New insights on the role of low-velocity shales in subsalt Paleogene exploration in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico

New long-offset, low-frequency (LOLF) OBN acquired using the innovative TPS low-frequency source provides transformational imaging of the subsalt geology in the complex and inboard, minibasin domain of the central Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The role of low-velocity (LV) shale bodies in the deformation, which fundamentally controls exploration in this domain, has, until now, been under-recognized. The new data, even in the early-out test, is already providing the basis for significantly improved understanding on deepwater Paleogene. Further processing, with the latest elastic FWI, is likely to provide data that will drive renewed exploration activity in this previously challenging part of a prolific basin.