French seismic player CGG has launched a large seismic data re-imaging programme covering 300 blocks in the Walker Ridge area of the US Gulf of Mexico following a string of discoveries in the region.

The programme includes "two priority areas of significant industry interest" in the Wilcox formation, CGG said. The formation is "deformed by thrusts and folds beneath multiple thick salt sheets and shales that have historically been difficult to image," the company said in a release.

The news follows an announcement earlier this year that Norway's Equinor and its partners had struck oil at its Monument prospect in Walker Ridge Block 316 in the central US Gulf. In addition, Llog's delayed Shenandoah project and Chevron's massive Ballymore discovery are all situated on Walker Ridge blocks.

The company plans to reprocess existing data with 3D deghosting, 3D surface-related multiple elimination (SRME) and its advanced new velocity modelling technologies, including time-lag full waveform inversion (FWI) and FWI imaging.

"Preliminary test results show significant uplift in imaging of the subsalt fold-belts and continuity of reflectors within the Eocene and Paleocene exploration targets," CGG said.

The Walker Ridge Wide-Azimuth and StagSeis DEUX surveys will provide input for the project and the reprocessed data will deliver "valuable, high-quality imaging throughout the programme" with the two priority discovery areas being processed on an accelerated schedule, the company said.

Final products are expected in February 2021 and May 2021 respectively, ahead of the full program results, due out by the end of 2021.

CGG chief executive Sophie Zurquiyah said: "Production in the Walker Ridge area has been consistent and continues to grow with recent discoveries. As the industry leader in seismic data processing, we are continually developing new technology and techniques that we can apply to existing data to provide our clients with the best, most technically advanced images of the subsurface. Advances in technology and the results from this project will allow for more efficient decision-making in finding and producing oil and gas."

Exploration

Large US Gulf seismic project kicks off