Offshore Brazil’s Permanent Concession Offer Bid Rounds
With over 965,000 kilometers of 2D multi-client data and approximately 590,000 square kilometers of 3D multi-client data offshore Brazil, TGS offers unmatched seismic coverage across key basins in Brazil’s fifth Permanent Concession Offer cycle, supporting exploration across 152 offshore blocks with advanced 2D and 3D data.
Brazil’s Permanent Concession Offer (OPC)
Brazil’s Permanent Concession Offer (OPC) is a continuous bidding process for oil and gas exploration, managed by Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP). Unlike traditional auctions, companies can bid on specific blocks at any time. Once fees are paid, a 120-day cycle begins, with sealed bids evaluated based on signature bonuses and work commitments. The process offers flexibility and ongoing access to both onshore and offshore blocks.
The fifth OPC cycle launched on Feb. 11, 2025. Thirty-one companies are confirmed as eligible bidders. The next major milestone is the public bid session, tentatively scheduled for June 17, 2025. A total of 172 blocks were announced, with 152 of them being offshore exploration blocks spread across five different basins, as shown on the map below.
OPC Current Cycle Timeline
Public Bidding Session
Deadline to Submit Declarations of Interest/Offer Guarantees for Offered Sectors
Publication of Sectors Offered in the 5th OPC Cycle
Publication of List of Eligible Registered Bidders
Deadline to Submit Declarations of Interest with Offer Guarantees (Annex I Sectors)
Deadline to Update Registration Documents
Deadline for New Registrations
Opening of the 5th OPC Cycle
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Foz do Amazonas, Pará-Maranhão and Barreirinhas Basins
In the fifth cycle of Brazil’s Permanent Concession Offer, 48 exploratory blocks are included across the Foz do Amazonas, Pará-Maranhão and Barreirinhas basins. Historically underexplored, this area is drawing renewed interest due to geological similarities with Guyana and Suriname, where major oil discoveries have been made.
Our data library offers over 22,000 square kilometers of 3D seismic data over the Foz do Amazonas Basin and over 35,000 kilometers of 2D data, with 20,000 kilometers recently reprocessed. In Pará-Maranhão, more than 8,000 kilometers of new 2D data have been added, complementing 25,000 kilometers of newly reprocessed data. The Barreirinhas Basin is fully covered by modern long-offset 2D data acquired in 2017.
TGS launched PAMA Phase 1, a 19,000-square-kilometer multi-client 3D seismic program covering three blocks. With acquisition now complete, the company has begun PAMA Phase 2, an 11,000-square-kilometer 3D program focused on the Pará-Maranhão Basin. While this survey does not cover blocks in the fifth cycle, it targets areas expected in future bid rounds. In addition, TGS has reprocessed about 260,000 square kilometers of 2D data to develop our state-of-the-art 2D Cube, a tailored tool designed to support basin-entry strategies.
Ceará and Potiguar Basins
The Potiguar Basin, a key hydrocarbon exploration frontier along Brazil's Equatorial Margin, includes 16 exploratory blocks, with two additional blocks located in the adjacent Ceará Basin. This area has attracted growing interest driven by recent drilling successes and enhanced seismic interpretation, notably from TGS’ Aquiraz 3D survey, which highlights well-defined Mid to Late Cretaceous channel and fan systems, characteristic of turbidite reservoirs.
TGS offers extensive 2D seismic coverage across both the Ceará and Potiguar basins, complemented by high-quality 3D streamer surveys — including Potiguar Aquiraz and Potiguar Aracati Geostreamer — which cover several of the blocks included in the 5th Cycle of the OPC.
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Campos and Santos Basins
TGS holds the most extensive 2D and 3D seismic coverage in the Campos and Santos basins, with a unique position across many of the blocks included in this bid round. This coveted area holds blocks surrounded by major operators, and our supporting data allow the structural highs for the blocks on offer to be clearly identified and mapped.
In Santos Basin, TGS’ advanced 3D broadband program covers Blocks S-M-163 and S-M-1617. The area features deepwater settings with thick, uninterrupted layered evaporites overlaying pre-salt horsts and grabens combining multiple four-way closures resembling the prolific outer high at Tupi. The "last frontier" of the Brazilian Pre-salt play pushes the boundaries of the state's EEZ but shares features with major Santos Basin discoveries.
The Santos Sul 3DMC survey is the flagship dataset for Southern Brazil. It delivers triple-source GeoStreamer acquisition combined with advanced imaging techniques, including Inversion Deblending and Dynamic Matching Full Waveform Inversion. This next-generation 3D seismic data provides critical insights for blocks included in both deepwater and shallow-water areas of the fifth OPC cycle.
Pelotas Basin
The fifth OPC cycle marks another pivotal moment for the Pelotas Basin, with 34 blocks on offer. Industry interest is high, driven by the basin’s potential to expand Brazil’s oil reserves, estimated between 10 billion and 15 billion barrels. With growing interest from major international players, Pelotas is emerging as a key part of Brazil’s future energy strategy.
TGS holds approximately 150,000 line kilometers of 2D seismic data in the Pelotas Basin, providing critical insights to support new ventures strategies. The company offers the most modern 2D multi-client broadband datasets covering the bid-round blocks in the Southern Pelotas Basin. These datasets are not publicly available.
TGS’ library also extends into the Northern Pelotas Basin and Santos South, making it the only resource with this level of regional coverage and providing a distinct advantage for new ventures teams conducting regional assessments.
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