TGS has a hand in Malaysia’s oil & gas discovery, enhances Norwegian exploration ops, and wins another gig in Southern Atlantic

With its advanced seismic imaging technology put in play, the Norway-based energy data and intelligence company TGS has assisted in enabling Petronas, a Malaysian state-owned energy giant, to uncover a new oil and gas discovery. The company also wrapped up its assignment to advance exploration efforts in the Norwegian Sea. In addition, TGS has landed a new deal in the Southern Atlantic.

Following Petronas’ announcement about an offshore oil and gas discovery at the Bekok Deep-1 exploration well in Peninsular Malaysia, which the Malaysian operator described as substantial, TGS pointed out the well was located within the Peninsular Malaysia 3D Mega Merge seismic dataset, representing not only “a significant milestone for the region’s energy sector,”  but also “underscores the value of TGS’ cutting-edge data solutions,”

Drilled in May 2024, the well is said to have yielded promising results from shallow to deep reservoirs through groups I, L, and M, with the well test yielding an excellent hydrocarbon flow rate in the Group I formation and revealing significant hydrocarbon potential in a new play within the Malay Basin.

Commenting on the new milestone, David Hajovsky, EVP of Multi-Client at TGS, remarked: “We are pleased by the success of the Bekok Deep-1 exploration well, which was initially identified using vintage seismic data.

“This discovery highlights the significant hydrocarbon potentials in Peninsular Malaysia and the critical role of advanced seismic imaging technology in unlocking these exploration opportunities. We are proud to have contributed to this accomplishment and remain dedicated to providing our clients with innovative data solutions that advance the future of energy exploration.”

Given Petronas’ commitment to leveraging advanced exploration techniques to secure and expand its resource addition to meet growing demand in Peninsular Malaysia, TGS’ Peninsular Malaysia 3D Mega Merge project involves the reprocessing of field data and merging of over 60 legacy surveys, providing a seamless dataset covering approximately 40,000 sq km. 

By combining modern processing techniques to remove noise and multiple contaminations alongside the latest velocity model building technologies, such as FWI, Q-tomography, well-calibration, and anisotropy, the Norway-based firm’s deliverable is seen as a comprehensive time and depth migrated products, including stacks, angle volumes and gathers, suitable for structural evaluation and further QI studies.

Aside from Malaysia, TGS has also been busy with work in Norway, where it has completed the PGS24M04NWS project in the Outer Vøring area of the Norwegian Sea, carried out by the crew aboard the Ramform Hyperion Titan-class seismic data acquisition ship, extending the 2023 acquisition program in the area. The company explained that the project was supported by industry pre-funding.

The periods of rough weather notwithstanding, the Hyperion, equipped with 24 streamer reels and mutually redundant twin engine rooms with a total power pack of 26.4 MW to drive three 6,000 kW controlled pitch propellers, covered over 1,500 square kilometers of prime production in just one month. After recovering all gear, the vessel made its first port call in Lerwick as part of its demobilization plan.

Hajovsky highlighted: “This accomplishment is a testament to the exceptional teamwork between the crew, operations, navigation, imaging, business development and sales teams. Their collaboration during this busy period for TGS highlights the dedication and coordination that contributed to this fantastic achievement.”

Following the completion of the PGS24M01NWS project in collaboration with the 2016-built Ramform Tethys ultra-high capacity marine seismic acquisition vessel, there was a one-month window before the Hyperion was scheduled to demobilize and enter dry dock.

However, TGS claims that its team’s close coordination with the project’s prefunders enabled all necessary approvals to be swiftly secured, allowing the Hyperion to transition directly to the PGS24M04NWS project area without delay.

According to the Norwegian player, it is working on enhancing its seismic data coverage across the Norwegian Sea with its Geostreamer technology, providing high-end exploration data to resolve the imaging challenges present in the area and improve infrastructure-led exploration to reveal remaining hydrocarbon potential.

Meanwhile, TGS has won a baseline 4D streamer contract in the Southern Atlantic region, which spans around 90 days. While the exact value of the deal and the name of the company that awarded it have not been mentioned, the Norwegian firm did say the award was from an independent energy company.

Kristian Johansen, CEO of TGS, stated: “We are very pleased to secure this contract and look forward to supporting our client’s exploration efforts in the region with our proven technology and expertise. The project represents another key milestone in TGS’ ongoing efforts to lead the way in acquiring and delivering high-quality data globally.”

TGS sees this contract as a way to strengthen its strategic position in the Southern Atlantic, emphasizing its ongoing commitment to providing the highest quality data solutions by leveraging the Ramform acquisition platform and the proprietary multi-sensor GeoStreamer technology.

As a result, TGS believes itself to be well-equipped to deliver results that align with the evolving needs of the energy sector.  A few weeks ago, the company did an ultra-high-resolution 3D (UHRD3D) survey on behalf of Community Offshore Wind in the New York Bight to enable soil condition data to guide the design of an offshore wind project.

At the end of September 2024, TGS pooled resources with Aker BP to digitalize the area where the latter is developing one of its big new projects in the North Sea.