TGS Flags Record Deepwater Node Survey Campaign

In a statement posted on its website recently, TGS outlined that it had set a record with the completion of a “groundbreaking deepwater node survey campaign offshore Guyana”.

The company announced the “successful completion” of a series of marine Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) surveys offshore Guyana in the statement, adding that, on December 1, 2023, “the final node recovery marked the culmination of three exclusive OBN surveys commissioned by ExxonMobil Guyana”.

TGS said it successfully acquired 2,400 square kilometers of OBN data within a span of 410 days. The company highlighted in the statement that it concluded the data acquisition process 20 days ahead of the projected schedule.

“This achievement not only sets a record for the longest deepwater node survey but also showcases TGS’ cutting-edge ZXPLR node technology utilized throughout the surveys,” TGS noted in the statement.

“During field operations, TGS earned 12 Catch of the Week (COTW) awards from ExxonMobil Wells. The COTW program acknowledges outstanding achievements related to health, safety, and the environment across all of ExxonMobil Wells’ operations worldwide,” it added.

“The awards reflect the unwavering commitment, expertise, and teamwork demonstrated by our field crews, and TGS extends its warmest congratulations to the teams and individuals who earned these awards,” it continued.

“TGS also recovered 1.2 metric tons of marine debris, removing a large amount of discarded fishing gear, plastics and other harmful debris from the marine environment in Guyana,” it went on to state.

In the TGS statement, Carel Hooijkaas, the Executive Vice President of Acquisition at TGS, said, “in the history of our company, we have delivered many firsts”.

“This project was another first, with the longest deepwater node survey being successfully acquired for ExxonMobil Guyana. We did this safely and efficiently in one of the most congested fields in the world,” Hooijkaas added.

“We worked in true collaboration to deliver an OBN dataset which will deliver value to ExxonMobil for years to come,” the EVP went on to note.

During the same month, TGS announced that it had been awarded a three-month proprietary OBN data acquisition contract in the North Sea “for a repeat customer”.

The project’s acquisition will begin in the second quarter of this year, TGS revealed in a statement posted on its site.

In that statement, TGS CEO Kristian Johansen said, “this project, for a major energy customer, further highlights the integral role OBN acquisition has in providing our clients improved seismic data quality and help them make better reservoir development decisions”.

Also in December, TGS said it had been awarded a two-month proprietary OBN data acquisition contract in the Gulf of Mexico. The project’s acquisition will start in the first quarter of 2024, according to a statement posted on TGS’ site.

“This project highlights the key role OBN data plays in this vital basin,” Johansen said in that statement.

“OBN technology provides the essential data needed to visualize and understand the intricate structures within the Gulf of Mexico, enabling our clients to make well-informed, data-driven decisions in their field development strategies,” Johansen added.

Earlier in December, TGS announced the completion of the imaging phase for the priority area of its NOAKA OBN multi-client seismic survey in the Norwegian North Sea.

“TGS has applied its proprietary OBN processing and imaging technology, including dynamic matching full-waveform inversion (DM/FWI), to this data, creating a high-quality 3D volume that will enhance the resolution and structural definition of the complex geology and reservoirs in the region,” the company noted in a statement at the time.

Will Ashby, EVP of Eastern Hemisphere at TGS, said in that statement, “as the technology leader in OBN, we continue to expand our coverage and cement our position as the largest supplier of multi-client data”.

“The area between Oseberg and Alvheim in the Norwegian North Sea has recently witnessed significant Infrastructure-Led Exploration, and TGS remains committed to further developing the coverage in the NCS region by offering cutting-edge acquisition and imaging solutions that provide the industry with unparalleled subsurface insight,” Ashby added.

TGS highlighted in the statement that the NOAKA OBN survey was acquired over two seasons in 2021-22 and noted that it comprises 434 square kilometers of multi-client OBN data. Processing has now been completed over a priority area of 198 square kilometers, TGS said in the statement.

“The processing utilizes full azimuth and ultra-long offsets to understand and illuminate the complex subsurface geology in the region,” TGS said at the time.

“In addition, this enables a detailed velocity model to be built using TGS' industry-leading DM-FWI technology. The imaging results have also benefited from the enhanced low frequencies provided by OBN data, allowing clear and accurate depth images to be produced,” it added.

“Multi-component processing enabled the up and down-going wavefields to be processed and imaged separately. The downgoing wavefields provide complimentary detailed near-surface imaging products,” it continued.

“Imaging with FWI also shows improved imaging of deep faulting and structures below the Base Cretaceous Unconformity (BCU), which is key to understanding the Jurassic and Triassic prospectivity,” it went on to state.

In a statement posted on its site at the start of December, TGS revealed that its shareholders approved a merger plan with PGS and highlighted that the merger had also been approved by an extraordinary general meeting in PGS.

“As a consequence, the decision to approve the merger will now be filed with the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises,” PGS stated at the time.

“Completion of the merger remains conditional upon customary closing conditions such as relevant regulatory approvals and consents, compliance with applicable covenants and expiry of statutory waiting periods, as further described in the merger plan,” it added.

“Today marks a pivotal moment for TGS and PGS as we receive approval from our shareholders for the merger plan,” Johansen noted in that statement.

“This support reflects the shared vision of our stakeholders in establishing the combined entity as a leading diversified energy data and intelligence company with an enhanced industry offering,” the PGS CEO added.

“We strongly believe this merger will bring substantial value to our respective stakeholders, from shareholders and customers to the combined organization’s employees. As we move forward, we remain dedicated to navigating through the regulatory processes and meeting all closing conditions to ensure the successful completion of this transformative merger,” the CEO continued.

On September 18, TGS announced that it and PGS had agreed the principal terms of a combination of TGS and PGS. TGS revealed at the time that the closing of the transaction was expected during the first half of 2024, “subject to satisfaction of conditions for completion”.

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