sea ​​vessel "Ramform Sterling" the newest creation of shipbuilders

Before drilling an oil well or extracting gas under water, it is necessary to discover their deposits and conduct a thorough analysis of the area to determine the quantity and quality of resources. There are several methods for technical exploration of deposits of “black gold” and “blue fuel” that are valuable to humanity. One of the exploration methods is a method called seismological exploration, the implementation of which is possible thanks to seismological exploration vessels . Marine vessels mining exploration has become widespread due to the ever-increasing demand for minerals. Special sea ​​vessels are operated to collect underwater seismic data that provide a detailed study of the observed area.$CUT$

Marine reconnaissance is carried out on a surface area that averages 1,500 square meters. km. After the analysis is completed, drilling begins in the area.

Perhaps the most popular submarine exploration ships are sea ​​vessels, developed for the oil drilling and gas production industry, called " Ramform" These, in addition to their unusual and amazing design, have a lot of effective advantages. A characteristic feature is the minimal noise that the ship emits. This allows you to conduct research with a clearer diagram and carefully monitor the movements of the layers of the earth's crust. Wide stern sea ​​vessels seismic survey provides an extremely stable and secure platform on which virtually all geophysical equipment is concentrated. From the back of the case special vessel On average, about 10 streamers stretch over a distance of up to 9500 meters. The ship continues to tow them at a certain speed. While driving sea ​​vessel does not make sharp shocks, and thanks to the design of the hull, the motion at sea is reduced, which also affects the accuracy of data acquisition. Streamers are released into the water, reeling from huge winches in a certain sequence; in the sea they must be at a certain distance from each other. There are about 24,000 microphones on the streamers. sea ​​vessel registers sound vibrations received from them. The received data is processed on special equipment and displayed on monitors in two- or three-dimensional images and has received the corresponding 2D and HD3D categories. This offshore exploration method and technology allows one to confirm the presence of minerals in an oil or gas field.

Ramform type seagoing vessels of the first generation

This is how mineral exploration is carried out

towing streamers


Marine company " Petroleum Geo-Services PGS is a leader in industrial intelligence. Over the course of a year, its specialists examine more than 5,000 square meters. km mainly in the North Sea off the coast of Norway. Company " P.G.S.» is proud of his six by sea vessels like " Ramform", and besides them has four more classic seismic vessel.

Series of six sea ​​vessels for seismic exploration, built at the shipyards "". They are designed to tow from 8 to 20 streamers. On board special sea ​​vessels High-tech equipment for offshore exploration was installed.

sea ​​vessel "Ramform Explorer"

Seismic vessel Ramform Explorer launched in 1995. It became the first in history " Ramform" The sea vessel allows you to tow up to 8 streamers, each 70 mm thick, and provide survey of an area of ​​up to 1000 sq. m. Navigation equipment includes an autopilot, gyrocompass, and radar.

Technical data of the seismic survey vessel “Ramform Explorer”:
Length - 82 m;
Width - 39 m;
Draft - 6m;
Displacement - 9874 tons;
Bergen»;
Speed ​​- 12 knots;
Crew - 46 people;

sea ​​vessel "Ramform Challenger"

Then the ship was built " Ramform Challenger" in 1996. This sea transport allows you to explore 2000 square meters for 38 days. km., which is twice the capabilities of its predecessor. sea ​​vessel It is equipped with two Azipod-type propulsors and can tow up to 16 guy ropes up to 4 kilometers long.

Technical data of the seismic survey vessel “Ramform Challenger”:
Length - 86 m;
Width - 39.2 m;
Draft - 7.3 m;
Displacement - 9700 tons;
Crew - 60 people;
Speed ​​- 14 knots;

sea ​​vessels of the type " Ramform Valiant" second generation

Triangular shape sea ​​vessel « Ramform Valiant» people saw it in 1998. This outstanding ship set a world record for exploring the sea surface, which has not yet been broken. In 1998, in one day sea ​​vessel seismic exploration " Ramform Valiant" received data from 111 sq. kilometers.

sea ​​vessel Ramform Victory

"Ramform Viking" at the pier


In 1998 it was launched sea ​​vessel« Ramform Viking". In 1999 - " Ramform Victory" These are absolutely identical ships in size and capabilities. Each of them allows you to tow up to 16 streamers, and the resulting processed data appears on monitor screens in HD3D format. Intelligence sea ​​vessels constantly work in any weather conditions Northern regions, where large accumulations of oil and gas are located. In one day, research is carried out on 72 square meters. km of sea surface.

exploration vessel "Ramform Sovereign"

The last in a series of first and second generation reconnaissance sea ​​vessels became " Ramform Sovereign" Company " P.G.S."The ship was received in 2005. Equipment from the company Kongsberg».

stern part of the sea vessel "RAMFORM"

Technical data of the seismic survey vessel “Ramform Sovereign”:
Length - 102 m;
Width - 40 m;
Draft - 7.3 m;
Displacement - 15086 tons;
Marine propulsion unit - diesel engine " Bergen»;
Speed ​​- 16 knots;
Crew - 70 people;

marine vessels of the RAMFORM VANGUARD type of the third generation

In the same year the company Petroleum Geo-Services"announced the construction of the third generation sea ​​vessels. They have a completely different class of technical equipment. sea ​​vessel« Ramform Vangourd"was launched in 2008. The same V-shaped hull remains, as it provides stability to the ship. sea ​​vessel received 22 trip wires and other latest equipment for field exploration. The transport is driven by three Azipod-type engines, each with a power of 3808 hp. s., in addition, there is a small power plant on board the ship, which generates 11 MW and does not require frequent maintenance. This electricity is enough to operate all reconnaissance equipment, as well as an electric motor, deck crane, winch and ship lighting.

