China's 12-cable deep-water geophysical prospecting ship Hai Yang Shi You 720 completed the country's first 3-dimensional seismic survey in the Arctic on Tuesday.
Research vesel Hai Yang Shi You 720 - Image courtesy: COSL
It is the first time that China carries out such a survey in a polar region on Earth, marking that fact that the country now has the capability to do the survey in all waters around the Earth.
The seismic vessel implemented the explorations amid complex conditions in waters at latitudes higher than 75 degrees north in the Barents Sea, more than 900 kilometers away from the Arctic Circle.
"Crew of the Hai Yang Shi You 720 completed 4,100 square kilometers of 3D seismic survey in the Barents Sea within more than three months. The exploration areas are close to the North Pole and 300 kilometers away from the nearest land. As China's first geophysical prospecting ship to reach a polar region, the vessel has set a new data-collection record of 1,820 square kilometers per month," said Chen Zhiwei, crew manager of Hai Yang Shi You 720.
The vessel was built by the China Oilfield Services Limited (COSL), the leading integrated oilfield services providers in the Asian offshore market.