With the Schlumberger WesternGeco Q-Marine point-receiver marine seismic system and dual coil shooting acquisition technique at hand, TGS and Schlumberger have kicked off full-azimuth shoots in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GoM).

Schlumberger said use of the technology and technique will improve illumination and imaging of the subsalt and other complex geologic features in the region.

The multivessel full-azimuth acquisition Revolution XII and XIII surveys will span 306 blocks in the Green Canyon, Atwater Valley and Ewing Bank, recoding offsets greater than 14 km (8.6 miles) for imaging, the company said in a news release. As part of the work, the companies plan to deploy autonomous marine vehicles, which will simultaneously acquire offsets of more than 20 km (12 miles). The coverage area spans about 7,150 sq km (2,760 sq miles).

The surveys are expected to “provide the E&P industry with critical information to support exploration and drilling activity in a region that is expected to remain a priority for our customers,” TGS CEO Kristian Johansen said in the release.

If all goes according to plans, the industry-funding supported acquisition should be complete in first-quarter 2017. Final processed data will be available in early 2018.