The engine is controlled by a dynamic positioning system. On board the vessel there is a probe, an echo sounder, a gyrocompass and a radar station operating in various bands, several types of antennas, satellite communications " Inmarsat». sea ​​vessel fully automated, providing greater flexibility for engineers. The noise was significantly reduced, which made it possible to increase the accuracy of the data obtained and become a leader in the competition.

exploration vessel "Ramform Viking"


Technical data of the seismic survey vessel “Ramform Vangourd”:
Length - 102 m;
Width - 40 m;
Draft - 7.4 m;
Displacement - 16,000 tons;
The ship's power plant is a diesel-electric engine with a capacity of 29,920 hp. With.;
Crew - 70 people;

Developing marine geophysical company " Polarcus» decided to build two reconnaissance towers sea ​​vessels like " SX133" These sea ​​vessels will be equipped with a full range of equipment for seismic exploration. Their construction should be completed in the third quarter of 2009 at the shipyard in Dubai.

On sea ​​vessels A new data processing algorithm using HD4D technology is used. This analysis program is developed based on " Microsoft Windows"and is intended for editing, correcting, analyzing and providing images of exploration data used by geologists and engineers involved in the assessment and development of oil and gas fields. Significant upgrades will be carried out to improve the functioning of marine equipment. The sea vessel will become key in the implementation of the company’s strategic program “ P.G.S.».

Oil company clients require accurate imaging and production studies. The HD3D strategy meets these requirements. Data processing speed will increase 8 times. For this method to be effective, a larger number of streamers is needed. Third generation sea ​​vessels has such an opportunity in its arsenal. are an important step in the context of upgrading seismic survey vessels. This area cannot boast of sufficient funding within recent years. Therefore, engineers are forced to use what they already have and carry out modernization. The PGS company assures that sea ​​vessels will be the largest and most expensive in the history of seismic exploration. The vessel will tow up to 26 streamers over an area of ​​95,000 square meters. m.

Revolutionary platform « Ramform» is one example of how an innovative idea has become a necessity in the oil and gas industry. Seismological make it possible to directly increase the production of “black gold” and “blue fuel” up to 60 percent, as well as improve the production of oil and gas from already developed fields.


A seismic vessel passes the Suez Canal.

I didn’t think, I didn’t guess, but I had a chance to visit a seismic vessel and slightly lift the curtain on what and how they do. All the same, this area remained terra incognita for me, but I learned something (on seismology, I could be wrong in the details, please don’t beat me too hard, but correct it if anyone is in the know).

Initially, dynamite served as the sound source for marine seismic research. Due to its obvious danger, air guns were later used as a source.

The seismic data accumulation provides a mapping of the subsea structure in constant search hydrocarbons.
At first, the data form was two-dimensional. The data was obtained using a single seismic hose streamer (or simply a streamer, also known as a streamer) and a single signal source.

Later, a new method was developed for 3D mapping. To do this, they strive to install as many cos streamers as possible to cover as large an area as possible. The vessel in question, "Vyacheslav Tikhonov", has 8 streamers for data collection (this is not the maximum number, there are vessels with big amount braid).

The data collection method can be compared to a very large echo sounder. The sound signal is sent by an air gun down to the seabed, and then a towed cable picks up the reflected signals, which are recorded.

This is what a ship looks like with seismic equipment deployed.

The length of one streamer on the vessel "Vyacheslav Tikhonov" is 6,000 meters long (namely meters, not cable and other naval units).
Putting the streamers into working condition and sampling them after the measurements are completed is not a quick task, it takes several days. In this case, as during measurements, the vessel must follow a strictly defined course at a fixed speed (in this mode, the operating speed is about 5 knots). Because It is quite difficult and tiring for a person to maintain such a precise course and speed; the vessel is equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DP), which allows this task to be performed automatically. Navigators mainly monitor the navigation situation, establish communication with ships to ensure safe passage, etc. The turning radius in measuring mode is several miles, so that the streamers do not get tangled. The ship's course command is given from the seismological laboratory on the ship.

Also, to ensure safe divergence from other vessels, to prevent them from damaging the towed streamers (by the way, the cost of one streamer with all the equipment is about 2 million dollars) and other auxiliary tasks, two tracking vessels work in tandem with the vessel (in English - chase boats). There is also one support vessel for supply and crew delivery, bunkering and other support duties. To successfully complete these tasks, the research vessel must maintain reliable and constant communication with tracking vessels and promptly inform them of its plans.

As mentioned above, turning in metering mode is quite a difficult task. With a distance between the outer spits of 800 meters, the turning radius should be a minimum of 4,000 meters, increasing to 5,000 meters in bad weather. When turning with a radius of 5 km, the turning speed should be 3 degrees per minute. It should be noted that the turning trajectory is strongly influenced by weather conditions and sea conditions. When turning, navigators are guided by the position of paravanes - towed streamer retractors.

On the right in the photo you can see the diverter (baravan, paravane), in the first photo it can be seen attached to the board.

In the measurement mode, it is necessary to monitor other vessels and ask them to leave the area not only because of the threat of collision or damage to the streamers. When another vessel, especially a large one, passes closely, the quality of measurements is lost, because the integrity of the sound source is compromised. Therefore, if it is not possible to come to an agreement with another vessel for some reason about diverging at a long distance, then it is advisable to disperse closer and faster. Because the measurements will still be violated, and it is necessary to minimize the contact time in order to save time for measurements.
It was noted that when passing through offshore terminals where large tankers with dynamic positioning systems are loaded, even at a distance of 12 miles, the measurements will be virtually destroyed, and a repeat call will have to be made when the tanker leaves the berth.

If there is another seismological vessel in the area, its operation could affect the operation of our vessel at a distance of about 80 miles. Therefore, in such cases, in order not to interfere with each other’s work, they agree on a schedule for carrying out measurements. For example, there were cases when 8 ships were operating simultaneously in the North Sea.

According to the project developer, Ulstein, the vessel's hull shape, patented as Ulstein X-Bow, together with a diesel-electric propulsion system, provides exceptional efficiency in terms of fuel consumption, seaworthiness and speed. However, despite the advertising video present on YouTube (a comparative race of two boats in stormy conditions), the application of the concept here specifically does not seem entirely justified. I proceed from a purely practical assessment and my own vision, purely IMHO. Namely: my very meager knowledge of hull hydrodynamics tells me that the contours will operate at speeds close to full, but in any case above average. The operating speed of this vessel in measurement mode (the main purpose of the vessel) is 4-5 knots.
During my presence on board, while sailing at a speed of 4.5 knots, it swung rather unpleasantly up to 5 degrees of list, with a very light sea state and a wind of 7 m/s. The crew said that when working in profile (taking measurements), with equipment overboard, a wave hit the bow from below, throwing up that same bow, with all the “ensuing” consequences for the least sea-resistant crew members.

