Vietnamese offshore oil exploration looks to the skies

Vietnam’s oil industry continues to introduce state-of-the-art options to exploration problems. On Wednesday, the VietnamGazprom joint venture began using the EC-155B1 helicopter, first introduced at the 2007 Paris Air Show, for use in offshore oil drilling exploration.

The US$13 million EC-155B1, part of Eurocopter’s stable of choppers, is a new multi-purpose 5-ton machine, dedicated to passenger and casualty transport and offshore support.

Able to carry a maximum load of 13 passengers and crew, the EC-155B1 has a cruising speed of 280km an hour and a flying range 781km.

VietnamGazprom – a JV between the government of Vietnam and state-owned Russian energy giant Gazprom – started drilling its first exploration well last month at an offshore block about 200km off the Da Nang coastline.

Drilling is expected to last 14 months and foresees the drilling of six exploration wells.

Duy Duc

vietnews

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