The Melbourne-based minnow has teamed up with private petroleum firm Finder Exploration to conduct the survey, which is expected to be completed by the end of May and results known in September.

GOP said the JV worked closely with fishermen in the Pedro Keys region of the basin to minimise disturbance to their activities, while the Fugro-operated Akademik Shatsky undertook the long offset 2D seismic survey over blocks 7, 10, 11 and 12.

The company said the long offset (8km) streamer length was designed to acquire high quality data beneath the extensive reef system in the basin. The source rocks and deeper potential traps are located in the section, it said.

In addition to the seismic program, the BHP Billiton Falcon technology will next month be employed over a large portion of the acreage to map structure, lithology of the basins and in particular to provide detailed information on the reefs, which are the key exploration play for most of the region.

This will be the first survey flown by GOP and BHPB under their recently-signed technology agreement.

“The integration of the extensive long offset seismic data and the detailed Falcon will be an exciting first for oil and gas exploration around the world,” the company said today.

“GOP and Finder Exploration bring unique technical expertise to the acquisition and interpretation of these data that will be key to unlocking the potential in Jamaica.”

Both GOP and Finder Exploration enjoy a good working relationship with the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, which has not licensed the offshore Walton Basin area for more than 20 years.

The GOP-Finder JV aims to identify drillable prospects by the end of 2006/early 2007.