TGS launches 5,672.23 sq mile seismic reprocessing project in offshore Côte d’Ivoire with DGH and PETROCI
TGS has launched a seismic data reprocessing project covering 5,672.23 square miles of deepwater offshore Côte d’Ivoire. Announced on October 20, 2026, the MC3D Vision PSDM project is a joint initiative with Direction Générale des Hydrocarbures (DGH) and PETROCI, targeting 3D data originally acquired across the Côte d’Ivoire and San Pedro Basins between 2014 and 2018.
Project launch and scope
The MC3D Vision PSDM project pulls together GeoStreamer 3D seismic data from several separate surveys TGS acquired between 2014 and 2018. Rather than collecting new data, it takes that existing dataset — all 5,672.23 square miles of it — and runs it through a modern reprocessing workflow.
The geographic focus spans two deepwater basins: the Côte d’Ivoire Basin and the San Pedro Basin. Both sit along Côte d’Ivoire’s offshore margin and have drawn sustained interest from exploration companies chasing deepwater hydrocarbon opportunities in West Africa.
That timeline gives exploration companies in the region a clear window for when improved subsurface imaging will be available to inform their prospect evaluation.
DGH, the national hydrocarbon authority of Côte d’Ivoire, and state energy company PETROCI are both named partners. Their involvement signals official support from the country’s energy governance structure — something well beyond a straightforward commercial deal between private data providers.
Why reprocessing is needed: Imaging challenges in deepwater geology
Deepwater geology is rarely straightforward. Sediment layers above the target zones — the overburden — can vary significantly in velocity, meaning seismic waves travel through them at different speeds depending on rock type and structure. Those variations aren’t a minor inconvenience; they distort the seismic image of deeper formations and reduce amplitude fidelity, which affects how reliably geologists can interpret rock and fluid properties in potential reservoirs.
The surveys from 2014 to 2018 used TGS’s GeoStreamer technology, which was state-of-the-art at the time. Processing methods have advanced considerably since then, and reprocessing the same raw data with newer techniques can yield meaningfully better results — without the cost and logistics of acquiring brand-new seismic surveys.
For operators deciding whether to commit to expensive deepwater exploration wells, that improvement in image quality directly affects their confidence in what’s sitting beneath the seafloor.
Technology and methods applied
The reprocessing workflow opens with updated pre-processing steps designed to clean and condition the raw seismic data before the main imaging phase begins. Velocity model building is where one of the more advanced tools enters: E-DMFWI, or Enhanced Deep Marine Full Waveform Inversion. This method compares modeled seismic waveforms with the actual recorded data, then iteratively updates the velocity model until the two match as closely as possible — with the deep marine variant tailored specifically to deepwater conditions.
Once the velocity model is built, Kirchhoff Pre-Stack Depth Migration — PSDM — handles the final imaging. It repositions seismic reflections to their true subsurface locations in depth rather than in the two-way travel time that raw seismic data uses, producing a more geometrically accurate picture of what lies underground. The combined effect is expected to sharpen reservoir intervals and stratigraphic features along the offshore margin — exactly the detail exploration teams need before committing to drilling decisions.
Delivery timeline and deliverables
TGS has set a two-stage delivery schedule. Fast-track products are expected in Q2 2027, giving operators an early look at the reprocessed data while the full workflow is still being completed. Final products follow in Q4 2027.
That timeline gives exploration companies in the region a clear window for when improved subsurface imaging will be available to inform their prospect evaluation.
David Hajovsky, TGS’s Executive Vice President of Multi-Client, put the project’s purpose plainly. “Enhanced imaging will enable operators to identify and evaluate prospects with greater confidence, reduce subsurface uncertainty and mature exploration opportunities across Côte d’Ivoire,” he said. The practical goal is to move exploration opportunities further along the maturity curve — from uncertain leads to better-defined prospects that operators can actually act on.
What this project tells us about TGS’s West Africa strategy
The Côte d’Ivoire project doesn’t stand alone. TGS (via LinkedIn) has described it as part of a broader MC3D Vision reprocessing initiative covering multiple areas across West Africa, pointing to a regional approach rather than a one-off effort.
TGS runs a global energy data library and provides subsurface data services across the energy sector. Multi-client seismic programs — where data is acquired or reprocessed once and then licensed to multiple operators — sit at the core of that business model, and Africa has been a recurring focus for those programs.
By working alongside DGH and PETROCI, TGS is engaging directly with Côte d’Ivoire’s national institutions. That can ease data access, align with local content expectations, and signal a longer-term commitment to the country’s exploration landscape rather than a purely transactional one.
Turning older seismic data into sharper images
The MC3D Vision PSDM project brings together 5,672.23 square miles of legacy GeoStreamer data, modern reprocessing technology, and a three-way partnership with Côte d’Ivoire’s national hydrocarbon institutions. The core objective is straightforward: turn older seismic data into sharper subsurface images that give exploration operators more confidence in the deepwater Côte d’Ivoire and San Pedro Basins. Fast-track results are due in Q2 2027, with final deliverables following in Q4 2027.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
