Tamar oil discovery stimulates East Mediterranean interest
Spectrum are experiencing a surge in demand for the high quality depth imaged Multi-Client seismic data from the East Mediterranean since Noble Energy announced the Tamar and Dalit natural gas discoveries in February and April this year.
The Tamar discovery has proven the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Levantine Basin, an under-explored sedimentary basin situated in the eastern most region of the Mediterranean Sea between Cyprus and the Nile Delta that contains 10,000 metres of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary sequences. A second Noble Energy discovery in the Dalit exploration prospect has drawn further attention to the frontier Levantine Basin.
Spectrum's Multi-Client library in the East Mediterranean includes 22,000 km of modern seismic data much of which is located in the
Levantine Basin and was acquired in partnership with Fugro. All lines have been reprocessed by Spectrum using Kirchoff Pre-Stack Depth Migration (PSDM) as part of a continual programme to refresh strategic data library components using the best available techniques to improve the quality and definition of imaging.
Spectrum's most recent refresh of the East Mediterranean data is the conversion of PSDM data to the time domain, with a smoothed velocity field. Spectrum's Head of Multi-Client Services Charles Harmer commented, "This new data set offers petroleum geologists a more realistic and detailed image of the sub-Messinian Lower Tertiary sequence and has directly led to the recent exciting developments in this area."
EastMedCo Exploration Director David Peace commented, "The Spectrum data is of very good quality. Our evaluation has allowed us to confirm the presence of a wide range of structural and stratigraphic play styles in the region, and we have been able to identify a good number of exciting leads around the basin. The data over the Tamar and Dalit discoveries are excellent quality and illustrate an obvious flat spot within the structure".
EastMedCo's interpretation of the Spectrum seismic data has also identified numerous other Direct Hydrocarbon Indicators (DHIs) and hydrocarbon seepage features over the EastMedCo and PetroMed acreage near Tamar and Dalit. Both companies are planning new 2D and 3D seismic programmes for 2009-2010.
