First Published: Offshore Magazine - Jan/Feb 2026, by Igor Marino, Andrey Bogachev, Marc Rocke, TGS
Modern long-offset ocean-bottom node (OBN) surveys, combined with enhanced frequency sources and advanced imaging, are setting a new benchmark for complex salt exploration in the US Gulf.
Key Highlights
- Long-offset OBN surveys provide extended recording offsets and flexible seafloor sensor placement, improving subsalt illumination and structural imaging in salt-rich environments.
- The Amendment and APEX programs have demonstrated the operational feasibility and significant imaging improvements achievable with integrated OBN workflows.
- The shift to dense, fully integrated OBN surveys enables true OBN-only imaging, reducing reliance on streamer data and unlocking complex subsalt prospects in frontier offshore basins.
The OPD/SOBD map highlights the eastern and western regions in the Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America, along with oil and gas fields.
Read the full article here.