The survey collects more than 5,000 kilometers (km) of high quality 2D seismic data of which 1,500km will be bought by the Crown and made freely accessible to explorers with the rest available on a non exclusive basis by the company.
Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee said earlier in March 2009 This is the first seismic survey since the government decided to reverse the previous administration’s decision to stop data acquisition.
Energy and Resources Minister said that while current information suggests geology similar to the Taranaki Basin but previously available seismic data was insufficient for Crown Minerals to attract explorer interest.
The new seismic illustrates many possible leads which includes sedimentary drapes over basement highs with adjacent deep grabens and stratigraphic pinch outs. A systematic analysis of the data by New Zealand’s GNS Science will lead the blocks offer opening in late 2009.
Crown Minerals granted CGG Veritas a brief two-month long (from early March to early May) petroleum prospecting consent 51527 which includes a very large area of 160,000 square kilometer to facilitate the MV Pacific Titan to continue the survey.
Crown Minerals at present has blocks offers open over the adjacent Northland basin and the Raukumara basin on the East Coast. These blocks offers are currently planned to be closed early in 2010.
