Americas Exploration Heats Up

Exploration in the Americas is heating up, with energy data and intelligence company TGS announcing three projects in the region over the past few days.

On Thursday, the company, “in a strategic collaboration with SLB”, announced the start of the Engagement 4 Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) multi-client acquisition in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Acquisition of the 152 OCS block, sparse OBN survey is now underway, the company noted, highlighting that this project extends contiguous data coverage from prior phases into western Green Canyon.

“In an area known for increasingly challenging subsurface imaging, the application of full-waveform inversion utilizing ultra-long offsets will provide a dataset that represents a step-change in the conceivable geological and geophysical interpretation,” TGS said in a company statement.

“In support of both existing leases and future lease sale acreage”, fast-track products will be made available in the fourth quarter of this year with final processing completion scheduled for the second half of next year, TGS outlined.

Commenting on the project, Kristian Johansen, the CEO at TGS, said, “alongside our project partners, we are excited to bring our sixth multi-client OBN project to fruition in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico”.

“Ever-positive, proven imaging results from prior phases support continued application of these advanced seismic techniques, delivering significant exploration value to our clients,” Johansen added.

On Wednesday, TGS announced the Amazonia Azul 2D-cubed project, which was described by the company as the first of its kind offshore Brazil. The business highlighted that this project represents an expansion of TGS’ multi-client data coverage in the region and aims to enhance the understanding of the Brazil Equatorial Margin area.

Initial data delivery for this project is expected in the first quarter of 2024.

“Covering a vast area of 268,506 square kilometers, the Amazonia Azul 2D-cubed project will play a crucial role in unlocking the potential of this offshore basin,” TGS said in a company statement.

“The innovative 2D-cubed technology utilizes a structurally conformable interpolation engine that transforms 2D data into a comprehensive 3D volume, which can be interpreted on a regional scale,” it added.

“This cutting-edge approach enables users to fully leverage the capabilities of their 3D interpretation software, significantly improving analysis and facilitating the communication of geological insights,” TGS continued.

Johansen said the company was “pleased to introduce the first 2D-cubed project in Brazil’s Equatorial Margin”.

“This groundbreaking endeavor demonstrates TGS’ commitment to pushing the boundaries of geoscience innovation and delivering high-quality data solutions to our clients,” Johansen said.

“By expanding our coverage and leveraging state of the art technologies, we are excited to contribute to exploration development in this region,” the TGS CEO added.

Earlier in the week, TGS announced the Malvinas 3D Phase III project, which it pointed out is an expansion of its multi-client 3D coverage in the Malvinas Basin offshore Argentina.

The company said it plans to acquire an approximately 7,500 square kilometer 3D seismic survey and stated that, upon completion, it will have built a 3D library of 25,000 square kilometers in the Malvinas Basin. The acquisition of Malvinas 3D Phase III is expected to commence by early 2024.

“We are pleased to announce the expansion of our multi-client coverage for the Malvinas 3D project offshore Argentina,” Johansen said.

“This project demonstrates our commitment to continuously providing our clients with the most up to date and accurate information to drive their exploration efforts,” the TGS CEO added.

“By leveraging our advanced seismic imaging technology, we aim to unlock the full potential of this region and support the energy industry in its pursuit of sustainable energy resources,” Johansen continued.

All three projects are supported by industry funding, TGS revealed.

Previous Projects

Back in February, TGS, “in collaboration with SLB”, announced the Engagement III ultra-long offset OBN acquisition in Green Canyon in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

Engagement III was the fifth multi-client ultra-long offset OBN acquisition in the Gulf of Mexico and extended the data coverage south from prior phases, TGS revealed at the time. In a company statement back in February, TGS outlined that acquisition for the 111 OCS block survey was expected to be complete in April and that final results were expected in mid-2024.

Also in February, TGS announced Pontiac 3D, an onshore seismic program in the Midland Basin, and in January, it announced the second phase of the Foz do Amazonas 3D multi-client survey, located in the offshore Brazil equatorial margin.

The former encompasses around 167 square miles in Ector, Midland, Crane, and Upton counties in Texas, and data acquisition is expected to begin in the third quarter with final data available to clients early in the second quarter of next year, TGS outlined. The latter covers 11,425 square kilometers, with early-out PSDM products available in the fourth quarter and final products available from the third quarter of next year, the company highlighted.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com