TGS, in partnership with Angola’s Agência Nacional de Petróleo, Gás e Biocombustíveis (ANPG), has completed the reprocessing of seismic data for Block 16 in the Lower Congo Basin. This initiative aims to provide enhanced imaging and improve exploration potential in an area that has remained largely underexplored since the early 2010s.
Block 16, situated between TotalEnergies’ Block 17 and ExxonMobil’s Block 15, has yet to yield significant discoveries since deepwater exploration began in the 1990s. Shell made two sub-commercial finds, Bengo (1994) and Longa (1995), before exiting the region due to disappointing appraisal results.
TGS announced the reprocessing project on February 26, 2025, citing a renewed interest in deepwater exploration in the Lower Congo Basin following a series of major discoveries. The project covers 3,684 square kilometers and employs modern depth processing techniques to enhance imaging of both post-salt and pre-salt formations.
The company highlighted the potential of the area, stating, “Recent re-evaluation of wells in the Lower Congo Basin has identified oil recovery from Upper Miocene reservoirs in the southern portion of the survey area. Additionally, the survey provides partial coverage of the Tchihumba Field, a marginal field development opportunity currently marketed by ANPG.”
Discovered in 2003, the Tchihumba Field contains hydrocarbon-bearing zones with estimated recoverable volumes of approximately 136 million barrels. The Lumpembe-1 discovery in Block 15/06, drilled in 2023, also falls within the survey’s coverage area.
Source: Africa Oil Gas Report
