Brazil's 11,200 km² offshore 3D seismic survey project set to launch

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 13, TGS announced a joint multi-client 3D seismic survey with SLB for Phase 2 of the Pelotas Sul project in the Pelotas Basin, southern Brazil, with a planned acquisition area of approximately 11,200 km². Offshore data acquisition is scheduled to commence in October 2026 using a Ramform Titan-class seismic vessel, with completion expected between Q2 and Q3 2027. The operation will expand 3D seismic data coverage in the southern offshore portion of the basin.

The Phase 2 project covers blocks with awarded exploration rights as well as open blocks not yet assigned rights. TGS plans to incorporate the acquired data into its multi-client seismic library, enabling oil and gas companies to evaluate subsurface structures in existing blocks and to analyze exploration data for future licensing rounds and potential farm-in transactions. The survey is being conducted by TGS and SLB as a joint project.

Phase 1 of the Pelotas Sul project was officially announced on June 18, 2026, with a planned survey area of approximately 13,500 km². The Ramform Tethys seismic vessel assigned to that phase was mobilized in December 2025, and data acquisition was originally scheduled for completion in early Q3 2026. Phase 2 continues the offshore exploration deployment of Phase 1, with the combined announced survey area of the two phases totaling approximately 24,700 km².

Geological exploration targets in the Pelotas Basin include turbidite systems, deepwater channels, stratigraphic traps, and structural traps. TGS has previously deployed 2D seismic data in the basin and conducted 3D seismic acquisition. Its southern Brazil basin data library contains approximately 62,600 line-km of 2D seismic data for the Pelotas Basin, along with associated well data and potential hydrocarbon target data.