Baseline issue 8

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THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE FROM SONARDYNE ISSUE 8

News New offices, workshops, oilfield development, fleet upgrades and BOP installations

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Feature Wireless communications for data transfer and the remote control of subsea assets

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Technology Sonardyne’s new active sonar for automatic leak detection, classification and localisation

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Case Study Scout USBL, the shallow waters of the Port of Seattle and World War II munitions

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Treinamento e Instalação

Rastreamento de Veículo

Controle de BOP

Levantamento e posicionamento submarino

Serviço e Suporte

Monitoramento de Estrutura

Comunicações de Dados

Imageamento por Sonar

Investimento no Brasil

Construção Submarina

Posicionamento da Embarcação

Segurança Marítima

PICTURE YOUR SUBSEA TECHNOLOGY PARTNER IN BRASIL. For over 20 years, Sonardyne has been designing and manufacturing subsea acoustic, inertial, communications and sonar technology for the offshore industry in Brasil.

Our products are used to navigate underwater vehicles, position drilling rigs, control subsea wells, send data and accurately install seabed structures.

We work closely with oil companies and contractors to ensure that the most appropriate equipment has been specified to meet performance expectations, costs,

vessel operations and risk. We are committed to investment in Brasil and from our new headquarters in Rio das Ostras, we offer training, 24hr support and equipment servicing.

Everyday we apply our technology and expertise to solve our clients’ most important subsea engineering challenges. Challenge us to solve yours. www.sonardyne.com

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CONTENTS BASELINE ISSUE 8

04 News Products, orders and contracts 08 Trials Report DP-INS 10 Feature Wireless monitoring and control 16 Technology Leak detection 20 Case Study GyroCompatt

22 Project Report Bundle tow monitoring 24 Product Focus Ranger 2 26 Case Study ROV positioning 30 International News from the Regions 31 Help & Advice Ask Darren

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Front Cover Sonardyne’s Marine Riser Monitoring System (MRAMS) is deployed, ready to monitor and measure the differential angle of a marine riser, BOP assembly and the vessel’s position relative to it.

Editorial Team David Brown, Marketing Manager Kelly Friend, Public Relations

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busy few months since the last issue of Baseline and this edition marks a new era for Sonardyne in Brasil.The team out there have just moved into their new purpose-built offices in Rio das Ostras, built to better service the needs of our customers and their Sonardyne equipment.We also congratulate Paul Smith on his promotion to Operations Director for the region – you can read his first regional review on page 30.

Something we’ve noticed lately is an increase in the number of custom engineering projects we contribute to. In one example over the past 16 months, our Bundle Tow monitoring system has been used to gather sensor data on eight pipeline tow-outs varying in length from 2.2km to 7.2km.You can find the project report on page 22.

This issue also sees us taking an in-depth look into our capabilities in subsea monitoring and control. Starting on page 10, Shaun Dunn takes you through some of our key capabilities in wireless acoustic and optical communications before Dr. Graham Brown finishes off the theme by looking at the evolution of our leak detection sonar.

We’ve also got the usual news section with a summary of the latest contracts and projects, including some interesting applications for Ranger 2, plus our ‘Ask Darren’ section where you can ask questions about your Sonardyne products.

Finally, this summer we launched PING, our regular email bulletin with the latest news and information. If you would like to be added to PING’s circulation, you can sign up via the E-News tab on the website.

Until next time,

Rob Balloch, Strategic Development and Marketing Director

Rob Balloch, Strategic Development and Marketing Director Anthony Hammond, Marketing Co-ordinator Design and Art Direction Michael Lindley at TruthStudio www.truthstudio.co.uk Photography Astonleigh Studios www.astonleighstudio.co.uk (pages 16, 19, 28, 29) Published by Sonardyne International Ltd. Blackbushe Business Park,Yateley, Hampshire GU46 6GD United Kingdom. © Sonardyne International Ltd 2012.

6G®, Sonardyne Matrix®, Sonardyne Wideband® BlueComm® and Sentinel IDS® are trademarks of Sonardyne International Ltd. All other company or product names used herein are trademarks of their respective owners. www.sonardyne.com @sonardyne No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

Colour repro by ProCo Print Ltd. Printed by ProCo Print Ltd. Every effort is made to ensure that information is correct at time of going to press.

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NEWS SURVEY

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From First to 6G – Gardline upgrades fleet Leading marine contractor Gardline Geosurvey has selected to install Ranger 2 USBL tracking systems as part of a multi vessel upgrade programme. By equipping its survey vessels with Sonardyne’s latest generation acoustic technology platform, Gardline will now benefit from Ranger 2’s ability to track multiple subsea targets over long ranges and with the highest level of positioning accuracy.

Specialising in geophysical, hydrographic, environmental, oceanographic and geotechnical surveys, Gardline’s decision to switch to 6G is further recognition of the performance gains and operational savings

that the new technology offers. As a result, the company decided to upgrade and replace equipment on five of its vessels to

“Since installing the latest Ranger 2 systems we’ve experienced a big jump in performance and capability meaning that we can continue to provide our clients with quality data.” the latest Ranger 2 USBL specification. Four of the vessels were equipped with Sonardyne’s first generation USBL system,

whilst a fifth had a non-Sonardyne USBL system installed.

