A sustained decline in offshore seismic activity could limit future exploration drilling as oil and gas companies depend on high-quality subsurface data to identify and evaluate prospects, according to Westwood Global Energy Group.
In a report published August 19, Westwood found that the number of 3D seismic surveys acquired globally has fallen since 2015, with exploration-focused surveys recording a sharper decline.
The company analyzed 1,132 3D seismic surveys acquired between 2015 and 2025, an average of about 100 surveys annually. The total number of surveys acquired each year fell by about 27% between 2015 and 2022, while exploration surveys declined by 65% over the same period.
The decline is also visible in the amount of exploration coverage acquired. Full-fold exploration 3D coverage fell from about 387,000 square kilometers in 2015 to about 143,000 square kilometers in 2024, before recovering somewhat in 2025.
Seismic data is used to map subsurface structures, identify prospects and support decisions throughout the exploration and production cycle. Westwood noted that an exploration well is typically spudded about 2.5 years after a 3D seismic survey is completed, making seismic acquisition an indicator of future drilling activity.
About 75% of exploration 3D surveys acquired between 2015 and 2024 remain undrilled, according to the report. Westwood said high-quality seismic data can also lead companies to abandon prospects that appear less attractive after detailed analysis.
“Unfortunately, as less data has been acquired, the number of active streamer vessels has reduced as seismic companies look to maintain utilization rates and revenue. The number of vessels actively engaged in 3D streamer acquisition has halved, from 49 in 2015 to 25 in 2025. Whilst many older vessels are being taken out of service, there has only been one newbuild since 2017, and the median age of the fleet is increasing each year,” Westwood stated.
SLB unveils seismic technology to give earlier insight into reservoir rocks and fluids | OilNOW
Ocean bottom receiver surveys have taken a larger share of the seismic market, rising from 7% of total surveys in 2015 to 36% in 2025. However, most of this activity has focused on fields already in development or production rather than exploration.
Brazil recorded the largest area of seismic data acquisition between 2015 and 2025 at about 132,000 square kilometers, followed by Turkey, Egypt, the United States and Norway.
Westwood warned that a renewed increase in exploration could face capacity constraints if demand for seismic surveys rises faster than the available vessel and streamer fleet.