The propeller unit includes two adjustable pitch propellers (CPC). Each propeller is driven by a 4,800 kW asynchronous motor controlled by a water-cooled frequency converter. The transmission of rotation to the screw is carried out through a gearbox.

The vessel is equipped with bow and stern tunnel thrusters, as well as a retractable azimuth thruster (Compass Thruster) in the bow.

The length of the vessel is 84 m, width 17 m, maximum draft 6 m. Deadweight at maximum draft is 2,250 tons.
According to the specification, the speed of the vessel at 100% load on each propeller, with a clean hull and calm water, should be approximately 18.5 knots.

The auxiliary vessel is performing a rendezvous maneuver.

The support vessel is moored for bunkering operations while underway.

As soon as I find a free minute to sort through the photos, I’ll take a photo tour of the ship.

Note. These photographs were obtained from the crew.

Time for action or missed opportunities?

SEISMIC SURVEY.
TIME FOR ACTION OR MISSED OPPORTUNITIES?

Ju. AMPILOV, M. TOKAREV, Moscow state University named after M.V. Lomonosov

Seismic exploration, one of the most informative geophysical methods for studying the earth's crust, helps to significantly reduce the cost of exploratory drilling. Seismic exploration allows you to look deep into the earth's crust and discover productive layers that can be located at a depth of thousands of meters. About the study of shelf territories by 2D and 3D seismic exploration, about the possibilities of using specialized vessels for these purposes, about their needs for Russia and the world - a detailed study by the authors.

Seismic survey are reduce the cost of drilling helps the seismic survey is one of the most informative methods of geophysical studies of the earth’s crust. Seismic survey allows to look deep into the earth’s crust and to detect productive layers that may be located at a depth of thousands of meters. About the examination of offshore territories of 2D and 3D seismic survey on the possibilities of use for these purposes, specialized courts, about their need for these goals – detailed research of the author.

Modern seismic vessels on the world market and their loading

Due to the current oil crisis, activity in geological exploration on the world shelf has dropped significantly. This is most clearly demonstrated by the need for drilling rigs. So, back in 2013 it was impossible to find a free jack-up rig on the market even with a daily rate of 600 thousand US dollars. Today, such installations are ready to operate for $150,000 per day, but many fail to find work even at that price (Fig. 1).
As a result of a multiple decrease in geological exploration activity on the shelf almost everywhere, the number of operating offshore drilling rigs in the world decreased over 2 years from 460 to 320 (Fig. 2). Since seismic exploration usually precedes drilling, a certain seismic exploration reserve has been created, which has not yet been implemented in most companies. Therefore, seismic exploration activity has decreased in relative volumes even more than prospecting drilling. Let's look at a few specific facts and begin analyzing the employment of the seismic fleet. In Fig. Figure 3 shows the evolution of modern foreign seismic vessels since 1993.
To date, the degree of technological equipment and seaworthiness of specialized seismic vessels has reached perfection. They have a significantly lower noise level than conventional ships, increased resistance to motion, advanced equipment, and many of them also have powerful on-board computer systems, often exceeding the power of on-shore computer centers. This applies, for example, to PGS Ramform class vessels (Fig. 4), as well as to individual single vessels from WG and CGG companies.
And the 5th generation ships of the Ramform Titan class, three of which have already been launched in the last 2 years, significantly exceed the capabilities of their predecessors from the S class, shown in Fig. 4. They can tow up to 24 streamers with a length of up to 12 km each, and the autonomy of such vessels is 150 days. Another thing is that companies do not yet order work with 24 streamers, since then the conditions for competition at tenders will not be ensured due to the uniqueness of vessels of this class. But in the near future, comparable analogues and competitors will appear.
Thanks to a special housing and carefully selected characteristics, their noise is many times lower than that of analogues, and the equipment on board allows you to remain on the profile and continue shooting even at wave heights of up to 4 - 5 m without a significant loss of quality. Is our industry ready to build such a vessel and provide it with equipment? We will try to analyze this problem below.
Now let's see how much work there is for such beautiful ships on the world market. As can be seen from Fig. 5, the peak of seismic exploration work on the shelf occurred in 2011 - 2013, when an average of 65 3D vessels were working at sea. In 2016, their number decreased to 40 and approximately the same number is expected in 2017.
The total number of seismic streamers on all active vessels decreased in the same proportion: from 610 to 360. In 2017, their slight increase is predicted - to 390 (Fig. 6).
Moreover, the average load of one operating vessel decreased from 91% in 2013 to 73% in 2015–2016. (top diagram in Fig. 7). As previous practice shows, when the load is less than 80%, the ship operates at a loss. Noteworthy is the fact that in 2005 - 2008. the vessels operated at 100% capacity, which is now not expected even beyond 2020.

However, the number of operating vessels and the percentage of their load do not yet fully reflect the real economic situation of marine seismic exploration in the world market. This can be more clearly judged by how the average daily rate for a vessel changes. From the graph in Fig. Figure 7 shows that an average 10-12 streamer vessel in 2008 could be “sold” at a rate of 330 thousand USD per day, while in 2016 - only for 134 thousand USD. This amount does not cover costs, but companies go for it, even zeroing out depreciation charges in order to minimize their losses. For reference: the daily rate for a 2D vessel during the same period did not fall so catastrophically: from 90 thousand USD in 2007 to 55 thousand in 2016. However, the segment of 2D seismic exploration in the world is increasingly disappearing, so we do not pay due attention to this issue in this analysis. ABG analysts expect a change in the negative trend in 2017, assuming a 5% increase in daily rates, but they will not allow marine seismic companies to make a profit. This means that the series of bankruptcies and mergers may continue into 2017.

