Email: contact@sol-ocean.com
Energy & Maritime Consulting
FLOs in Norway
The FLO ("Fiskerikyndig") serves an important role in making sure oil and gas exploration and fisheries can co-exist on the Norwegian continental shelf.
All seismic and electromagnetic surveys offshore Norway, requires a FLO present onboard the seismic vessel at any given time. The FLO has an advisory role onboard within his area of expertize in fisheries. This is an independent role and is to be carried out objectively and impartial, with regards to the relationship of all parties.
Not everyone can become a FLO. Norway has a relatively high treshold for approving FLOs, including mandatory training course, valid officer/navigation certificates, documented experience in geographical regions and more.
In Norway the Fisheries directorate, coast guard and oil directorate has a cooperation agreement to secure that the FLO will get 24/7 support from the goverment with regards to incidents and other needs. In general, the FLO will liason with Kystvakten (Coast guard) with regards to coordinating seismic data acquisition and fishery activitties.
Photo: The coast guard ship KV "Svalbard"
What we offer at Sol Ocean?
Are you planning a geophysical survey offshore Norway? At Sol Ocean we have our background from both the geophysical and fishery industry. We therefore understand the priorities in both industries and the mutual interest in cooperation to avoid any loss.
Contact us for offers of approved FLOs, mandatory onboard during all surveys offshore Norway.
We help our clients and FLOs with all needed paperwork, mandatory reporting requirements and templates.
We are fluent in Norwegian and English, and readily available over phone and email from start to end of the survey.
Seismic and electromagnetic surveys
Geophysical surveys like seismic and electromagnetics is an necessity prior to expensive offshore drilling for oil and gas. Seismic surveys provides maps over structures and layers that can contain commercial depositis of oil and gas. Electromagnetic surveys (CSEM) are complementary to seismic and provides additional information about the fluid content of the potential reservoir.
Seismic
Most seismic surveys consist of an array of hydrophones (a microphone in water) towed behind a vessel as illustrated in 1. The hydrophones are measuring sound from a source (S) as it returns from the subsurface at different points in time.
A single streamer is referred to as 2D seismic, while multiple streamers are called 3D seismic (3 streamers can be seen in the example).
There are also higher accuracy seismic surveys where the hydrophones are deployed as individual nodes or attached to cables at the sea bed as depicted in 2, or used post-drilling as production montioriing as seen in 3 and 4.
EM
Electromagnetic surveys are typically acquired by deploying nodes to the seabed and towing a electromagnetic source over them (~30 m above seabed). In shallow water the source will be attached to a single streamer behind the vessel and remain close to the sea surface.
The source is attached to the vessel through a single cable (umbillical) and the nodes are typically 2-3 km apart.