HELPE: Plan for seismic surveys in the “Ionian” – Incident with “SW Cook” vessel

The continuation of the seismic surveys in the second offshore concession of the Ionian Sea managed by Hellenic Petroleum, is said to have been decided by the company’s management.

According to information from OT, HELPE after the completion of the relevant works in the Gulf of Kyparissia – “block 10” – have asked the company Sharewater, which has been assigned the project, to proceed to the block “Ionion”. The international company for the acquisition and processing of marine geophysical data has provided the special boat “SW Cook” which according to sources would set sail for the other concession.

The accident in the port of Patras

However, according to news website reports from the Peloponnese, the special type ship “SW Cook” had an accident on February 5 in the port of Patras. It crashed into a pier, as the Coast Guard also announced: mooring at a pier in the northern port of Patras, with forty-three crew members on board. The ship in question “, the Coast Guard continues in its announcement,” collided on the left stern side, about one meter above the waterline, while according to a statement of the Master, the collision caused distortion of plates and small rupture, without water inflow ” .

Thus, the boat flying the Cypriot flag remained moored in the port until last night, as it appears from the same announcement: “No injuries were reported from the incident and no marine pollution was observed.”

The map of EDEY shows the concessions “Ionion” and “block 2”. The rights of exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the “Ionian” now have only the EL.PE after the departure of Repsol. In “block 2” Energean has them with HELPE after the departure of Total and the acquisition of Edison by Energean.

Seismic surveys

HELPE, as is known, have proceeded to the partial divestment from the upstream area, returning to the Greek public rights for research and exploitation in the areas “NW Peloponnese” and “Arta – Preveza”, while they have stated a similar intention together with Energean and for the concession “Patraikos Gulf”.

However, according to information, the listed company has reportedly made the decision to run its research projects in the marine “plots” “block 10”, “Ionian” and “West of Crete” and “Southwest of Crete” based on the contracts it has signed with the Greek government.

For the first two located in the Ionian Sea, according to older and more recent estimates by Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management S.A., there are said to be promising targets with quantities of natural gas. However, the clarification of the image presupposes further geophysical research. Something that HELPE started to do in the two sea blocks starting with “10”.

According to the announcement of Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management S.A. last Friday, the area of ​​the concession in the Gulf of Kyparissia is 3,421 square kilometers. However, more details of the work have not been made known, such as the type of “SW Cook” seismic. If e.g. are two-dimensional or three-dimensional.

The area of ​​the sea plot “Ionion” is 6,671.13 square kilometers and it should be noted that the Spanish Repsol participated with half of it with EL.PE. After the departure of the multinational, the rights remained with the Greek company.

OT contacted the HELPE yesterday asking for an answer to the question regarding the company’s intentions to continue the investigations in the “Ionian”, but without receiving either a positive or negative answer.