CGGVeritas has the specialized experience and resources to acquire seismic data in the challenging and environmentally sensitive waters of the Arctic and Antarctic:

• Recent Arctic experience in the Beaufort Sea (71°N) and offshore Greenland (74° N)
• Largest towed streamer array in the High Arctic (8 x 150m x 7.35km)
• Chase boats equipped with ice-seeking radar
• Solid streamers - preferred (and sometimes required) in the Arctic due to their superior tensile strength and resilience to in-sea damage
• QHSE excellence
• Strict 'no spills' policy
• A range of Ice-Class vessels, including new environmentally-friendly X-Bow to be delivered in 2010 and 2011.

Environmental Planning

Successful Arctic exploration requires detailed pre-survey planning for HSE (Health, Safety and the Environment) preparedness, contingency planning and environmental and cultural sensitivity.

It is important to satisfy the local communities that their interests will be protected, as some still depend, at least in part, on the local wildlife for subsistence. To do this we employ local Marine Mammal Observers (MMO's) to monitor the safety radius and record wildlife.

Source 'soft-start' techniques are used to warn marine mammals and polar bears of pending seismic activity and to allow sufficient time for those animals to leave the vicinity.

Ice Forecasting

Ice forecasts, supported by satellite imagery, reconnaissance flights and scouting trips by the chase boats, allow careful monitoring of the ice. Operational flexibility allows 2D data to be recorded while waiting for sufficient open water to deploy multiple streamers for a 3D survey.

There were only 42 minutes of technical downtime during an entire 55-day Beaufort Sea campaign, allowing more data to be acquired than anyone had anticipated.

HSE Planning

These areas are often remote, so fuel and food supplies have to be carefully planned. In case of emergencies, a Search and Recovery (SAR) helicopter has to be available at all times.

The Bergen Surveyor recently won an annual industry HSE award. The year's acquisition included a 2D survey in Baffin Bay, where it sailed as far north as 74° N and acquired 14,000km of data, before being forced to withdraw due to the formation of ice.

Ice-Class Vessels

Princess Ice-1A* Extreme ice (1.0m) 3 x 4,000m 2 x 6,000m Solid Seal Sentinel	Geowave Commander #Ice-1A* Extreme ice (1.0m) 8 x 8,000 m Fluid Seal	Bergen Surveyor #Ice-1A* Extreme ice (1.0m) 2 x 6,000 m 1 x 12,000 m Solid Seal Sentinel
Venturer Ice-1B Medium ice (0.6m) 4 x 6,000 m Fluid Seal	Alizé Ice-1C Light ice (0.4m) 12 x 8,000m Solid Seal Sentinel	Viking Vision Ice-1C Light ice (0.4m) 12 x 9,000m Solid Seal Sentinel
	Oceanic Vega Ice-1C Light ice (0.4m) 16 x 8,000m Solid Seal Sentinel with Nautilus

#Hull and machinery comply with Ice-1A*