PGS data from the offshore Congo coastal basin supports the Republic of Congo ‘open door’ policy for exploration and production opportunities. The Republic of Congo has started an ongoing promotion of all open blocks, including five blocks in the interior Cuvette basin and ten blocks in the Congo coastal basin. Seven of coastal basin blocks are offshore and extensively covered by PGS data.

Licensing and Open Blocks in the Republic of Congo coastal basins (Source: PGS)

In 2019, SNPC and PGS reprocessed a large volume of seismic data within the offshore area of the Congo coastal basin, using a modern reprocessing flow to produce a single merged dataset – Congo MegaSurveyPlus, significantly upgrading the previous regional coverage.

The imaging results are striking and have revitalized the entire basin area with an improved and consistent regional geological perspective.

This reprocessed 3D dataset is tied to wells, to allow a regional interpretation and identification of prospects, plays and migration paths, reducing the technical risks of Congo Shelf exploration.

The coastal basin area presents pre-salt plays and rift structures in prolific shallow-water acreage, close to existing infrastructure. Mesozoic salt basins with associated fields and discoveries extend across this area to the present-day onshore.

The Congo MegaSurveyPlus comprises 12 original 3D surveys, all reprocessed from field data using the latest broadband processing techniques, to deliver PSDM and prestack volumes and clearer images. Increased bandwidth and signal fidelity ensure better velocity models and final images that are more reliable.

Congo MegaSurveyPlus

SNPC and PGS are planning to acquire a new regional MC3D survey over the shallow-water Congo Shelf area “Peu Profund”, to provide extensive new seismic data coverage over this highly prospective and producing area.

"The new data will enhance pre-salt imaging and improve our knowledge of the postsalt opportunities, unlocking plays and prospects not imaged fully by the existing data," says Christine Roche, NV Manager Africa at PGS. 

New Acquisition in 2020

SNPC and PGS are planning to acquire a new MC3D survey on the Congo Shelf in 2020, to expand and upgrade our extensive coverage over this prospective and productive region.

The new data will enhance pre-salt imaging and improve our knowledge of the postsalt opportunities, unlocking new plays and prospects.

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