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Guyanese company seeking permit for US$81M deepwater seismic survey
(Kaieteur News) – Latitude Energy Inc, a Guyanese company has submitted an application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct seismic surveys in three deepwater oil blocks, offshore Guyana.
The company said it responded to a request for proposals by the government of Guyana (GoG) for Lot 1 seismic surveys, relating to the specific areas.
According to the project summary seen by Kaieteur News, Latitude energy in partnership with Shearwater GeoServices plans to conduct the proposed survey in Blocks D1, D2 and D3. The maximum 3D seismic activity area is approximately 13,512 square kilometers with an overall working area of 16,857 square kilometers but is subject to change. The water depth in the survey area will range from approximately 2,500-3,500 meters. The survey site is located in the Atlantic Ocean offshore Guyana within the Exclusive Economic Zone.
A visual representation of seismic activity (Source: EPA Project Summary)
The project has a US$81 million budget which includes mobilisation and demobilisation, acquisition, processing and interpretation of the data as well other costs associated, such as a software license, provision of a Virtual Data room and marketing among others.
The 3D seismic acquisition is estimated to take approximately five and a half months and is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2025, following the acquisition of the necessary permits but is subject to weather conditions. Following the data collection process, the information will be transferred to a data processing center for interpretation.
The project summary explains, “The purpose of the Project is to acquire and process, 3D marine seismic data to create a high quality geophysical and geological imaging of the subsurface. 3D marine seismic surveys are used in offshore oil and gas exploration to map out the subsurface geology and derisk drilling projects.”
It involves towing an array of cables (streamers) behind the seismic vessel. These streamers contain receivers (hydrophones) that can pick up reflected sound from the sub surface. The vessel tows a sound source that emits a sound wave using compressed air in the water. This sound penetrates the subsurface, reflecting off geological features and being picked up on the streamers. This data that undergoes processing where it can be used to create a 3-dimensional map.
The EPA will now vet the application to determine whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required before it grants approval.
Just last week Kaieteur News reported that the regulator ruled out the need for an EIA for 3D seismic activity in shallow waters offshore Guyana.
The planned activity is expected to be conducted over a three-year period, commencing January 1, 2026 to 2028 in three sites, measuring a total of 25,604.78 square kilometers.
The GoG recently concluded its maiden bid round for 14 offshore oil blocks but only eight attracted bidders. In the absence of seismic information government said the response was favourable. It nonetheless indicated its intention to pursue seismic activity to further increase the attractiveness of the Guyana basin.
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