Dutch group FUGRO (gas and oil exploration; turnover of 350 million EUR with 2,250 employees) is to acquire, for 147.5 million EUR in cash, THALES GEOSOLUTIONS (French group THALES). A specialist in service provision for underwater exploration companies and telecoms equipment producers, THALES GEOSOLUTIONS employs 1,800 world-wide and forecasts its 2003 turnover at 210 million EUR.