TGS’s 2D-Cubed Technology: Unlocking India’s Andaman Frontier Basin 

TGS is launching a transformative 2D-cubed seismic project in India’s offshore Andaman region, covering 640,000 km² to convert existing 2D seismic data into a regional 3D volume, thereby enabling explorers to use advanced 3D interpretation tools for better subsurface analysis in this frontier basin. This initiative, strategically timed with India’s OALP-X bid round and a 3% annual growth in hydrocarbon demand, aims to de-risk exploration and accelerate decision-making by providing clearer insights into the area’s promising siliciclastic sediment basins, which have gained recent interest due to gas discoveries, though operations must navigate the significant seismic hazards inherent in this tectonically active region.

TGS’s 2D-Cubed Technology: Unlocking India’s Andaman Frontier Basin 

Introduction: A Game-Changer in Offshore Exploration 

The energy exploration landscape in Asia is undergoing a quiet revolution, with advanced seismic technology pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in frontier regions. In November 2025, TGS, a global leader in energy data and intelligence, announced a groundbreaking multi-client 2D-cubed seismic project encompassing a massive 640,000 square kilometers in India’s offshore Andaman region. This ambitious initiative represents more than just another seismic survey—it showcases how digital innovation is transforming our ability to understand complex geological environments while supporting India’s strategic energy security goals. 

The Andaman project comes at a pivotal moment for India’s energy sector. With the country’s economic growth driving approximately 3% annual increase in hydrocarbon demand, and recent gas discoveries highlighting the region’s potential, this 2D-cubed dataset promises to provide unprecedented insights into one of Asia’s most promising yet underexplored basins. By converting legacy 2D data into an interpretable 3D volume, TGS is enabling explorers to make more confident decisions in a high-potential but challenging frontier environment. 

The 2D-Cubed Revolution – More Than Just Data Conversion 

Understanding the Technology 

At its core, 2D-cubed technology represents a significant leap beyond traditional seismic processing methods. It employs what TGS describes as a “structurally conformable interpolation engine” that transforms conventional 2D seismic lines into a continuous 3D volume interpretable on a regional scale. This transformation allows geoscientists to fully utilize modern 3D interpretation software and workflows on what would otherwise be limited 2D datasets, bridging a critical gap between regional screening and detailed prospect evaluation. 

The technological magic lies in its sophisticated algorithm that honors the structural geological framework of the basin. Unlike simple interpolation methods that might create artificial smoothing or artifacts, this approach uses dip and coherency attributes derived from the original 2D data to guide the interpolation between lines. The result is a spatially continuous 3D volume that maintains geological realism while filling in the gaps between existing 2D surveys—essentially creating a comprehensive 3D perspective from disparate 2D datasets. 

Technical Workflow – From Disparate Data to Coherent Volume 

The transformation process follows a meticulous, multi-stage workflow designed to maximize the value of existing data while ensuring geological integrity: 

• Data unification and conditioning: The first step involves gathering available 2D multi-vintage data and creating a unified dataset through demigration, followed by matching amplitude and phase characteristics across different surveys. This crucial step eliminates inconsistencies that could compromise later interpretation. 

• Attribute analysis and model building: The system then estimates key attributes like dip and coherency, which capture the structural fabric of the subsurface. This information becomes the guiding intelligence for the interpolation process, ensuring that the resulting volume respects the actual geological trends. 

• Structurally guided interpolation: Using the attribute analysis, the algorithm interpolates between existing 2D lines, creating a continuous 3D volume. This process effectively “fills in the gaps” with geologically reasonable data rather than mathematical artifacts. 

• 3D migration: The interpolated volume undergoes 3D migration, a critical step that properly positions reflectors in space and minimizes 2D migration artifacts, resulting in a volume suitable for detailed interpretation. 

This sophisticated workflow represents a paradigm shift in how the industry can leverage historical seismic investments to gain new insights without the time and expense of acquiring new 3D surveys over vast areas. 

