Energy data giant TGS is undertaking a fundamental transformation, leveraging its vast library of subsurface geological data with artificial intelligence and cloud computing to reshape how energy resources are discovered and developed. The company is actively moving from its traditional identity as a seismic data provider that uses technology to a technology-focused organization driven by its unique repository of seismic information. This strategic pivot aims to accelerate discovery, improve investment returns, and democratize decades of geological expertise for a new generation of explorers.
At the heart of this initiative is the recognition that the global energy sector faces dual pressures: rising demand and the need for greater operational efficiency. TGS is addressing this by building a sophisticated digital ecosystem designed to analyze subsurface data with unprecedented speed and accuracy. By pairing its 44-year data archive with powerful AI models and scalable cloud infrastructure, the company is creating tools that can identify complex geological patterns across different basins worldwide. This approach seeks to shorten the return on investment for technology in an industry now facing more frequent and volatile economic cycles, compressing timelines from years to months.
Modernizing Subsurface Exploration
The energy exploration industry has historically been slow to adopt digital innovations, often relying on the accumulated knowledge of veteran geoscientists. TGS aims to bridge this generational and technological gap by systematizing that expertise within its AI frameworks. A primary challenge has been the sheer volume and diversity of legacy data, collected over four decades using different methods and formats. Organizing this information for the cloud is a monumental task, akin to a media company converting an immense historical archive of physical tapes into a modern streaming-ready format.
The company’s strategy is built upon what its leadership calls a “Google Maps for underground geology.” This massive library serves as the training ground for its AI systems. The goal is to create a new standard for digitally native energy exploration. By providing sophisticated analytical tools, TGS hopes to empower producers to make more informed decisions faster, reducing the risk associated with drilling and other capital-intensive investments. This shift addresses a critical business need, as the industry now demands a return on technology investments within 12 to 18 months, a significant acceleration from the five- to seven-year window common in the past.
Advanced Imaging and AI Models
From Raw Data to 3D Maps
The process begins at sea, where TGS’s fleet of specialized vessels acquires raw seismic data. These ships use airgun sources to send sound waves deep into the earth’s crust. As these waves reflect off different geological layers, they are captured by sensors, creating a complex raw signal. In a significant logistical upgrade, TGS now uses modern satellite systems, including Starlink, to transmit this data in real time from remote offshore locations directly to cloud processing centers. This eliminates previous methods that required physically transporting storage devices by helicopter, dramatically accelerating the workflow.
The Power of Advanced Algorithms
Once in the cloud, the raw data undergoes intensive processing to remove noise and clean the signals. TGS employs sophisticated and computationally demanding imaging algorithms to convert these time-based acoustic signals into precise, depth-based 3D maps of the subsurface. Two key technologies are central to this process: elastic full waveform inversion (EFWI) and reverse time migration (RTM). While RTM is a powerful technique for creating images, EFWI represents a more advanced, data-driven approach. EFWI utilizes the entire seismic wavefield, including primary reflections, diving waves, and other signals that traditional methods often discard. This allows it to build exceptionally high-resolution velocity models, proving especially effective in revealing complex geological features like salt formations, faults, and hidden reservoir channels.
A Foundational Model for Geology
The insights from this vast processed data library are used to train what TGS calls a “seismic foundation model.” Functioning like a generative AI chatbot for subsurface exploration, this system is designed to democratize geological knowledge. It identifies subtle patterns and connections across disparate geological regions—insights that were previously accessible only to human experts with decades of experience. By making this analytical power available through an AI interface, TGS aims to accelerate discovery rates and reduce the industry’s reliance on a limited pool of highly experienced geoscientists, allowing teams to query the data for complex geological insights.
Building a Cloud-Native Data Ecosystem
Overcoming the Legacy Data Challenge
A central obstacle in TGS’s digital transformation is the standardization of its legacy data. Executive Vice President of Imaging & Technology, Wadii El Karkouri, compares the challenge to that of a 50-year-old media company trying to compete with Netflix. While a “born-on-the-cloud” service has all its content in a uniform, streamable format, TGS must consolidate and reformat petabytes of data from decades of acquisitions, stored in a variety of inconsistent formats. The company is undertaking a massive project to “tidy up” this data and bring it into a standardized cloud environment. TGS also offers this data management expertise as a service to other energy companies facing similar challenges.
The Role of Open Standards
To solve this data standardization problem for itself and the industry, TGS has developed and championed the Multi-Dimensional Input/Output (MDIO) format. MDIO is an open-source data format specifically designed to store and manage large-scale energy data efficiently on the cloud. It uses modern chunking and compression techniques to reduce storage costs by over 30% and dramatically accelerate access for AI and high-performance computing workflows. This innovation is complemented by TGS’s active participation in the Open Group OSDU Forum, an industry-wide consortium working to create a standard, open-source data platform for the energy sector. This collaborative effort aims to break down data silos and enable seamless interoperability between different applications and datasets across the industry.
Strategic Technology and Security Partnerships
TGS recognizes that such a comprehensive digital transformation cannot be achieved in isolation. The company has cultivated a network of strategic partnerships to build its technological foundation. It works with leading cloud providers Google Cloud and AWS to host its massive data library and power its intensive computing workloads. For workflow modernization and systems integration, TGS relies on the global IT services company EPAM.
Given the high value and sensitive nature of its data, cybersecurity is a paramount concern. The company has partnered with the cybersecurity firm Wiz to monitor its entire cloud footprint against potential threats. This focus on security culminated in TGS achieving the ISO 27001 certification, a globally recognized standard for information security management. These collaborations underscore a broader trend of convergence between traditional energy firms and technology specialists, leveraging collective expertise to drive innovation.
The Future of Data-Driven Energy Discovery
Balancing Hydrocarbons and Renewables
While TGS’s technology is revolutionizing the exploration for traditional hydrocarbon resources, the company is also applying its expertise to the renewable energy sector. This diversification reflects a comprehensive energy strategy that acknowledges the continued global demand for oil and gas while actively supporting the energy transition. The company’s capabilities are now being used for wind farm site characterization and solar asset management software, demonstrating the versatility of its subsurface data analytics platform. This balanced approach positions TGS to serve the full spectrum of society’s evolving energy needs.
A Vision for Industry-Wide Efficiency
Looking ahead, TGS’s leadership envisions bringing efficiency improvements to the energy sector on par with those already realized in industries like finance, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing. With the global population approaching eight billion, the demand for all forms of energy continues to grow. TGS’s mission is to provide the vital data-driven solutions needed to meet this demand responsibly. By using AI and cloud technology to make exploration better, faster, and more cost-effective, the company aims to ensure that investments are directed to the most promising locations, maximizing returns while minimizing the carbon footprint of energy development.
