Angola: TGS Completes Block 16 Seismic Reprocessing

Energy data and intelligence company TGS – in partnership with Angola’s upstream regulator the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency – has completed the reprocessing of the GeoStreamer MC3D seismic dataset in Angola’s Block 16, situated in the offshore Lower Congo Basin.

Covering an area of 3,684 km², the dataset offers in-depth processing workflows that deliver imaging beyond the initial dataset. The reprocessed data enables a detailed evaluation of deeper target plays in both post-salt and pre-salt sections, while partially-covering marginal fields such as the Tchihumba field – discovered in 2003 and containing hydrocarbon-bearing zones.

“These accumulations, along with the proximity of significant neighboring discoveries, present strong opportunities for future exploration success,” says David Hajovsky, Executive Vice President: Multi-Client at TGS.

Largely underexplored, Block 16’s most recent exploratory well was drilled in 2013. While oil and gas discoveries have historically been limited to the Bengo and Longa Upper Miocene finds in the northern section of the block – discovered in 1994 and 1995, respectively – a recent re-evaluation of the wells in the southern section have revealed potential oil recovery. The TGS-reprocessed data improves the geological understanding of the block, supporting new exploration efforts.