Southern Viking Graben

Explore this highly prolific area of the NCS using high-quality 3D

Viridien, in collaboration with TGS, has significantly expanded its seismic data library on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) through the completion of two ocean bottom node (OBN) surveys in the Heimdal Terrace and Sleipner area of the Southern Viking Graben.

In addition, a recent reimaging of the Utsira OBN survey—conducted in association with TGS and Aquila Holdings ASA (via its subsidiary Axxis Multi-Client AS)—has contributed to a growing regional OBN footprint that now exceeds 4,000 km².

The three OBN surveys have been seamlessly merged to form the OMEGA Merge—a unified dataset representing the largest contiguous 3D OBN volume on the NCS. This integration supports advanced subsurface imaging and future exploration initiatives.

Cutting-edge seismic technology for complex geology

Our proprietary OBN processing and imaging technology, including time-lag full-waveform inversion (TL-FWI), delivers exceptional 3D seismic volumes that address the region’s geological complexity.

Key benefits of OBN acquisition in the Southern Viking Graben:

Enhanced illumination and resolution of complex geological features, including sand distribution and fault structures
Improved velocity models for accurate depth conversion, enabled by longer offsets
High signal-to-noise ratio with excellent amplitude preservation

Superior data for confident exploration

The newly imaged data shows a significant improvement in resolution and structural clarity over legacy datasets. This enhanced imaging—complete with depth-time conversion—provides critical insights into the region’s subsurface and reservoir potential.

Explorers operating in the Southern Viking Graben can now access high-quality, integrated seismic data to support confident decision-making for years to come.

Heimdal Terrace OBN

Heimdal Terrace OBN, the first dense OBN survey in this area to be acquired by Viridien in cooperation with TGS in 2023. The survey covers the Balder and Ringhorne fields, the King/Prince, Enniberg, and partial Busta discoveries.

435 km² with a 50m x 300m node grid
Final product available now

The final data example on the left shows a west-east-oriented seismic section from the RTM (60Hz) dataset focused on reservoir intervals, highlighting complex depositional features and different fault systems.

Utsira OBN (reimaged by Viridien)

Utsira OBN covers a mature region of the North Sea that includes the Ivar Aasen, Hanz and Gudrun fields, along with several undeveloped discoveries and prospects. Acquired initially by TGS and AGS, Viridien applied leading OBN imaging technologies and advanced velocity model-building techniques to significantly improve image resolution and frequency content for optimized fault interpretation and reservoir characterization.

2,076 km² with a 50m x 300m node grid
Final product available now

This south-west, north-east-orientated seismic section from the 60 Hz RTM dataset highlights complex structural settings and depositional features, with targets spanning from the Triassic to Paleocene.

Viridien Southern Viking Graben Utsira image

West-East orientated seismic section from the 60 Hz RTM dataset, highlighting the complex structural settings and depositional features, with targets spanning from Triassic to Paleocene.

Sleipner OBN

Sleipner OBN, the second of two dense multi-client OBN surveys acquired in the North Sea in 2023, covers a mature region of the North Sea that includes the Sleipner East, Sleipner West, Gina Krog, Volve, and Utgard fields, along with surrounding near-field exploration acreage, offering potential tiebacks to existing infrastructure.

1,201 km² with a 50m x 300m node grid
Final product available now

This west-east-orientated seismic section from the 60 Hz RTM dataset highlights complex structural settings and depositional features, with targets spanning from the Triassic to Paleocene.

South Viking Graben Contacts