In the current unfavorable situation, seismic exploration companies are forced to take all measures not only to reduce costs, but also to increase productivity. From Fig. 8 shows that the average daily productivity has almost doubled since 2011, reaching 70 km 2 per day. Moreover, there are already examples when up to 200 km 2 of 3D surveys are carried out per day, more than 1000 km 2 per week, and more than 4000 km 2 per month. From Fig. 8 also shows that ships in operation can annually perform up to 600 thousand km 2 3D even at 60% load. However, such needs are not expected in the world in the coming years, although several years ago these were normal average annual volumes.

In such a situation, when contract work on orders from oil and gas producers has been reduced to a historical minimum, seismic companies are striving to carry out more multi-client (speculative) work in order to then sell the materials to several buyers. Thus, in the minimum year of activity in 2016, on average, only 10 vessels were on contract work, and 15 were on multi-client work (Fig. 9). However, this requires considerable personal funds, which few people currently have. Pareto experts expect that after some time, with the situation relatively stabilized, the ratio of vessels on speculative survey contacts will be 20 to 15.

Since seismic exploration usually precedes drilling, a certain seismic exploration reserve has been created, which has not yet been implemented in most companies. Therefore, seismic exploration activity has decreased in relative volumes even more than prospecting

drilling.

Financial condition of the main competing marine seismic companies

It is clear that today the financial condition of all marine geophysical companies without exception is complex, some of them critical. This is indirectly evidenced by their stock prices, most of which have fallen significantly more than the price of oil.
The exchange rate dynamics of shares of geophysical companies are interesting. So, in one year, from April 2015 to April 2016, the price of Brent oil fell by 31%. Over the same period, shares of the world's major leaders in marine geophysics fell significantly more: PGS - by 45%, Polarcus - by 72%, CGG - by 77%, EMGS - by 89%. The well-known company Western Geco is not included in this list because it does not list its shares on the market and is a subsidiary of Shlumberger. But the company has reduced the number of its vessels from 16 to 5. PGS is still holding up better than others, despite the fact that it recently received state-of-the-art 24-motor seismic arrays, which we mentioned above. But it has managed to restructure settlement payments for its latest new ships, and its fleet is by far the largest and most modern. All we have to do is wait for at least a slight rise in the market.

In the previous period, FUGRO sold its marine geophysical business to CGG, Dolfin actually went bankrupt, and Polarcus has not paid its debts for several months or is frantically looking for a way to avoid bankruptcy.
The Chinese companies BGP and COSL are part of a state holding and their shares are not quoted on stock exchanges. Since 2015 they have become the main subcontractors on the Russian shelf. If we continue the same policy, then Russia will never have its own maritime technologies. The current attempts at import substitution under the program of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in their current form will not solve this problem.
The first quarter of 2016 was generally recognized as the worst in the history of marine seismic exploration, as eloquently evidenced by the graph in Fig. 10.
We did not say anything about Russian marine geophysical companies, since, in fact, they do not have their own technologies; in most of the tenders won from Rosneft and Gazprom, they act only as intermediaries between the customer and the above-mentioned foreign subcontractors who actually perform 3D work. The exception is 2D seismic exploration, which they can do and do, but again using imported equipment, some of which is under sanctions.

Dynamics of marine seismic exploration volumes in the world and expected demand

What are the forecasts for marine seismic exploration in the world and in Russia? If we analyze the global volume of contract sales of marine seismic exploration services, it turns out that now the total revenue is 7 times less than it was in 2007 and is at the level of 2003 - 2005. And this despite the fact that the dollar then and now differs at least twice. If we extrapolate this trend beyond 2017, we don’t see anything good there.
Yes... After the rather pessimistic picture on the global marine seismic market that we analyzed, we would like to have a little optimism. And the consultants from DNB-market give it to us, although not as much as we would like. According to these forecasts, in 2018, revenue from marine seismic exploration will be 3.9 billion dollars versus 3.1 billion in 2016 (Fig. 11). This is also very little, but still the trend should change. Let us hope for the best.

Customers and contractors for seismic exploration work on the Russian shelf

Today, Russian marine geophysical companies do not have modern 3D seismic technologies, at least in accordance with the requirements set for tender documentation in 2013 - 2014. two main customers: Rosneft and Gazprom. Our contractors are only able to perform 2D seismic surveys on their own, which in modern conditions is of subordinate importance. This means that 3D work that meets the tender requirements can only be performed by foreign contractors. Meanwhile, the established rules of tender procedures are designed in such a way that “foreigners” cannot work directly with Gazprom or Rosneft. The reason is that 2–3 years ago, these two companies began to require that the contractor have a license to work with materials that constitute state secrets. Naturally, foreign companies cannot obtain such a license in Russia. However, they don’t need it for work, because... They do not require any secret materials to conduct marine seismic exploration. In order to get out of this paradoxical situation, we had to come up with the simplest mediation scheme (Fig. 12).

The Chinese companies BGP and COSL are part of a state holding and do not list their shares on stock exchanges. Since 2015, they have become the main subcontractors on the Russian shelf. If we continue the same policy, then Russia will never have its own marine technologies.

The top line in this figure indicates the main customers of marine seismic exploration, among which are Gazprom and Rosneft or their subsidiaries and joint ventures with foreign partners. Russian contractors (second line in Fig. 12) who have such a license participate in the announced tenders. They enter into a subcontract agreement with one of the foreign companies (last line in Fig. 12), and then successfully complete the required volumes of work and transfer the results to the Russian intermediary, who reports to the main customer. In 2015, there were some changes to this scheme. After the imposition of sanctions, some joint companies of Rosneft with ExxonMobil, Statoil, and ENI disappeared from the list of customers for a while. There have been changes in contractors. Thus, the two largest Russian marine geophysical companies DMNG and SMNG joined the state holding Rosgeologia in February 2015 (in Fig. 12 it is ROSGEO) and in the future will not be able to compete with each other for such intermediary contracts. And the majority of foreign subcontracting companies from the bottom line in Fig. 12 will largely be unable to operate as usual due to the sanctions imposed.