The Andaman Project – Scale, Scope and Strategic Importance 

Unprecedented Geographical Coverage 

The sheer scale of TGS’s Andaman initiative is staggering. Covering 640,000 square kilometers in the offshore Andaman region, the project spans both shallow and deepwater siliciclastic sediment basins within the Andaman-Nicobar basin. Specifically, the project area encompasses four blocks from India’s OALP-X Bid Round, highlighting its immediate relevance to upcoming licensing activities and exploration programs. 

This massive scope positions the project as one of the most extensive 2D-cubed initiatives ever undertaken in the region. To put this in perspective, the coverage area is larger than many European countries combined, demonstrating TGS’s commitment to providing regional context in a frontier setting where such data would otherwise be economically prohibitive to acquire through conventional 3D seismic. 

Strategic and Economic Drivers 

Multiple strategic factors underpin the timing and location of this ambitious project: 

• Recent Discoveries: The announcement specifically references recent gas discoveries offshore Andaman Island, along with ongoing deepwater well campaigns and additional gas finds on the Indonesian side of the Andaman Basin. These successes have highlighted the substantial hydrocarbon potential of the region and generated significant industry interest. 

• India’s Energy Demand: With India’s hydrocarbon demand growing at approximately 3% annually amid rapid economic expansion, the pressure to identify new domestic sources of oil and gas has intensified. This dataset directly supports national energy security objectives by enabling more effective exploration in a promising frontier area. 

• Bid Round Preparation: The project’s alignment with the OALP-X bid round blocks provides timely intelligence for companies evaluating these opportunities, potentially accelerating exploration cycles and improving bid quality. 

David Hajovsky, Executive Vice President of Multi-Client at TGS, captured the strategic importance succinctly: “This India Andaman 2D-cubed product extends our existing regional multi-client footprint and significantly complements our India multi-client data library. It offers operators a clearer, more detailed understanding of the subsurface, helping them evaluate prospectivity with greater confidence and reduce uncertainty in frontier exploration.” 

Geological Context – Promise and Peril in the Andaman Basin 

Hydrocarbon Potential 

The Andaman-Nicobar region represents a classic frontier basin with demonstrated petroleum systems but limited exploration penetration. Geologically, the area consists of siliciclastic sediment basins in both shallow and deepwater environments, with analogs to productive basins elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The recent gas discoveries referenced in TGS’s announcement confirm the presence of working hydrocarbon systems, while the vast unexplored areas suggest significant potential for additional discoveries. 

The region’s geological setting along the active Andaman-Sumatra subduction zone creates complex structural patterns that both challenge interpretation and potentially create diverse trapping configurations. This complexity makes the detailed, spatially continuous imaging provided by the 2D-cubed approach particularly valuable, as it enables interpreters to better understand fault systems and structural relationships that control hydrocarbon accumulation. 

Seismic Risk Considerations 

The Andaman region’s geological dynamics that create hydrocarbon potential also introduce significant exploration challenges and risks. The islands sit squarely in Seismic Zone V, India’s highest category for earthquake vulnerability, where the Indian Plate subducts beneath the Burmese Microplate along the Andaman Trench. 

The region’s tragic experience with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which claimed approximately 1,500 lives in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands alone, underscores the serious seismic hazards. Recent scientific studies, including research from IIT-Kanpur analyzing sediments from Badabalu beach in South Andaman, have identified evidence of at least seven large tsunami events in the last 8,000 years. 

Professor C.P. Rajendran, a geo-scientist at the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bengaluru, notes that “earthquake recurrence is a non-linear process. You could have centuries without any mega-quake and then suddenly a massive one.” He further highlights that there are “parallel rupture lines south of the Andamans whose pent-up energy and history were unknown,” creating additional uncertainty for infrastructure development and exploration activities. 

These seismic considerations will inevitably influence both the technical approach to exploration and the design of any future production infrastructure in the region, making comprehensive subsurface understanding through tools like the 2D-cubed data even more critical. 

