Vanco to conduct 3000 km 2D seismic survey offshore Gabon

Vanco Energy Company of Houston has contracted Schlumberger/Geco-Prakla to conduct a 2D survey of its 2 permits Offshore Gabon, West Africa. Beginning December, the M.V. Professor Polshkov will survey 3000 km of the Anton and Astrid Marin permits offshore Gabon bordering Congo. Survey coverage will be approximately 1500 km for each permit.
This exclusive survey coincides with Gabon's Ministry of Mines, Energy & Petroleum contract with Schlumberger/Geco-Prakla to shoot 10,000 km of 2D non-exclusive seismic survey in Gabon's ultra deep water beginning Nov. using the M.V. Geco My.
To date, 5,335 km of seismic covers the Anton Merin and Astrid Marin permits. Water depths for both blocks range between 1000-2500 meters, and 2500-3000 meters, respectively.
The seismic survey is expected to firm up Lower Madiela prospects in the Anton Marin permit similar to those found in the N'Kossa and Moho discoveries of the Congo, and confirm Tertiary leads in the Anton and Astrid Marin permits similar to the recent plays in Cabinda and Angola, namely, Chevron's D-14, and Elf's Girassol and Dalia discoveries.
Vanco will evaluate the 2D seismic, reassess its prospects, and drill on the Anton Marin permit in mid-1999 using the Reading & Bates/Conoco " Deepwater Frontier". Vanco has contracted this ultra-deepwater drillship for its first time slot upon construction completion at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Korea.