China enters the seismic market

An additional problem is currency risk, as a result of which foreign subcontractors may find themselves without profit or even at a loss, as happened to one of them recently. After all, the initial contracts of Gazprom and Rosneft with Russian contractors are concluded in rubles, and payments for the volume of work performed are rarely made a year after the completion of the entire project. No one can predict what the rate will be during this period. Moreover, foreign companies bear the costs of performing work mainly in dollars or euros. As a result of such rapid changes in the Russian market, the place of foreign subcontractors quickly began to be taken by Chinese companies BGP, COSL and others. They, however, still lag behind PGS, CGG and WesternGeco in terms of quality and technology. Nevertheless, it is already clear that the Chinese will develop their geophysical industry at a very fast pace, unlike Russia.

In a situation where contract work on orders from oil and gas producers has been reduced to a historical minimum, seismic companies are striving to carry out more multi-client (speculative) work in order to then sell the materials to several buyers.

Be that as it may, the current intermediary scheme, imposed by internal regulations, leads to an increase in the cost of work. It provides an opportunity for Russian geophysicists to earn a little money through intermediary operations, but does not contribute to the development of domestic geophysics, which declined in the 1990s. and since then it has never recovered from the crisis, on the contrary – continuing the path of degradation. Here we need completely different support measures than artificially forcing foreign companies into intermediary schemes. Whose additional link could potentially contribute to the development of corruption schemes, the fight against which has been declared by the state at the highest level.
In 2015, 11,800 km 2 of marine 3D seismic surveys were completed, compared to the previously planned approximately 21,000 km 2 . Their distribution by sea and by customer companies is shown in Fig. 13.
The main volume of 2D work is 25,180 linear meters. km - was completed in 2015 according to orders from Rosneft. As for PJSC Gazprom, this subsoil user has not ordered them for the last 3 years, focusing only on 3D work specified in licenses, most of which have also been completed.
It is quite difficult to talk about the needs for offshore seismic exploration on the Russian shelf in the coming years. In Fig. 14 shows approximate expectations that were for 2016 in terms of 3D volumes, but they were not fully confirmed due to the postponement of some work to the next season, as well as due to restrictions in the budgets of companies due to the constant optimization of their investment programs. Plans, as they say, are “made up on the fly,” tenders are announced very late, and the summing up of their results is constantly delayed.
We must not forget that PJSC Gazprom is not so far from completing its licensing obligations for seismic exploration, and PJSC NK Rosneft has completed a significant part of the priority 3D volumes and will probably not rush to complete the volumes given the current market situation. PJSC Lukoil rarely orders 3D volumes of more than 400 km 2 per year, but they have been completed in most of their offshore areas. These factors significantly reduce expectations for future 3D growth. Quite the contrary.
According to the forecasts of our Norwegian neighbors, the volume of marine seismic exploration on the Russian shelf in 2017 will be 15,500 km 2 3D (Fig. 15), however, in our opinion, it will be at least half as much.

Crises do not last forever...

First quarter of 2016 was widely recognized as the worst in the history of marine seismic exploration

It is clear that in the current crisis conditions some plans will have to be adjusted. But crises do not last forever, so sooner or later another question will appear on the agenda: what is the technological readiness of Russian and foreign companies to fulfill license obligations on the shelf under new conditions and what needs to be done to increase it?
Although in the 80s. In the 20th century in the Soviet Union, almost all research on the shelf was carried out using domestic technology, which at that time was fully consistent with its characteristics at that time. Moreover, the implementation of a large-scale program for the development of the Arctic at that time led to the fact that by the end of the eighties years in the USSR a fleet of domestic drilling ships has appeared (Shashin, Muravlenko, several jack-up rigs, etc.), which would be capable of the current extensive geological exploration program on the shelf. The seismic survey vessels available at that time, equipped with domestic sources and receivers, not only coped with the 2D seismic survey program, but were even to a certain extent underloaded with physical volumes. At the end of the season, we had to look for additional facilities to fulfill the linear kilometer plan. There was no 3D seismic exploration in offshore areas at that time, but on land such work had already gradually developed since the 1970s. in the simplest modifications. In the 90s, 3D work around the world had already begun to be sporadically carried out on the shelf, but in Russia the first “pseudo-3D” work with two streamers was carried out at the Prirazlomnoye field, not counting work at the small Shtormovoe field in Chernoye sea, made in the 80s. one oblique along a very dense 2D profile system. But both of these examples are not, in fact, true 3D seismic surveys in the modern sense.

The 3D seismic exploration work carried out today on the Russian shelf in terms of technological parameters corresponds to the level that was achieved in the world more than 15 years ago.

What do sanctions threaten, first of all, for seismic exploration? For 2D seismic exploration with accompanying on-board gravimagnetic measurements, we, in principle, have more than a dozen of our own vessels in the companies MAGE, SMNG, DMNG (the last two are now part of Rosgeologiya) and others. But all these ships are equipped with signal excitation sources and receiving devices (seismic streamers) manufactured abroad. Many vessels are approaching or exceeding 30 years old. Modern seismic vessels in Russian companies only three, and the number of seismic streamers on them is from 4 to 8, while in most tenders even Russian customers already require at least 12 streamers. Who does the equipment on board these ships do not allow to carry out the so-called. broadband 3D seismic survey (“broadband” seismic), while abroad this requirement is already becoming standard.

Russian marine geophysical companies do not have their own technologies, and in most of the tenders won from Rosneft and Gazprom, they act only as intermediaries between the customer and foreign subcontractors who actually perform 3D work.

Another complicating point is that 3D seismic exploration by specialized vessels cannot be carried out in ice conditions, since 300 - 400 tons of expensive outboard equipment in the form of 12 - 16 seismic streamers can simply be cut off by ice. Technologies for protecting seismic streamers from ice (and only for 2D work, not for 3D) are available from the American company ION, which withdrew from the Russian market during the sanctions regime. It must be said that the origins of this technology were Russian: back in the early 90s. We carried out such work experimentally under the leadership of A.A. Gagelgantsa. However, all this was subsequently lost. Therefore, with the current state of affairs in the eastern Arctic, only production 2D seismic exploration is possible during a short ice-free period, which in these places lasts no more than a month and a half.

