The survey is the largest 3-D seismic study in the Black Sea and covers approximately 6,000 square kilometers in the deepwater area of the Neptun block in the Romanian sector of the sea.
Petrom, the local unit of Austria’s oil and gas group OMV, and ExxonMobil will use data collected from this seismic program and an earlier seismic program in 2009-2010 to further assess the commercial and technical feasibility of the Domino gas discovery announced earlier this year.
The data also will be used to determine targets for future exploration drilling, Petrom said.
The joint Domino-1 well is the first deepwater exploration well in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea. The well is located in the Neptun block some 170 kilometers offshore Romania, in water about 1,000 kilometers deep. Drilling started at the end of 2011.
ExxonMobil and OMV Petrom have signed an agreement in 2008 to explore deepwater portions of the Neptun Block. Under the deal, Petrom operates the initial work program, while ExxonMobil helps fund the program and provide expertise in evaluating the deepwater seismic data.