Norwegian seismic player TGS has announced a new 3D seismic survey in the Egyptian Red Sea, to be conducted in partnership with Schlumberger.

The survey represents the second phase of new acquisition for the partners in this region and will encompass a minimum of 5,000 square kilometers.

Data will be acquired with long offsets and processed using a Pre-Stack Depth Migration (PSDM) workflow to enable subsalt imaging.

The acquisition is expected to start in April 2022, with final products anticipated in mid-2023 to ensure availability ahead of future license rounds in the region, according to the partners.

Kristian Johansen, CEO at TGS, said: “TGS has a strong track record of success in enhancing exploration efforts in the region. We are committed to our goal of improving subsurface understanding for our clients in the Egyptian Red Sea.

“Through modern acquisition and imaging technologies, we aim to further increase exploration potential in a country that continues to attract investment from E&P companies.”

Egypt’s attractive, stable investment climate, enhanced by established exploration infrastructure and complemented by regular, transparent, and well-managed licensing rounds, has helped bolster interest in the Red Sea.

The region is considered to hold significant hydrocarbon potential characterized by a wide range of prospective hydrocarbon systems comprising large, untested structures.

TGS and Schlumberger have a long-term commitment with the Egypt Ministry of Petroleum and South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company (GANOPE) to promote the prospectivity of the Egyptian Red Sea through the acquisition and processing of seismic data.

Late in February 2022, TGS and Schlumberger informed they acquired over 50% of the 3D survey over the northern portion of the Egyptian Red Sea.

The final processed dataset from this industry-funded survey is expected in the fourth quarter of 2022.