In November 2023 Argeo was awarded a NOK 154 million contract with India’s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, NCPOR. The contract was formally signed by both parties during a visit to India last week.
The contract comprises of near-seabed exploration survey and data analysis to identify and delineate seafloor massive sulphide deposits over India’s exploration contract area in the Indian Ocean. The contract value is NOK 154 million. with a total duration of 4-months including transit.
“We are excited and looking forward to having very fruitful outcomes from this project and we are also hoping for more collaborative ventures with Argeo in the future.” Dr. John Kurian P.; Group Director (Deep Sea Exploration), NCPOR Goa, India.
“This project holds significant importance for Argeo, solidifying our standing as the foremost service provider in Marine Minerals exploration. It is a direct outcome of the company’s dedication to initially creating distinctive and patented sensor technology, followed by a steadfast commitment to delivering quality results for PGI and NPD in 2023. The acknowledgment of Argeo by esteemed clients such as NCPOR for their pivotal projects serves as evidence of our excellence in both technology and operations” says Trond Crantz, CEO Argeo.
From the left: From the left: Dr. John Kurian P., Project Head NCPOR and Trond F. Crantz, CEO Argeo
About the project
The primary objective of the activities is to explore Seafloor Massive Sulphide (SMS) deposits associated with both active and inactive hydrothermal vent fields in the exploration area in the Indian Ocean and conduct environmental mapping of the area. The Argeo Searcher is equipped with Argeo’s Hugin Superior AUV and its advanced sensor suite including Argeo-developed EM system Argeo Listen. The Argeo Listen system has been proven over several projects in 2023 to deliver crucial geophysical data for Marine Mineral exploration projects.
About NCPOR
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) is India’s main research and development institution for Polar and Southern Ocean studies operating independently under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. NCPOR is specifically tasked with overseeing the national program for surveying and exploring Deep-Sea Minerals in the Indian Exploration Contract areas granted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
From the left: Anna Lim, Principal Geophysicist, Discipline Leader Deep Ocean Exploration, Argeo, Dr. Parijat Roy, Shree Verma, President Polar Technologies (India), Dr. John Kurian P., Project Head NCPOR, Dr. Thamban Meloth, Director NCPOR, Trond F. Crantz, CEO Argeo and Ms. Shruti Rana