One of the recent positive developments in this regard is the receipt of a patent by the Russian company MAGE for a device for deepening seismic streamers for 2D work in moderate ice conditions.

Pros and cons of building domestic vessels for seismic exploration

What are Russian marine geophysical companies equipped with today? For example, MAGE, which over the past three years has won the majority of Rosneft and Gazprom tenders for marine seismic exploration. As a student in 1976, I did an internship on the MAGE flagship ship “Professor Kurentsov”, which now, almost 30 years later, remains one of the main production units of this company. The company has two more similar vessels: “Dmitry Nalivkin” and “Nikolai Trubyatchinsky”. There are also several other Russian companies with comparable characteristics of vessels: DMNG, SMNG, partially Sevmorgeo and Yuzhmorgeologiya, about a dozen in total. Such vessels are absolutely not suitable for 3D seismic. They are not able, like, for example, modern special PGS vessels, to tow behind them up to 24 signal transmitters and receivers, each 12 km long (Fig. 4). Such vessels have already set several world productivity records, for example, over 1000 km2 of 3D seismic surveys per week. Alas, all the Russian ships mentioned above can tow only one single streamer, i.e. work using 2D technology. The execution of work by MAGE and other Russian contractors on won 3D tenders was provided mainly by foreign contractors in accordance with the intermediary scheme shown in Fig. 12. The most interesting thing is that most of the customer’s employees do not even know about this, believing that Russians know how to do everything themselves. It would be nice if this were actually the case, but things are much worse.
Russia generally does not have modern specialized vessels for conducting 3D seismic surveys. True, there are 3 vessels that can tow from 4 to 8 streamers with a length of up to 6 km, and one of them was taken on a bareboat charter (rent without a crew) from the foreign company Polarcus 5 years ago and has not yet been purchased. Moreover, these three vessels often remain “out of play” in the Russian market, since the tender requirements of Rosneft and Gazprom until 2015 provided for the presence of from 10 to 16 streamers with a length of up to 7.2 km. This volume of winches, compressors and related equipment cannot simply be taken and placed on any standard vessel of a suitable size.
In addition to special equipment and a special hull shape with a wide stern, these vessels must have a low level of acoustic noise when moving so as not to interfere with the operation of highly sensitive equipment. And be stable when pitching in order to be able to work with hundreds of tons of outboard equipment in sea waves up to 4 points. The Sovcomflot company had plans to start building such vessels abroad, but things have not yet gone further than plans, and this company currently operates the only 6-8-wing Vyacheslav Tikhonov in Russia on a bareboat charter basis (freight without crew). At the beginning of 2017, Sovcomflot-Geo took a bareboat charter for a second, more modern 16-streamer vessel from Polarcus (UAE), which was experiencing serious financial difficulties. But some enthusiasts still ask the question: “What if we find money somewhere in the current financial crisis and build several such ships? After all, the vast expanses of the Arctic shelf and the Far East limitless, and there will be enough work for decades.” It would seem that this is so. But there are at least five objections to this in the current specific conditions.

The current intermediary scheme, imposed by internal regulations, leads to an increase in the cost of work. It provides an opportunity for Russian geophysicists to earn a little money through intermediary operations, but does not contribute to the development of domestic geophysics, which fell into decline in the 90s. and since then has never recovered from the crisis, but, on the contrary, continues on the path to degradation.

Firstly, the design and construction of ships will take many years, work needs to be done now. Secondly, in order not to waste time on construction, you can buy ready-made modern seismic vessels in the West, where now, during the crisis, more than half of them, even relatively new ones, are out of work and can be sold at half price and in installments. Thirdly, as practice shows, during the construction of current domestic specialized ships, even at Russian shipyards, the majority of intelligent systems are purchased abroad, including power plants such as Rolls-Royce, etc., which does not provide income to domestic manufacturers. There are mainly Russian hulls and other metal-intensive structures, and this is not the largest component of the cost of intelligent ships. The final costs of building an analogue vessel with worse characteristics will be many times higher. Fourthly, even with a seemingly limitless amount of work, actually loading these vessels with constant work will be very problematic due to the short Arctic summer. Today it is possible to conduct 3D seismic surveys for up to 4 months a year in the non-freezing Barents Sea and in certain areas of the Okhotsk Sea. In the Kara Sea this period is limited to two months, in the eastern seas In the Arctic, in some years with strong ice cover (for example, 2014), they will not be possible to do at all. Only production 2D seismic surveys are possible during a short ice-free period, which in these places lasts no more than one and a half months. This means that for a significant part of the year, our own ships will be out of work in Russia, and therefore, in order not to incur astronomical losses on their maintenance, we need to find them work in distant foreign countries, where there is no winter at that time. But there it will be difficult to withstand competition with foreign contractors who have divided the market, because the daily rate for maintaining reinforced vessels ice class multiples higher than a conventional seismic vessel.
If you dump in order to win on price, there is no way to avoid current losses. And fifthly, no one needs the ship itself without the appropriate high-tech equipment. And here in 2014 unexpected problems arose due to Western sanctions covering most of such equipment. That is why the question of producing our own similar products has now arisen. In this regard, as positive news for domestic marine geophysics, it should be noted the start of work on the R&D projects “Gel-filled spit”, “Selection”, “Location”, “Seismic tomography”, “Seismic streamer” and other related R&D projects financed by the MINPROMTORG. Unfortunately, the projected results by the completion date will not fully correspond to the achieved global level of development of marine technologies, especially in terms of the implementation of broadband seismic exploration. At the same time, this is an undeniable step forward compared to previous decades of “oblivion” in domestic geophysics.

4D seismic exploration – technology for monitoring offshore oil and gas production

Today, the world is increasingly using seismic monitoring of fields during their operation (4D). For example, by 2009, 4D seismic was carried out at more than 50 offshore fields, and by 2016 this number almost doubled. The leader in the number of fields where such work has been carried out appears to be British Petroleum.
There are three technology options for conducting 4D seismic research in offshore fields: 1) sequential execution of conventional 3D floating streamer surveys at large time intervals; 2)performing regular surveys with bottom cables; 3) installation of the 4C bottom fiber optic system for the entire period of field development.
Unfortunately, in Russia such studies are so far known only at the Astokhskoye field on the Sakhalin shelf (carried out by PGS for the Sakhalin Energy company in the first of three versions). Based on the results of periodically conducted 3D seismic surveys, attempts are made to monitor the movement of the oil-water contact and the degree of water cut and depletion of various parts of the reservoir. In particular, in Fig. 16, after subtracting the results of two consecutive 3D surveys, the flooding zone is clearly visible, which is then mapped in space and serves as the basis for correcting the hydrodynamic model of the developed reservoir.

