Redefining Offshore Imaging: MNode at IMAGE 2025

Brent O’Brien, Head of Sales – Americas, PXGEO

Brazil’s offshore basins are some of the most challenging seismic environments on the planet; thick salt, deep water, and shifting reservoirs that push traditional imaging to its limits. That is why operators are turning to Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) solutions.

Over the past decades, Brazil has developed into a global oil and gas producer, exploiting the pre-salt carbonate reservoirs in these basins. This complex overburden, which includes a deepwater layer of Albian carbonate and a thick, intricate salt sequence, makes traditional seismic imaging challenging. Moreover, the need to use seismic reflectivity to accurately map reservoir production necessitates extremely high-quality seismic measurements.

To meet these challenges, Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) acquisition has become the dominant deepwater seismic reflectivity measurement technology in offshore Brazil. Whilst the method has existed since the 1990s, advances in technology and acquisition efficiency have driven its steady growth, with OBN now widely recognized across the industry as delivering superior seismic reflectivity measurements and the clarity needed to address Brazil’s complex geology.

At IMAGE 2025 in Houston, PXGEO is showcasing how our MNode technology, with its industry-leading 300-day dive time, is redefining deepwater seismic acquisition. This endurance gives operators the flexibility to design surveys around geology, not the clock, reducing standby risk and enabling larger, more complex campaigns.

Over the past four years, PXGEO has delivered multiple deepwater OBN campaigns in Brazil, including 4D baseline and monitor projects in the Santos Basin. These surveys enabled operators to track fluid movement, monitor compaction, and reduce uncertainty in production planning.

With our OBN crews currently active in the Santos and Campos basins, our MNode solution is already helping Brazil’s largest operators address the region’s geological complexity with greater confidence and precision.

Why MNode Stands Out?

The power of MNode lies in its combination of endurance, efficiency, and clarity. With 300 days of dive time, operators can manage environmental downtime and scale surveys without compromising quality. The result is high-resolution seismic data that reveals reservoir boundaries, porosity, and permeability with precision.

These insights allow operators to identify bypassed hydrocarbons, optimize recovery, and extend the life of their fields, whether in Brazil, the Gulf of America, or other deepwater frontiers.

See It at IMAGE 2025

As exploration and development push into deeper waters and more complex reservoirs, the need for high-resolution seismic has never been greater. MNode is at the forefront of this shift, helping operators make better decisions, reduce risk, and maximize recovery.

To hear how PXGEO’s MNode technology can assist in your reservoir development objectives, visit our experts at Booth 1739 at IMAGE Exhibition and Conference 2025, Houston, Texas, 25–28 August.