2. DIVERSIFIED BUSINESSES
2.3.1 Exploration in Offshore Uruguay
We continued with the technical and administrative monitoring, through auditing and administration committees, of exploration activities arising from contracts signed between ANCAP and the following oil companies: BG-SHELL (Areas 8, 9 and 13), TOTAL-EXXONMOBIL-STATOIL (Area 14), and the TULLOW OIL-INPEX consortium (Area 15). Dealings have been started for the incorporation of STATOIL with a 35% as a non-operator partner of Area 15. At the same time, BP returned Areas 6, 11, and 12 and the partnership formed by YPF-SHELL-GALP returned Area 3r at the end of the first exploration period.
The acquisition of 13,000 km2 of electromagnetic data (CSEM) was completed by EMGS for BG in areas 8, 9 and 13, having completed 89% in 2015, 11,611 km2. The operators also worked in the interpretation of the geophysical information and in the selection of prospects.
We continued with the preparation of logistics, management of environmental licenses and other operational and engineering details for the upcoming drilling by TOTAL in March 2016 in area 14. It is an extraordinary well at a global level with regard to the depth of the sheet of water and the technologies to be used.
Exploration Services and Operations
The Offshore Uruguay Exploration Operations Guide was updated, taking suggestions from different agencies into account, as well as considering new operational experiences in Uruguay and including new actors and current procedures. The aim of this guide is to provide directions, recommendations and requirements from ANCAP for the design and execution of exploration operations in offshore Uruguay in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner and according to reference good practices applied internationally in the industry.
Multiclient contracts, ANCAP as an operator
Multi-client contracts were signed for a Petroleum Geology Complementary Study for Uruguay to be carried out between ANCAP and CGG Robertson as well as for the seismic inversion and processing of ANCAP's 2011 2D seismic survey to be carried out by ANCAP and Schlumberger (Western Geco).
Proposals for contracts from service companies for the following exploration activities were analyzed: 2D and 3D seismic surveys, geophysical reprocessing of offshore 2D seismic data, onshore 2D seismic survey, digitalization of the well registry, etc. Many of these proposals resulted in multiclient contracts that have already been approved by ANCAP's Board of Directors and are being evaluated for approval by the Executive Branch (through the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, MIEM).
USD 2.55 million were received for the sharing of revenues generated by the contracts with CGG-Robertson, FIT, Spectrum, PGS and ION.
