FRANCE'S Total is preparing to shoot 2D seismic on its deep-water Taiwan Strait acreage as part of the first phase of exploration of the Taiyang block, writes Xu Yihe.

Industry officials said the 2D survey will cover about 5000 kilometres, with work potentially starting late this month or early next month and running through into February next year.

Sources declined to name the vessel that will be used for the survey, but others suggested it could be the PGS Apollo vessel owned by Petroleum Geo-Services Asia Pacific, which is finishing a major 3D seismic survey at nearby Block DW-1.

In May, Total signed a production sharing contract with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Taiwan’s CPC Corporation to jointly explore and develop the Taiyang block in the Taiwan Strait.

Total has a 49% operating stake in the acreage, which lies in water depths of between 600 and 3200 metres, with CNOOC and CPC equally splitting the remaining interest.

Covering about 24,000 square kilometres, the block lies in the middle of the Taiwan Strait just southeast of the Taichao block, where CNOOC and CPC are already partners under a 2002 agreement.

Total is footing the bill for all exploration costs, including seismic surveys and three wells.

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Total starts exploration of Taiyang block