Alphageo India Limited

Incorporated in 1987, Alphageo (India) Limited is engaged in providing seismic survey services to the oil exploration & production sector. The company provides various services, including design and preplanning of 2D and 3D surveys; seismic data acquisition in 2D and 3D; seismic data processing and reprocessing/special processing; seismic data interpretation; generation, evaluation, and ranking of prospects; reservoir data acquisition; reservoir analysis. Alphageo also offers topographic surveys with GPS and RTK; tape transcription; digitization of hard copies of maps, seismic sections, and well logs into CGM, SEGY, and LAS formats; and third party quality checking for acquisition and processing. The company is headquartered in Hyderabad, India.

In 1990, Alphageo emerged as the first Indian private Company to commence seismic operations in India and is the only Indian geophysical company providing comprehensive services covering on land seismic data acquisition, processing and interpretation. Alphageo is Indias oldest and largest private sector provider of seismic survey services to the rapidly growing oil exploration and production sector. It has grown from strength to strength and now is the only company in private sector providing the entire spectrum of seismic and related services including acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic data. The Rs 816 million Company is also one of the most exciting proxies of its industry in India today. Alphageo, headquartered in Hyderabad, has been engaged in seismic data acquisition, processing and interpretation for the last couple of decades. Its comprehensive service range makes it possible for customers generally oil and gas exploration companies - to identify subterranean deposits with efficiency and effectiveness.

It provides the entire spectrum of seismic and related services including acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic data. Till FY05, the company was active primarily in the 2D seismic data acquisition business and having acquired capabilities in 3D data acquisition over the years; the company presently has four 3D crews and a channel count of over 10,000. It enjoys multi terrain capability across North-East, Western and Southern India help in mitigating the seasonality pattern resulting from the suspension of operations during the monsoon season in the North-East region.

On land 3D seismic acquisition in India was normally the preserve of overseas companies. This changed with the emergence of Alphageo - a private sector seismic survey service provider in Hyderabad with 3D acquisition capability. Until 2005 Alphageo offered only 2D acquisition but its decision to start offering 3D was noticed by foreign operators as a cost-effective alternative to the likes of CGG, Geofyzika Torun of Poland and Geophysical Institute of Israel - its main rivals in India. On March 27, Geopetrol International Inc. of France became the second foreign operator to award Alphageo a 3D contract for a 100-sq km acquisition programme post-monsoon in NELP-V Block AA-ONN-2003/2 in Arunachal Pradesh.

Alphageo has the distinction of having worked in the most difficult and varied terrains, namely, Himalayan foothill region in Uttaranchal, the jungles of Pranhita Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, Hilly and forested areas of Kharsang and Jairampur in Arunachal Pradesh and the Ganga and Vindhyan Basins in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, hilly and forested areas of Mizoram, plain areas of Jorhat and Nambar, forests of Digboi in Assam and the farmlands of Cauvery in Tamil Nadu.

Alphageo acquired speculative seismic data as a venture partner (JV) with Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, DGH in Ganga Valley and Vindhyan basins. These basins are considered to be potential hydrocarbon bearing basins with thick sedimentary column. The data is available for sale to interested parties from DGH.

Alphageo acquired 64-sq km 3D Canoro Resources Limited, a Canadian E&P Company, at Amguri within 75 days despite commencing work two weeks late! This was its first 3D contract. Much of Alpha''s work was with Oil India Limited India and in January, it began two 3D contracts in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh for the company in joint venture with Kansas-based Paragon Geophysical Services Inc.. The Company was upbeat about its prospects for the next year, particularly about NELP-VI terms that oblige a minimum 2D work programme.

Survey for oil exploration