

First oil seep and pre-Tertiary stratigraphic samples from the Melville Bay.
Unique data points to calibrate seismic interpretation and basin models.

Labrador Sea

Hydrocarbon anomalies above DHIs and deep structures.  Heatflow and thermal conductivity measurements.