Industry Impact and Market Context 

Transforming Frontier Exploration Economics 

The 2D-cubed approach fundamentally changes the economic calculus for frontier basin exploration. Traditional 3D seismic acquisition over 640,000 square kilometers would represent a prohibitive investment, especially in a region with limited existing infrastructure and exploration activity. By leveraging existing 2D data through advanced reprocessing and interpolation, TGS dramatically reduces the entry barrier for companies seeking to evaluate the Andaman region. 

This cost-effective screening capability allows exploration managers to de-risk decisions about committing to more expensive data acquisition programs. As TGS notes on their website, 2D-cubed is specifically designed as a “regional screening tool to identify structures” that helps companies “decide where to acquire 3D data.” This stepped approach to exploration investment is particularly valuable in frontier regions where budget constraints might otherwise delay or prevent evaluation. 

Positioning in the Asia-Pacific Seismic Market 

TGS’s Andaman initiative comes amid strong growth in the Asia-Pacific seismic services market, which according to industry analyses was valued at approximately USD 1920.85 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% through 2031. India’s seismic market specifically was estimated at USD 230.50 million in 2024, with a projected CAGR of 10.6% – among the highest growth rates in the region. 

This context helps explain TGS’s strategic focus on expanding their Indian data library. The company has established a track record with 2D-cubed technology globally, having processed over 2.3 million square kilometers of 2D-cubed data across various basins worldwide, with more than 75% generated since 2020. Their experience includes significant projects in the Barents Sea (200,000 sq km), North Sea (600,000 sq km), and along both the east (525,000 sq km) and west (675,000 sq km) coasts of India. 

Future Implications and Applications 

Beyond Hydrocarbons – Broader Scientific Value 

While the immediate application of the Andaman 2D-cubed project focuses on hydrocarbon exploration, the dataset holds significant value for broader scientific understanding. The detailed subsurface imaging can contribute to: 

• Geohazard Assessment: Improved understanding of fault systems and subsurface structures can support more accurate seismic hazard mapping and tsunami risk assessment. 

• Academic Research: The regional scale of the data provides geoscientists with unprecedented views of the complex tectonic processes active in this subduction zone environment. 

• Infrastructure Planning: As India considers strategic development in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including the proposed Great Nicobar Infrastructure Project, detailed subsurface information becomes increasingly valuable for foundation engineering and risk mitigation. 

Technology Evolution and Future Directions 

The Andaman project represents both a culmination of existing capabilities and a stepping stone to future advancements. As TGS and other players continue to refine their interpolation algorithms and incorporate machine learning techniques, the resolution and reliability of these converted datasets will likely improve. 

We can anticipate further integration of multi-physics data (gravity, magnetic, electromagnetic) with seismic interpolation to create even more comprehensive subsurface models. Additionally, as the global energy transition accelerates, such regional screening tools may find application in carbon storage assessment and geothermal exploration, particularly in geologically complex terrains like the Andaman region. 

Conclusion: Transforming Frontier Exploration Through Digital Innovation 

TGS’s massive 2D-cubed project in India’s Andaman region represents a watershed moment for frontier exploration. By applying sophisticated digital transformation to existing 2D data, the company has created a powerful screening tool that balances comprehensive regional coverage with the interpretational benefits of 3D data. This approach dramatically changes the exploration equation in challenging environments, enabling more confident decision-making while managing costs. 

The project arrives at a strategic inflection point for India’s energy sector, coinciding with both demonstrated hydrocarbon discoveries and growing domestic demand. Beyond its immediate commercial applications, the dataset contributes valuable insights into one of the world’s most geologically dynamic regions, where understanding the subsurface has implications that extend far beyond hydrocarbon exploration to encompass fundamental earth processes and natural hazard assessment. 

As the energy industry continues to evolve amid the global energy transition, technologies like 2D-cubed that maximize the value of existing data while minimizing new acquisition impacts will likely play an increasingly important role. TGS’s Andaman initiative thus represents not just a significant commercial project, but a glimpse into the future of geoscience—where digital innovation unlocks new insights from legacy data, transforming our understanding of the Earth’s subsurface while enabling more informed decisions about resource development and hazard mitigation.