Submarine Map

Sept 04, 2007 (LBO) – A Norwegian firm said it has been sub-contracted for two-dimensional seismic surveys of the seabed off Sri Lanka, as the island forges ahead to claim an extended continental shelf under international law. It is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. SCAN Geophysical Monday announced that the company has been awarded a contract from GEMS International N.V. for the 2D survey offshore Sri Lanka.

GEMS (Geotechnical Engineering and Marine Surveys) is a Belgian and UK-based company specializing in exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) studies.

It is conducting the survey on behalf of the Sri Lankan government's DEOCOM (Delimitation of the Outer Edge of the Continental Margin of Sri Lanka) project under the UNCLOS.

GEMS was awarded the overall survey contract by the Sri Lanka for 5.2 million dollars last December.

This is a study on delimiting Sri Lanka's outer continental shelf to lay claim under the UN law of the sea.

If Sri Lanka succeeds in its claim it will be able to lay claim to vast sea bed mineral and petroleum resources.

Officials say the new limits would go beyond the 200 nautical miles EEZ to upto 700 nautical miles.