Our contractors are only capable of performing 2D seismic surveys on their own, which in modern conditions is of subordinate importance. This means that 3D work that meets the tender requirements can only be performed by foreign contractors.

However, in offshore conditions it is often problematic to accurately repeat seismic surveys under the same excitation and reception conditions. This makes it difficult to correctly compare data and isolate very weak effects associated with the development of the deposit against the background of noise. In addition, periodic repetition of full-scale 3D shooting is quite expensive.
The most advanced today are special monitoring systems based on fiber optic solutions. 4-component sensors (X,Y,Z - geophones and H - hydrophone) are placed on the bottom and can remain there for the entire period of operation of the field (Fig. 17). The absence of any electrical connections in the underwater part makes the system absolutely reliable and durable; astable recording conditions make it possible to detect weak signals associated with changes in the deposit during operation. Information collection can be carried out on the operational platform. The frequency of shooting in this case is any, because it requires only a small source vessel, the cost of which is low. There is positive experience in using these systems, in particular the Optoseis system from PGS, in one of the deep-water fields of the Brazilian shelf at a water depth of 1700 m. Conventional seismic sensors are unsuitable in such conditions.
A more detailed analysis of 4D seismic systems is given in. There are fields in Russia where it is advisable to install a permanent seismic observation system: for example, Prirazlomnoye, named after. Korchagin, named after Filanovsky, Kirinskoye, etc. Continuously operating 4D monitoring systems provide, as an additional bonus, the opportunity to “listen” to the field by registering the so-called. “seismic emission”, which is impossible with conventional towed systems.
In conclusion, we note that, unfortunately, none of the listed technologies are within the capabilities of Russian service companies, and the main Russian customers, represented by Gazprom and Rosneft, do not provide for the use of the latest technologies and observation systems in their tender conditions, relying on the minimum cost of work . Taking into account the fact that prospecting, exploration, and even more so production drilling in most offshore areas will be delayed under the new conditions of sanctions And low prices for oil, it should be understood that by the time of active development all this work will have to be carried out anew, since during this time technologies will make great strides forward. Therefore, the saying “The miser pays twice” is fully applicable to the situation on the Russian shelf.

The future lies in new technologies

The 3D seismic exploration work carried out today on the Russian shelf in terms of technological parameters corresponds to the level that was achieved in the world more than 15 years ago.
The specificity of the Russian shelf, especially the Arctic, is that in many places between the low-lying tundra coast and a full-fledged navigable water area stretches many kilometers transit zone sea ​​depths from zero to several meters. It is clear that it is impossible to conduct traditional seismic exploration here with towed multi-kilometer streamers. Thus, the need to develop modern domestic equipment for bottom seismic exploration with recording 4-component elements is on the agenda. Computer problems remain unresolved software for processing multi-component marine seismic data, patent clearance and certification of created domestic equipment, etc.
And these are important tasks for new R&D.

Literature

1. Ampilov Yu.P. Seismic exploration on the Russian shelf // Offshore. 2015. No. 2 (8). pp. 26 – 35.
2. Ampilov Yu.P. Baturin D.G. The latest technologies for 4D seismic monitoring in the development of offshore oil and gas fields // Seismic exploration technologies. 2013. No. 2. pp. 31 – 36.
3. Ampilov Yu.P. New challenges for the Russian oil and gas industry in the context of sanctions and low oil prices // Mineral Resources of Russia. Economics and Management. 2017. No. 2.

1. Ampilov Ju.P. Seismic exploration on the Russian shelf // Offshore. 2015. No. 2 (8). pp. 26 – 35.
2. Ampilov Ju.P. Baturin D.G. Latest technology 4D seismic monitoring and development of offshore oil and gas fields // Seismic technology. 2013. No. 2.Pp. 31 – 36.
3. Ampilov Ju.P. New challenges for the Russian oil industry in terms of sanctions and low oil prices // Mineral resources of Russia. Economy and management. 2017. No. 2.

Seismic Survey Ship is the world's best seismic survey vessel. Length 104.2 m, width at the stern 70 m, displacement 8000 tons, speed 16 knots, has 24 winches with cables with a total length of 12 km. It tows several hundred thousand electronic sensors covering an area of ​​more than 12 square km. Crew: 80 Built in Japan at the Mitsubishi Nagasaki shipyard.

In 2012, the Norwegian seismic exploration company Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) placed an order for the construction of two W-class Ramform vessels from the Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The vessels are representatives of the new, or more precisely, the fifth generation of the Ramform series.

The SSS Ramform class is the most powerful and efficient marine seismic survey vessel ever built. They are also the widest.

These vessels bring together advanced marine technology and GeoStreamer marine seismic capabilities. The entire stern of the 70 m wide vessel is occupied by 24 drums with seismic streamers. 16 of them are located on the same line, and another 8 are slightly ahead. Increased work space and advanced equipment make operations involving the ship safer and more functional.

For PGS and its clients, faster deployment and retrieval of equipment, as well as increased duration at sea, mean faster completion of seismic surveys and increased uptime in adverse weather conditions. The period between calls at the shipyard for repairs has also been increased by 50%.

The vessel carries more than 6 thousand tons of fuel and equipment. As a rule, it tows behind it a network of several hundred thousand seismic sensors covering an area of ​​more than 12 square meters. km, which is equivalent to 1,500 football fields or three and a half Central Parks in New York.

Ships of the SSS Ramform type provide a safe and comfortable accommodation and working environment for 80 crew members. There are 60 single cabins on board, as well as 10 double cabins for visitors with separate bathrooms.

