For this purpose a base camp will be installed in the operating area, including a stand-alone social and household module and a set of specific equipment, incorporating seismic data registration station, shot synchronization system, topographic and communication equipment as well as vehicles designed for shallow water and coastal marshy land: crawler tracked and wheel type cross country vehicles, snow and swamp-going vehicles, airboats and light boats.

New seismic crew will focus on investigations in the transit area. The scope of studies has significantly increased due to the change of depths in the eastern part of the offshore area of the Aral Sea as compared to design data. In the areas, where water depth does not exceed 2 meters, a well drilling technology will be applied instead of offshore seismic in order to implement shooting operations to stimulate elastic vibrations.

About 700 km of seismic profiles have been processed since September 2007, which was the starting date of field studies. It is almost one third of the work program, which is expected to be completed in the end of the year. Due to improvement of weather conditions and resuming of offshore seismic crew operations in early April, seismic survey is picking up steam.

PSA on Aral project was signed on August 30, 2006 by the Government of Republic of Uzbekistan and the consortium of investors comprised of National Holding Company Uzbekneftegaz, LUKOIL Overseas, CNPC International (China), Korea National Oil Corporation (Korea) and Petronas Carigali Overseas (Malaysia). The project operator is Aral Sea Operating Company (legal entity of the Republic of Uzbekistan), PetroAlliance, the Russian company, is acting as the main contractor for seismic survey.