TGS, a leading provider of energy data and intelligence, today announced the completion of the PGS23M02NWS seismic survey in the Vøring Basin, part of a two-year campaign. This will help the industry better understand this complex volcanic region by enhancing the subsurface data with the latest processing techniques and acquisition technology. 

The survey, a continuation of the vintage dual source PGS16004 Aasta Hansteen project, spans roughly 8,000 km². The acquisition configuration employed wide tow triple sources for improved near-offset coverage, deep-tow multi-sensor GeoStreamer to enhance signal-to-noise ratio, and extended streamers for better full waveform inversion (FWI) estimation. TGS applied broadband processing, including machine learning techniques, to suppress noise and improve imaging of deeper intrusives. 

Executive Vice President of Multi-Client, David Hajovsky, commented on the project, 
“This high-quality data volume provides insight into regional and local structures and stratigraphy in the Outer Vøring, supporting efforts to reduce exploration risk and improve the potential for discovery. Large-scale 3D surveys using modern technology and consistent processing are essential in these geologically complex settings.” 

The Vøring Basin, located on the mid-Norwegian continental margin, has seen limited drilling in the past two decades. Discoveries, including Obelix (6605/1-2), Irpa (6705/10-1), and Balderbrå (6604/5-1), have primarily yielded gas in the Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous. While the Aasta Hansteen field has been developed, drilling in the Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic intervals has yet to be successful. 

The Vøring Basin represents an underexplored area on the mid-Norwegian continental margin with limited drilling over the last two decades. The discoveries made have been gas in the Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous intervals (e.g., Obelix, 6605/1-2; Irpa, 6705/10-1; Balderbrå, 6604/5-1) and the developed Aasta Hansteen field. Well drilling attempts to reach Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic have been unsuccessful.

A major magmatic event during the Paleocene–Early Eocene resulted in extensive intrusions, significantly impacting reservoir structure, maturation, and fluid flow. Improved subsurface imaging over the last decade is helping geoscientists interpret these features and their influence on the regional petroleum system. 

Over the last decade, challenging subsurface imaging with intrusions and hydrothermal vent complexes has improved through acquisition and improved subsurface imaging along the Atlantic Margin. Understanding these, how they are linked, and their influences on the petroleum system and reservoir levels are crucial for the continued exploration of the region. 

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