Eliis and Searcher have entered into a strategic partnership to jointly analyse 20,000 square kilometres of 3D seismic data from the Orange Basin, in a move aimed at advancing hydrocarbon exploration in one of Africa’s most promising frontier regions.
The collaboration will combine Eliis’s advanced geoscience technology with Searcher’s extensive multi-client seismic database to uncover new geological insights and accelerate exploration efforts.
Eliis Chief Operating Officer François Lafferriere said the Orange Basin holds vast hydrocarbon potential and that the company’s proprietary PaleoScan™ technology will help reveal key geological features within the seismic dataset.
“We are excited to work alongside Searcher on this important project. The Orange Basin represents a frontier of hydrocarbon potential, and PaleoScan’s unique approach to seismic interpretation will provide valuable support in screening and evaluating this high-quality dataset,” he said.
“This collaboration underscores our dedication to advancing geoscience technology and helping our partners accelerate their understanding of complex subsurface geology,” Lafferriere added.
He noted that early screening results had already revealed significant geological features, including large Cretaceous basin floor fan systems above the Aptian source rock, distinct channels, and evidence of reworking by contourite currents.
The project will utilise Eliis’s PaleoScan™ software to screen and interpret Searcher’s 3D seismic surveys across the Orange Basin offshore Namibia and South Africa, conducted in partnership with Shearwater.
The dataset provides a crucial foundation for regional exploration and for de-risking new play fairways across the basin.
PaleoScan uses a patented Relative Geological Time (RGT) model and AI-assisted tools to automate key stages of seismic interpretation, improving stratigraphic modelling and enabling faster, more precise geological analysis ,a key advantage for frontier exploration.
Searcher’s Vice President for Global New Ventures, Karyna Rodriguez, said the partnership will help deliver detailed insights into depositional systems and reduce exploration timelines.
“We are partnering with Eliis to provide the industry with detailed insights into the evolution of the prospective depositional systems, enabling prospect high-grading and shortening the exploration cycle,” Rodriguez said.
The collaboration is expected to enhance exploration companies’ ability to interpret the Orange Basin’s complex subsurface structures and identify new opportunities as interest in Namibia’s offshore discoveries continues to grow.
