MOSCOW, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Russian energy company Gazprom Neft said it set a world record with the number of seismic sensors deployed at the Shakal reserve area in Iraq.
The energy company is using seismic sensors to get an idea of the reserve potential in Shakal.
"[A contractor] is planning to complete the 3D and 2D seismic studies and begin drilling two exploratory wells in 2014," Gazprom Neft said in a statement Wednesday. "The results of this research will help to refine the geological model of the block and determine locations for further exploratory drilling."
The company said its estimated 6,200 sensors transmitting data from the Shakal area is a world record for seismic surveillance.
Gazprom Neft, the oil subsidiary of Gazprom, announced plans this year to expand exploration activity in the Garmian and Shakal blocks in the southern regions of the Kurdish territories.
The company said that, combined, the Garmian and Shakal blocks hold at least 500 million tons of oil equivalent.
The central government in Baghdad says it may be illegal for the Kurdish government to make its own deals. Gazprom Neft became the operator at Shakal in 2012.
