Major Southern Basin seismic survey to start
One of the world’s most advanced seismic testing boats has arrived, before beginning one of the biggest surveys of its type in New Zealand. 
Polarcus Alima (shown at right) has been conducting 3D seismic testing in Taranaki for US exploration company Anadarko in recent weeks, and is now preparing for a major survey of the Southern Basin for Austrian group OMV, New Zealand’s largest hydrocarbon producer.
The state of the art ship was said by the company to have cost $US170 million to build. OMV is hiring the ship at around US$200,000 a day for 120 days.
”This is a significant step in the exploration of this frontier basin,” OMV New Zealand managing director Peter Zeilinger said as the company toured media around the Bahamas-flagged ship.
”We have invested over $50 million to date and allocated significant resources to studying the Great Southern Basin over the last four years.”
OMV has already conducted 2D testing in the Southern Basin and the next series of tests will help the company refine possible drilling areas. While OMV believes the permits directly south and south-east of Dunedin may contain oil, Mr Zeilinger said the testing so far suggested multiple gas fields.
Mr Zeilinger stressed that after the testing is finished some time early next year, the company will spend around 18 months analysing the results.
”This survey does not necessarily mean that drilling is imminent. It will take until the end of 2013 to process and evaluate the seismic data before drilling can even be considered, but we remain hopeful of a positive result.”
While he claimed he did not expect the survey to attract controversy, Mr Zeilinger stressed to the media that ”there is nothing to hide here” on today’s tour, pointing out that the boat would carry five marine mammal observers ”four more than is required by the Department of Conservation”.
It will carry out a mountain of testing over the next few months, firing high pressure air at the sea floor, testing the vibration to try to map what lies beneath the sea floor.
OMV is the operator in the seismic programme, but shares the permits with PTTEP, Mitsui and Shell. Shell, which joined the programme in August, will take over as operator of the permits when the seismic programme is completed.
Earlier this year the Polarcus Alima made history by becoming the first seismic testing ship to use to Northern Passage to get from Norway to New Zealand, passing to the North of Russia and through the Bering Straits between Russia and Alaska, before travelling down the Pacific Ocean.