3D seismic technology was central to the discovery of Guyana’s offshore oil resources, allowing explorers to map deep subsurface structures before drilling began and reducing uncertainty in a high-cost deepwater environment.
The method uses sound waves sent from survey vessels into the seabed. The waves reflect off underground rock layers and are recorded by sensors. The data is processed to produce three-dimensional images of subsurface formations, showing potential oil and gas traps.
In Guyana, the technology was deployed across the Stabroek Block by ExxonMobil and its co-venturers during early exploration campaigns. It was used to identify drilling targets in complex deepwater geology, where salt layers and sediment structures can obscure signals.
The approach helped narrow prospects and reduce the risk of dry wells in a frontier basin. It also improved confidence in identifying large-scale hydrocarbon systems offshore.
It was 3D seismic technology that helped determine a list of prospects, including what resulted in the Liza discovery in 2015, which confirmed commercial quantities of oil in deepwater Guyana. That find was followed by additional discoveries over the last decade.
Guyana commissioning 3D seismic study to support offshore exploration, future bid rounds | OilNOW
Seismic data will be key to attracting offshore investment in future offshore licensing rounds. Guyana expects to launch its second such round in the future, and officials have noted the need for seismic data to increase the attractiveness of the acreages expected to be offered. New 3D surveys will also help establish Guyana’s first Petroleum Data Repository.
The technology, which played a key role in turning Guyana’s frontier acreage into one of the world’s fastest-growing oil provinces, remains a standard tool in offshore exploration globally.
The country’s oil output currently exceeds 900,000 barrels per day (b/d). When the fifth project, Uaru, comes on stream, production is expected to surpass 1 million b/d.
ExxonMobil operates the Stabroek Block with a 45% interest, while Hess (owned by Chevron) holds a 30% interest and CNOOC holds 25%.