The Ramform type is characterized by an unusual deltoid hull shape in plan with a wide stern. The first vessel of this type was the long-range sonar surveillance vessel Maryata, built for the Norwegian Navy back in the 90s. The engineering staff from PGS notes the high level of seismic information collection of such a vessel, which is ensured precisely by the delta-shaped shape of the hull. The ships sail under the Flag of the Bahamas.


John Erik Reinhardsen, President and CEO of PGS, commented, “The SSS Ramform Titan takes seismic exploration to a new level. We have combined the most advanced technology with the most powerful and efficient vessel in the industry. "SSS Ramform Titan will complement our fleet and further strengthen the company's position in the market, giving us an advantage for the next 10 years."


Seismic exploration high resolution is increasingly in demand due to the strong growth of the deepwater drilling industry, especially in challenging areas such as Brazil, West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.

Khloponin's representative, Natalya Platonova, declined to comment on the letter, but said that in July the deputy prime minister reported to the president about the need to build seismic survey vessels in Russia. “As a result of this meeting, an instruction was given to organize such work. We are talking about attracting funds for the implementation of the project, which are already included in the budgets of the relevant departments,” she said. Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov did not respond to a request.

Khloponin proposes to entrust the design and construction of new vessels for seismic exploration to a consortium of companies, which will include the United Construction Corporation (USC, orders are planned to be placed at its facilities), the state concern Okeanpribor (will provide the vessels with Russian equipment) and Rosgeologiya, which owns more than 90% of the existing The Russian seismic exploration fleet consists of ten vessels, of which only two are equipped to perform work in 3D format.

The construction financing model is currently being worked out, Roman Panov, general director of Rosgeologia, confirmed to RBC. But he did not specify how the necessary 15 billion rubles. will be distributed between the budget and borrowed funds: Khloponin proposed raising part of the funds from extra-budgetary sources, including using RDIF financial instruments. “Financing of this project is considered on the principles of public-private partnership. Its sources may be Rosgeology’s own and borrowed funds, as well as partially targeted funds from the federal budget,” added Rosgeology representative Anton Sergeev.

The Ministry of Natural Resources recommended that Rosnedra consider the possibility of financing this project by redistributing funds from the budget for the reproduction of the mineral resource base, as Khloponin proposed, said his press secretary Nikolai Gudkov. Rosgeologia, by decision of the government in 2015-2016, was appointed the sole contractor for the state order for geological exploration. But since 2017, it will be deprived of this right, and such work will again be distributed by Rosnedra and the Ministry of Natural Resources through tenders among specialized companies. Budget funding for geological exploration in 2017 will be reduced by 5% compared to the current year (33 billion rubles), Minister of Natural Resources Sergei Donskoy told reporters in September.

But Rosnedra opposed the redistribution of budget funds. The measures of the state program “Reproduction of the mineral resource base” do not provide for the allocation of funds for the construction of ships, says a letter from the deputy head of the department Sergei Aksenov to the Ministry of Natural Resources dated July 22 (RBC has a copy). ​The redistribution of funds allocated for geological exploration will lead “to failure to meet target indicators and failure to achieve the goal of the subprogram for sustainable supply of the country’s economy with mineral reserves and geological information about the subsoil,” concludes Aksenov.

The deputy head of Rosnedra proposes to build seismic exploration vessels exclusively at the expense of extra-budgetary funds, including with the involvement of shelf license holders interested in attracting such vessels. In Russia, only two companies have the right to extract oil on the Arctic shelf - Rosneft and Gazprom. Rosneft has its own Zvezda shipyard (financed by the company's main shareholder, Rosneftegaz), where several ships are already being built, said its press secretary Mikhail Leontyev. According to him, the company has its own agreed investments in geological exploration and shipbuilding; it has not received any recommendations from Rosnedra regarding participation in the financing of two seismic vessels. A Gazprom representative did not respond to the request.

A source in the Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed that the construction of such vessels is a non-core item of expenditure on geological exploration. Platonova said the consortium must prepare a business model for the construction of two ships, which is planned to be discussed at a meeting before the end of October. Director of the Department of Information Policy and Corporate Communications of USC Ilya Zhitomirsky said that the corporation will not take part in financing the project - it is only ready to build the ships. A representative of Okeanpribor did not respond to RBC’s request. An RDIF official representative declined to comment.

Licenses with encumbrance

The economic efficiency of the construction and operation of seismic exploration vessels is achieved with a steady supply of orders from companies operating on the shelf, says Khloponin’s letter, that is, the same Rosneft and Gazprom. He recalls that similar conditions apply in countries with a developed offshore development system, such as the USA, China and Norway. Therefore, he proposed that Putin instruct the government, when updating the licenses of these companies, starting in 2019, to oblige them to purchase seismic exploration services on the shelf from Russian state-owned companies (the state share is more than 50%), which have at least five years of experience in offshore zones, “with equal competitive conditions for the provision of homogeneous services and works.” Only Rosgeologiya and Zarubezhneft fall under these criteria. Zarubezhneft has a specialized subsidiary for service work on the shelf "Arktikmorneftegazrazvedka", but in its arsenal there is only a drilling fleet, and not a seismic exploration fleet, according to the company's website.

The inclusion of such a condition in licenses, according to the Law “On the Protection of Competition,” is an action that leads or may lead to a restriction of competition, Aksenov from Rosnedra wrote to the Ministry of Natural Resources. At the same time, on the recommendation of the Security Council, priority has already been provided for attracting Russian contractors, taking into account their competitiveness, other things being equal, price and quality of work, he recalls.

Rosgeologiya should not be considered a sufficiently competent contractor to carry out seismic exploration on the Arctic shelf, Leontyev told RBC. In his opinion, the company acts as an intermediary to attract the services of other contractors. He agrees with the Rosnedra official that such a clause in licenses could lead to restriction of competition in the market. Rosneft now has the largest volume of seismic exploration on the Russian shelf, and the company would like to retain the right to attract contractors that suit it in terms of price and quality of work, he added.

A FAS representative told RBC that the agency has not yet received information about Khloponin’s initiatives in the field of seismic exploration. He did not comment on the issue of potential restrictions on competition.