First Published: GEO ExPro - Exploration Opportunities, August 2026, by Kyle Reuber, Derek Unger, Pedro Zalan, Henri Houllevigue, Kenneth Shipper, TGS
Abstract
The Pará-Maranhão Basin on Brazil’s Equatorial Margin is an underexplored but promising deepwater frontier, where modern high-resolution 3D seismic data is critical for reducing exploration risk and imaging complex subsurface geology. Recent PAMA 3D surveys by TGS, covering over 30,000 km², provide unprecedented detail from basement to shallow stratigraphy, improving understanding of basin evolution and reservoir distribution. The basin, situated along the St. Paul Fracture Zone, contains complex structures, including gravitational fold-and-thrust belts, magmatic intrusions and varied depositional systems. These new data have provided insights into influences on sediment pathways and trap formation, while seismic attributes reveal channels, fans and amplitude anomalies indicative of hydrocarbons.
An arbitrary seismic line that captures key elements from the prospective deep-water Pará-Maranhão Basin.
Recent discoveries in nearby basins and historical drilling confirm an active petroleum system in the region. Overall, integrated seismic interpretation highlights strong exploration potential and suggests that the deepwater basin may be nearing a transition from frontier to discovery phase.
Read the full article here.