SW GALLIEN

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Storms disrupt Southern oil search

The crew of the "Polarcus Alima" has decided to return to Port Otago for a crew change. Recent bad weather has hampered the vessel's operations while the crew surveys the ocean floor in the Great South Basin, to the east and south of Southland. A scheduled crew change was due to be carried out by helicopter on Feb 22, 2012, but could not be done safely because of poor weather conditions. Once in port the opportunity will be used to restock provisions and fuel. OMV and its joint venture partners were nearing completion of the programme to acquire more than 4000sq km of 3-D seismic data in exploration permits 50119 and 50120. The survey is scheduled to be completed by mid-April. Shell joined the joint venture in August 2011, and would take over as operator of the permits at the conclusion of the 3-D seismic programme. The boat was due to depart Fryatt St Wharf in the night of Feb 24. Report with photo: http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/199044/storms-disrupt-southern-oil-search

Environmentalists oppose visit of exploration vessel

Environmentalists are opposed to a visit to southern waters by the "Polarcus Alima" which was to berth at Port Chalmers on Dec 13, 2011. The vessel had left its Wellington berth and was heading to Dunedin. The supplier "Jaya Amazon" was in Otago Harbour on Dec 11, ahead of a scheduled berth by its mother ship at the Port Chalmers Beach St Wharf at 6 a.m. Dec 13. It was unknown whether protesters were heading south to coincide with the beginning of a $50 million programme, which would initially focus on a deep-water hydrographic survey of the ocean floor in the Great South Basin. Greenpeace protesters had targeted the "Polarcus Alima" when it arrived off the Taranaki coast for oil exploration work in October. The "Polarcus Alima"'s hydrographic survey would take until the end of 2013 to complete, before any considerations were made about oil exploration drilling in the Great South Basin.

First X-Bow ship travels northern sea route

A ship designed by Ulstein of Norway, the seismic ship ‘Polarcus Alima’, which features the company’s X-Bow, recently transited from Norway to the Asia-Pacific region via the northern sea route (NSR), The Motorship reports. Polarcus Alima is a 12-streamer 3D seismic vessel of the SX134 design, built at Drydocks World of Dubai. Vessels making the passage are required to hold an ICE-1A or higher ice class. Ulstein says that this is the first known passage of a 3D seismic vessel along the Northern Sea Route. Her passage commenced on 15 September from Hammerfest in Norway after completion of seismic operations in the Barents Sea. After nine days and 3,000 nautical miles the vessel reached Cape Dezhnev in the Bering Straits. http://www.motorship.com/news101/x-bow-ship-travels-northern-sea-route