Nigeria

Why Nigeria?

The offshore Nigerian shelf is West Africa's most prolific hydrocarbon province, boasting multiple billion-barrel discoveries and decades of successful production. Nigeria remains a major oil producer in Africa, with approximately 37 billion barrels of oil reserves, ranking among the top ten globally. The country produces between 1.3 and 1.8 million barrels of crude oil daily and has over 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, with the potential to reach 600 trillion cubic feet.

At TGS, in partnership with PetroData, we are committed to providing top-tier data in the region. Our datasets include the Nigeria MegaSurvey and MegaSurveyPlus which provide mega-regional 3D seismic coverage, the recently completed Nigeria Vision and Awele deepwater 3D PSDM datasets, Vintage 2D seismic and a deepwater 2D survey reprocessed to PSDM in 2019.

These seismic datasets are complemented by a comprehensive regional Multibeam and Seafloor Sampling (MB&SS) study, and a pioneering geochemical coring project. These resources are uniquely positioned to evaluate a wide range of exploration opportunities in open and deepwater acreage.

Nigeria License Round 2025

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) is offering 50 blocks in its 2025 licensing round, including 21 shallow water blocks and one deepwater block. The remaining 28 blocks are located onshore across the Niger Delta and the Benue Trough/Anambra Basin further inland. Prequalification is expected to close February 2026, and bidding will be overseen by the NUPRC and scheduled to conclude by July 2026.

TGS is supporting this round with a suite of offshore subsurface data, including 2D and 3D seismic, multibeam, coring, and geochemical programs – the first of its kind in the region. Our multibeam and seafloor sampling dataset, which is mandatory for all pre-qualified bidders, covers approximately 82,000 km2 and provides a fresh perspective on exploration plays in deep-water Nigeria, offering fresh insights to prospective bidders for exploration risk management and aligning with the government's goals of reserve maturation and production optimization. 

Awele 3D: Deepwater PSDM

The Awele 3D multi-client seismic program, which commenced acquisition in Q3 of 2023, aims to enhance Nigeria’s energy potential by providing valuable data insights into untapped hydrocarbon resources and revealing prospectivity in the offshore deep and ultra-deep waters of the Niger Delta Basin.

Final PSDM products (approx. 11,430 km2) featuring a high-resolution velocity model with FWI integrated with tomography are available now. TGS is showcasing the prospectivity and de-risking drilling operations in one of Africa's largest and oldest hydrocarbon producers will further bolster Nigeria’s energy production capacity to meet the rising energy demand. 

Nigeria's Deepwater Potential

With significantly improved imaging of more than 17,000 km of PSDM reprocessed 2D seismic offshore Nigeria, TGS-PD data will enable a better understanding of the petroleum system of the deepwater offshore area. TGS depth imaging creates more accurate dip and realistic volume interpretation of features of interest. The potential for new license rounds over the deepwater open blocks, in conjunction with lower-risk petroleum play concepts, could once again establish Nigeria as West Africa’s flagship country for exploration.

More than ten currently producing fields in water depths of 1,000 m to 3,000 m confirm source rock presence and maturity in the deepwater region offshore Nigeria. These indicate that the Akata formation shales can be mature for oil further outboard than the shelf and that there are feasible migration paths and trap charge scenarios in the distal part of the delta lobes. This makes prospects further outboard viable, such as those identified in the outer fold and thrust belt. Structural analyses on the fault and thrust patterns and detachment mechanisms of the margin slope show various viable setups of charging several folds and thrusts along the slope.