Viridien’s new reimaging mission bolstering US Gulf exploration drive

August 28, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

France-based geophysical services company Viridien, formerly known as CGG, has launched a new reimaging program in the U.S. Gulf, expanding its Walker Ridge initiative to deliver enhanced seismic insights and support further infrastructure-led exploration in the deepwater region.

Map showing location of the Walker Ridge reimaging extension program; Courtesy of Viridien Earth Data

Viridien has recently begun its Walker Ridge reimaging extension in the U.S. Gulf, which, with the support of industry partners, expands on the success of its original reimaging program. The company claims that fast-track results for this new project are already available.

The 4,406-square-kilometer extension covers 189 new U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) blocks in the highly prospective Walker Ridge area, in addition to 46.5 blocks overlapping the original reimaging program over a 1,085-square-kilometer area.

The firm claims that the total program coverage of 5,491 square kilometers over 235.5 blocks will deliver a premium exploration dataset across a large acreage position with significant infrastructure-led exploration (ILX) potential.

Viridien is applying its seismic imaging expertise and advanced time-lag full waveform inversion (TLFWI) technology to enhance subsurface understanding and provide greater geological insight into this complex deepwater environment.

According to the European player, the project will deliver a higher-quality data set over the extension area, seamlessly merged with the original Walker Ridge reimaging volume, with final results expected in early 2027.

Dechun Lin, Head of Earth Data at Viridien, commented: “The Walker Ridge Reimaging Extension program builds directly on the proven success of our earlier Walker Ridge multi-client survey which generated strong commercial interest.

“By applying our latest time-lag FWI technology, we are giving clients a powerful exploration tool across a large, highly prospective area with strong ILX potential.”

The French company is working on assignments across multiple regions, as illustrated by its seismic imaging of the Langkasuka multi-client 3D (MC3D) hybrid survey offshore West Peninsular Malaysia.