Viridien, TGS Wrap Up OBN Survey in Gulf of America

French seismic firm Viridien, in collaboration with Norway’s TGS, has completed the acquisition of the Laconia Phase III ultra-long offset ocean bottom node (OBN) survey in the Gulf of America.

The latest phase spans 151 OCS blocks and expands ultra-long offset low-frequency OBN coverage of the Paleogene trend to provide improved seismic data and subsurface imaging over this geologically complex area.

Laconia III includes coverage of the BP-owned Kaskida field, discovered in 2006. BP last year approved development of its sixth operated hub over Kaskida, demonstrating the potential in this area, which also includes over a hundred blocks of unlicensed acreage covered by this phase of the project.

The survey was acquired by a TGS deepwater OBN crew using TGS’ ZXPLR nodes and Sercel’s Tuned Pulse Source (TPS).

The Laconia Phase III data set will be imaged using Viridien’s elastic full-waveform inversion (E-FWI) to improve subsalt structural clarity and support further exploration in central Keathley Canyon. Early-out products will be available at the end of October in time for the offshore lease sale scheduled in December. Final products will be delivered in early the first quarter of 2027. 

“Together with TGS, we are acquiring high-quality OBN data and applying our most advanced imaging to give operators the clearest view of these promising yet complex subsalt plays. This collaboration continues to raise the bar for subsalt images, helping the industry unlock new opportunities in the Paleogene trend with greater confidence. Phase III of the Laconia program represents an important step forward for exploration in Keathley Canyon,” said Dechun Lin, EVP, Earth Data, Viridien.

“Laconia Phase III is designed to significantly enhance imaging, optimizing near-term exploration of the critical Paleogene play. Through cooperation with Viridien, utilizing leading-edge OBN acquisition and imaging technologies, we expect sharper subsalt definition, more reliable velocity models and clearer fault imaging supporting both regional and infrastructure-led exploration,” added David Hajovsky, EVP Multi-Client at TGS.