India’s Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has issued a tender for the acquisition of more than 1200 kilometres of four-component (4C) 3D ocean bottom node seismic off India's west coast.

Sources told Upstream that the contract being offered by ONGC involves the D1 and Neelam-Heera shallow water fields.

ONGC plans to acquire a total of 465 square kilometres of ocean bottom node data in the D1 field, while another 750 square kilometres will be acquired over the Neelam-Heera field.

The data acquisition is likely to be carried out in shallow water in depths ranging between 50 metres to 90 metres, one source said.

The Indian state-owned giant aims to carry out the offshore seismic data acquisition programme during the 2018-2019 timeframe and the choice of contractor is likely to be finalised by the middle of this year.

ONGC plans to complete the work by June next year with the successful contractor required to mobilise seismic vessels within 75 days of contract award, one industry source added.

ONGC offered a similar workscope to contractors last year, but the seismic contract was not awarded by the Indian operator at the time.

Some of the leading international seismic players that have shown interest in similar ONGC seismic tenders in the past include French player CGG, Norway’s Petroleum Geo-Services, Dubai-based Polarcus and Shearwater Geo-Services.

Other international and domestic seismic players could also participate, one source indicated.

ONGC last year awarded a key seismic contract to Shearwater GeoServices, a joint venture between GC Rieber and Rasmussengruppen, involving 3D broadband marine seismic acquisition, off the country’s western coast.

In addition, seismic player Fugro launched a renewed integrated survey contract for ONGC last year, covering field developments off the country’s east and west coasts.

The three-year survey, valued at around $7.7 million, would utilise vessel Fugro Mapper in water depths ranging between 10 metres to 100 metres.

Fugro also won a deal from ONGC last year to carry out geotechnical site investigations off the east coast of India. Under the deal, Fugro will provide services for the operator’s KG-DWN-98/2 deep-water development.

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