Survey companies are investing heavily in new equipment in order to improve their accuracy and to perform better in inhospitable environments. Sean Ottewell reports.
Fugro OSAE has been awarded a EUR2.3m hydrographic survey contract by the Norwegian Hydrographic Service (NHS). The survey is part of the MAREANO project and will encompass an area over 12 000 km2 in the Barents Sea. The area is located 200km offshore in the northern-most part of Norway, near the Russian border, in water depth down to 300metres. As the North Atlantic current keeps the waters in this area open and navigable most of the year, the survey will be carried out in early 2012.
Data will be acquired by the survey vessel Victor Hensen using the new, high-resolution Kongsberg EM2040 multibeam echo sounder. Processing will take place on board the vessel and at Fugro OSAE's processing centre in Bremen, Germany.
MAREANO is Norway's programme to fill knowledge gaps related to seabed conditions and biodiversity along the northern Norwegian coast. The goal is to contribute to a better knowledge base for resource management, in particular for fishing and oil and gas exploitation. The acquisition of detailed and accurate bathymetry is an important first step in the collection of seafloor data.
Fugro OSAE has previously conducted surveys as a part of the MAREANO project area in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 as well as collecting high resolution bathymetry data for Norwegian electronic nautical charting (ENC).[Page Break]
Meanwhile Fugro Survey (Perth) is shortly due to commence a deepwater AUV survey as part of the Woodside-operated Browse LNG development.
Woodside has commissioned Fugro to undertake a detailed seabed mapping programme extending offshore from the proposed central processing facility that will provide high quality data to assist with the engineering process for the proposed subsea pipelines and other infrastructure as part of this major project.
Following the success of a similar project off NW Australia in 2010, Fugro will utilise its Australian based survey vessel, the 75m Southern Supporter, and its regionally based Hugin 1000 AUV. The Hugin AUV is a proven deepwater survey platform enabling multibeam echo sounder, side scan sonar and sub bottom profiling data to be gathered in water depths to 3000 metres. Powered by lithium polymer batteries and with a survey endurance of up to 24 hours the vehicle is ideally suited to the requirements of this project.
Meanwhile MMT has successfully finalised additional work, also for the MAREANO project. The additional project work included bathymetric data acquisition and processing north of Vardo in the Barents Sea. The survey was conducted during the late summer and early autumn of 2011. MMT survey vessel Franklin was the operational vessel of choice in this assignment. In order to obtain the most accurate results, Franklin was fully equipped with a Kongsberg EM 710 multibeam echo sounder and the Applanix PosMV positioning system with CNAV (civilian navigation) corrections.
According to MMT, the MAREANO project was the company's most northerly survey operation and has proven a great success. "The operations took place in a challenging environment where MMT's specialists put their skills to the test by surveying a complex seabed with deep ice scars and pockmarks," says the company.
MMT has also announced its new ownership of a Kongsberg EM2040D. The EM2040 dual head system has recently been installed on MMT's survey and ROV vessel IceBeam. This is the first highly developed multibeam echo sounder to combine all of the advanced features of deepwater echo sounders to the near-bottom sounding environment. Such features include: dual swath per ping to maintain a high survey speed; FM chirp to achieve a much longer range capability; complete roll, pitch and yaw stabilisation; and near-field focusing both when transmitting and receiving.
By owning and operating an EM 2040 dual head, MMT says it is further prepared to perform surveys that meet the IHO-S44 special order.[Page Break]
Indian survey independence
The National Institute of Oceanography in India (NIO) has chosen Atlas Hydrographic for delivery of an Atlas integrated survey sensor system (IS3) for the new building research vessel Sindhu Sadhana which is currently under construction at ABG shipyard in Surat, India. Delivery is due shortly, with a group of NIO scientists currently in Bremen for comprehensive training.
Although NIO owns a 60 metre research vessel named Sindhu Sankalp, vessels from other countries or the government of India have been hired frequently in order to be able to conduct all the different oceanographic applications. With the 80 metre Sindhu Sadhana, the Institute will increase its independence and flexibility.
NIO's contract is for the supply of a hydrographic turnkey solution, so its Atlas IS3 has to meet some very specific needs. The new system will include the following components: Atlas DESO 35 shallow water single beam echosounder with thermal printer; Atlas DESO 35 DS deep sea single beam echosounder with thermal printer; Atlas HYDROSWEEP MD/50 shallow water multibeam echosounder; Atlas HYDROSWEEP DS deep sea multibeam echosounder; Atlas PARASOUND parametric deep sea sub-bottom profiler; software for sensor control, data acquisition, post processing and seabed classification; peripheral sensors for sound velocity, positioning, heading and ship motion; and network infrastructure with data distribution, central data storage system, in-house and on-board post processing facilities, helmsman displays and repeaters.
Within this system configuration, the Atlas DESO single beam echosounders will provide precise depth information in all water depths. Efficient multibeam surveys in shallow and deep water will be realised by the Atlas HYDROSWEEP third generation echosounders. The high-end research sonars can be used not only for bathymetry, but also for water column profiling and seabed classification using sidescan and backscatter information.
Through continuous improvement in recent years today's Atlas HYDROSWEEP multibeam echosounders are characterised by high performance signal processing with a high number of beams, frequency modulated (chirped) pulses and the innovative multi-ping technology.
As a consequence of these enhancements NIO will benefit from high-resolution, data density as well as increased coverage also at higher ship speed. These system functionalities will be supplemented by deep sediment profiling of the Atlas PARASOUND sub-bottom profiler.
The complete system will be integrated as a puzzle piece to sensors and scientific instrumentation on board of the vessel supplied by other sources.
The NIO scientists will spend six weeks being trained in software applications, maintenance and operation at the 'Atlas test lake' in Bremen.
