TGS partners with Allton to expand access to deepwater OBN seismic surveys

TGS has entered a collaboration with Allton to secure priority access to the company's A1 ocean-bottom node deployment and recovery technology, aiming to reduce survey costs and unlock seismic exploration opportunities in deepwater frontier basins worldwide.
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July 14, 2026
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Why this news matters:

  • Lower-cost OBN deployment could make high-resolution seabed seismic imaging viable in emerging and frontier offshore basins where economics have previously been a barrier.
  • Earlier access to OBN-quality subsurface data may help operators reduce exploration risk, improve prospect evaluation and support investment decisions before major capital commitments.
  • The partnership reflects continued industry efforts to simplify offshore seismic acquisition workflows while expanding the use of advanced imaging technologies.

 

Courtesy Allton
drop and pop deployment field test in the north sea

The Allton A1 vehicle is dropped from the sea surface and freefalls to the seabed within a one to five-metre accuracy range of the planned position. 

TGS has entered a strategic collaboration with Norway-based Allton covering deepwater ocean-bottom node (OBN) deployment and recovery technology.

Courtesy Allton
Allton A1 Seismic OBN System

The Allton A1 Seismic OBN System is built around Allton’s drop and pop node delivery and retrieval vehicle.

Under the arrangement, the two parties will share exclusive rights and priority access to Allton A1 systems.

According to TGS, the technology reduces OBN operational complexity and lowers the cost and some of the logistical barriers associated with OBN surveys.

Therefore, it opens exploration opportunities in emerging and frontier basins where conventional OBN solutions have historically been cost-intensive.

The two parties see potential for advancing high-resolution seabed seismic imaging earlier in the exploration cycle. TGS says E&P companies could use the data to reduce uncertainty, optimize prospect assessment and take more informed investment decisions.

Allton CEO Nils Haugestad said, "The Allton A1 system offers the industry an economic way to acquire OBN data where it previously would be cost prohibitive." 

The partnership will consider potential deployments in basins worldwide.

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About the Author

Jeremy Beckman
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Jeremy Beckman

Editor, Europe

Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.

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