TGS builds Africa data bank

Aug. 6, 2009
TGS-Nopec has provided an update of its second-quarter global seismic acquisition activities.

Offshore staff

HOUSTON -- TGS-Nopec has provided an update of its second-quarter global seismic acquisition activities.

The company has been working on various large-scale projects in frontier regions off West Africa. The GeoBarents compiled 6,000 sq km (92,316 sq mi) of multi-client 3D data off Liberia, with the initial analysis due to be available shortly. The Northern Genesis has conducted regional 2D surveys offshore Ghana, and more recently off Togo (800 km or 497 mi) and Benin (3,850 km or 2,932 mi).

In the Asia-Pacific region, the M/V Mezen and the Aquila Explorer jointly undertook a 5,600-km (3,480-mi), multi-client 2D survey offshore Sumatra, covering marine areas off the islandā€™s northwest and southern margins. The Aquila explorer has since moved on to start a 1,800-km (1,118-mi) South Java reconnaissance 2D survey, aimed at providing a regional picture of this little explored area.

TGS has been particularly active in northwest Europe, resuming its 2D partnership with Fugro. Both companies are pooling vessel resources and processing teams, acquiring around 13,000 km (8,078 mi) of seismic data in the UK and Norwegian North Sea, 15,000 km in the Norwegian Sea, and 15,000 km (9,320 mi) in the Barents Sea.

This will lift the total volume from the two partiesā€™ multi-year campaign to around 180,000 km (111,847 mi) of long-offset data. Processed output from this yearā€™s shoots should be available in the fall.

TGS has also started acquiring data for two well-funded multi-client 3D surveys. The 4,300-sq km (1,660-sq mi) Hoop Fault complex survey in the northern Barents Sea is the largest the company has acquired and processed in Europe. The 2,500-sq km (965-sq mi) East Shetland basin survey in the UK North Sea is a partnership with PGS, which has deployed the Ramform Viking for the initial program.

In the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, acquisition continues of the Freedom Wide Azimuth (WAZ) Multi-Client 3D survey covering 15,000 sq km (5,791 sq mi) in the Mississippi Canyon and Atwater Valley areas. This is a joint program with Western Geco.

TGS completed the first phase of the Hernando narrow-azimith 3D survey, a joint project with PGS. The purpose of this 8,500-sq km (3,282-sq mi) program is to image potentially attractive plays in the eastern GoM.

Time processing was completed of the 2,200 sq km (849-sq mi) Cameron SAD ocean bottom cable 3D survey on the GoM shelf, with depth processing of the data currently in progress.

Among other developments, TGS has introduced a new true azimuth multiple attenuation (TAME) 3D SRME algorithm, said to be particularly effective at improving signal/noise in sub-salt regions. It has started employing this technique in the WAZ survey.

08/06/2009