Market Trends of Southeast Asia Offshore Seismic Survey Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Southeast Asia Offshore Seismic Survey Market according to our research experts:
Data Acquisition to Dominate the Market
- Seismic data acquisition aims to obtain an image of the sedimentary basins in the earth's interior. It helps create models that facilitate exploration companies to make better-informed exploration and drilling decisions.
- In 2021, Indonesia was the largest oil producer in Southeast Asia, producing 585,000 barrels per day. In the same year, Malaysia produced around 508,000 barrels daily, making it the second-largest oil producer in the region.
- Data is acquired through multi-client surveys or on a proprietary basis. A geophysical company develops proprietary surveys for a client who owns the data and usually covers limited acreage.
- In July 2022, PGS won two contracts for 3D exploration and 4D acquisition, totaling a roughly five-month campaign. In particular, the business signed its first contract for a 3D exploration acquisition offshore Indonesia with an unnamed oil company.
- Seismic data could be acquired for either 2D or 3D imaging. In the 2D seismic acquisition, sources and receivers are deployed along a line on the surface, and the output is a line graphical representation of the subsurface. 2D seismic acquisition is used when collecting large data areas and when a 3D survey is not economically viable.
- Overall, the increasing demand for offshore seismic services from the offshore wind and oil and gas sectors, mainly in Southeast Asia, will likely increase the offshore seismic survey market during the forecast period.
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Malaysia to Witness Significant Growth
- Malaysia's oil and gas sector is vital to its economy as it contributes 20% to the GDP as of 2020. The country has the second largest proven reserves in Southeast Asia and is the world's fourth-largest exporter of liquified natural gas (LNG), totaling 35.1 billion cubic meters in 2021, and is strategically located amid important routes for seaborne energy trade.
- In 2021, Malaysia's natural gas production was approximately 63.03 billion cubic meters. Natural gas production has witnessed 6.6% growth compared to the previous year.
- Most of Malaysia's oil and gas production comes from offshore fields in three producing regions: Peninsular Malaysia (Malay Basin), Sarawak, and Sabah. Further, to offset the production declines from mature fields, the government focuses on opening new investment opportunities by enhancing output from existing fields and developing new areas in deepwater offshore Sarawak and Sabah. This has increased the demand for offshore seismic services in the country.
- In March 2022, Petronas signed four new Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) for five offshore blocks located off the coast of Sabah and Sarawak. Additionally, in February 2021, Petronas signed PSCs for five offshore exploration blocks, SB412, 2W, and X, located off the coast of Sabah, and SK439/SK440, located off the coast of Sarawak.
- In July 2021, TGS ASA, PGS ASA, and Schlumberger's WesternGeco secured pre-funding for a 6,400 square kilometer multi-client 3D survey starting in October 2021 in the Sarawak Basin, offshore Malaysia. The survey is the first phase of a multi-year contract awarded by the Malaysian national oil firm Petronas in 2020 to acquire and process up to 105,000 square kilometers of multi-client 3D data over five years in the Sarawak Basin.
- Overall, Malaysia is expected to witness moderate to high growth in the demand for offshore seismic services, driven by increasing investments in offshore oil and gas and offshore wind power.
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