Guyana advances major offshore seismic project to attract more oil exploration

The Government of Guyana, through the Natural Resources Ministry, has announced progress on a 3D Multi-Client Seismic Acquisition project aimed at strengthening the country’s offshore petroleum framework and supporting the modernisation of its energy sector.
The project will be supported by Viridien following an international procurement process that began on September 6, 2025.
Viridien, formerly CGG Services (US) Inc, has worked with the Government of Guyana since 2010 and has been responsible for acquiring, processing and managing the country’s seismic data. The new agreement continues that partnership.

Viridien specialises in geoscience, subsurface imaging and high-performance computing for the energy, mining and environmental sectors. The company has experience in seismic acquisition and processing across global energy markets.
The 3D seismic survey will use sound waves to generate detailed, three-dimensional images of the earth’s subsurface. The technology is commonly used to map geological structures, identify potential oil and gas deposits and guide drilling activities.
Under the agreement, the seismic acquisition will be carried out without direct public spending. The project will be funded through a pre-funding model in which energy companies provide capital for the surveys in exchange for early access to the data. The Government of Guyana will retain full ownership of the data, which can later be licensed to other companies for a fee.
The survey will cover about 25,000 square kilometres offshore Guyana. The area includes the 11 blocks from the 2022 licensing round located south of the Stabroek Block and extending to the Guyana-Suriname border.
The agreement also provides for the reprocessing and integration of existing seismic datasets across the three survey lots.
Officials say the data collected will help reduce exploration risk in the Guyana Basin and support more informed exploration decisions. It is also expected to improve the basin’s attractiveness to investors and support future bid rounds.
As part of the agreement, the acquisition partners have committed to maximise the use of local content in line with national legislation and provide technical training and capacity-building for petroleum sector regulatory agencies.