The 3D seismic vessel Polarcus Alima has successfully transited from Norway to the Asia-Pacific region via the Northern Sea Route - a first in the seismic industry, and an achievement which saves considerable time, fuel, emissions and cost

Is the rapidly melting Arctic ice unlocking opportunities for hydrocarbon exploration?

In June, 29 companies were awarded frontier acreage in the Norwegian and Barents Seas offshore Norway.

To unlock the vast, technically recoverable oil and gas resources that are attracting international oil companies to the Arctic will take Herculean effort.

Recent license awards suggest that active exploration may soon resume in Iceland’s freezing waters

Although considered primarily a frontier region, recent discoveries have put the Barents Sea firmly on the map.

The Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula is located in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin area of Canada and has seen numerous oil and gas discoveries. Using multiple geochemical methods, an orientation survey on the peninsula demonstrated that oil and gas seeps are detectable through thick permafrost, and that these methods can be used as a regional exploration tool.

Another day in Arctic paradise for the crew of Polarcus Asima, as she ventures into uncharted territory to uncover the secrets of the Arctic – the final frontier for oil and gas.

Satellite remote sensing uses specific frequency bands to reveal details about the surface of the earth. By borrowing this idea and applying it to broadband 3D seismic data, reservoir heterogeneities are illuminated enabling optimal reservoir development. Nexen Inc. are using this technology to shed light on Canadian oil sands reservoirs.

In the first exploratory drilling program in US Arctic waters in two decades, Shell is to start drilling prospects in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas off northern Alaska this August.

The Arctic is often referred to as ‘the next global frontier’ – but is it possible to explore at reasonable cost?

The complexity of the Western Barents Sea necessitates the use of all available geological and geophysical data when undertaking regional interpretations, play fairway assessments and prospect definition.

The influence of the Stappen High on the petroleum potential of the Sørvestsnaget Basin, south-western Barents Sea has been revealed by newly acquired 2D data

As the dust begins to settle after the spring and summer’s events in the Gulf of Mexico, what can we say about exploration around the globe in 2010. And what about looking forward to 2011 and beyond?

The Arctic and the Bay of Bengal are two exciting but very different frontier areas, both suggesting great potential, but offering many challenges to the hydrocarbon industry.