“With the exception of the competing USBL system that we have had some issues with, the majority of our equipment was legacy Sonardyne technology so we knew the quality of the products we were looking at,” said Steve Hodds, Navigation and Positioning Manager at Gardline.“Since installing the latest Ranger 2 systems we’ve experienced a big jump in performance and capability, meaning that we can continue to provide our clients with quality data that has been delivered in a safe, efficient manner with minimal impact on the environment.”

Gardline Geosurvey’s Ocean Researcher is one of the vessels to benefit from the Ranger 2 upgrade, tracking multiple subsea targets over long ranges.

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TRAINING

INS interest leads the way at Houston ‘Life of Field’twoday workshop

SURVEY

Phoenix International and Bluefin Robotics deploy Ranger 2 Following the discovery of a potential debris field at Amelia Earhart’s proposed crash site offshore Nikumaroro Island in the Western Pacific, Sonardyne can reveal that Ranger 2 USBL with Lodestar GyroUSBL was the mission’s acoustic positioning technology of choice. Ranger 2 positioned Phoenix International’s ROV and the Bluefin Robotics AUV used in the underwater searches. Phoenix International was contracted by The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR).

Upon arrival, the AUV began surveying the primary search area. After each session, sonar imagery experts reviewed the data to identify targets of interest.The ROV was then deployed to investigate these targets. From the Ka`imikai-o-Kanaloa (K-O-K) research vessel, Ranger 2 monitored the subsea vehicles’ positions in real time as they collected data and video imagery A high performance underwater target tracking system designed upon Sonardyne’s latest 6G® and Wideband 2 technology, Ranger 2 calculates the position of a subsea target by measuring the range and bearing from a vessel-mounted transceiver to an acoustic transponder on the target.

Due to the short term nature of the project, Phoenix International elected to install a Lodestar GyroUSBL.The instrument combines a survey grade Attitude and Heading Reference System and USBL transceiver in a single unit that can be quickly installed on a vessel, requiring only an initial out-the-box calibration. GyroUSBL can be subsequently moved from vessel-to-vessel without the need to perform a recalibration, reducing delays and generating cost savings for owners.

Will O’Halloran, Bluefin Robotics’Marine Operations Manager said,“We’ve long been a user of Sonardyne products so Ranger 2 was a natural progression.We were very impressed with the functionality of the latest 6G hardware and reliability of Wideband 2.”

“The precision and repeatability of Ranger 2 was remarkable;we received USBL hits from the AUV even though it was over 1,000 metres away,” said Evan Tanner, Phoenix International’s Assistant Project Manager.“With ships of opportunity, a full calibration is not always possible so the accuracy of GyroUSBL was fantastic.”

Sonardyne Inc.’s recent ‘Life of Field’ two day workshop was well attended by over 40 industry professionals, ranging from major oil representatives through to vessel captains.

Held at the 4 Points Sheraton Hotel, Houston, day 1 focused on acoustic positioning techniques whilst day 2 looked at advances in Metrology, Autonomous Monitoring and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS).

With sessions delivered by members of Sonardyne’s Survey Support Group (SSG), attendees debated achievable accuracies in acoustic positioning and how to optimise

Senior surveyor Darioosh Naderi presents the key benefits of Sonardyne 6G technology to a packed workshop.

equipment selection for subsea positioning tasks in the field development phase.The second day’s presentation of inertial and autonomous monitoring technologies generated particularly high levels of interest, resulting in an impromptu discussion of real world applications with case studies and data gathered from projects in the Gulf of Mexico.

“We hold regular free workshops for our customers all over the world,” commented Ralph Gall,Technical Sales Manager at Sonardyne Inc.“It provides an opportunity for everyone to come together and discuss the latest subsea techniques.

It also allows us to further interact with our customers to find out about their upcoming project needs and what we can to do help achieve their objectives.”

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NEWS CONSTRUCTION

Seatronics and Subsea 7 choose 6G for Guará-Lula

Sonardyne has been awarded a high value contract for the supply of 6G acoustic positioning technology for the Guará-Lula NE oilfield development offshore Brasil.The order was placed by Seatronics, an Acteon company, who is hiring the equipment to Subsea 7, the company responsible for the engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning (EPIC) phases of the project.

Guará and Lula NE are part of the presalt giant discoveries in the Santos basin in ultra-deep water depths of beyond 2,100 metres. Subsea 7’s project scope includes the EPIC phases of two “uncoupled” riser systems supporting 27 steel catenary risers.

The equipment Subsea 7 is renting for

the acoustic positioning of subsea structures and ROVs includes multifunctional Compatt 6 transponders, ROVNav 6 LBL transceivers and the latest addition to the 6G product range, iWand - a hand-held transponder test and configuration device.

Sonardyne’s Survey Support Group has been working closely with Subsea 7 to determine the optimum number of Compatts to deploy and the maximum range apart at which they can be placed to ensure that stringent positioning tolerances are achieved. Subsea 7 will also benefit from the multi-user mode of the Compatts, enabling operations in both LBL and USBL mode simultaneously.

DRILLING

Sonardyne BOP for NobleGlobetrotter II One of the largest offshore drilling contractors in the world has awarded Sonardyne a contract to supply a Wireless Acoustic Emergency BOP Control system.

Noble Corporation has ordered the system for its new deepwater drillship Noble Globetrotter II, the fifth Noble new-build vessel, along with other existing rigs, to be equipped with Sonardyne’s safety critical acoustic technology, providing reliable through-water wireless communications, positioning and BOP control in emergency situations.

The Noble Globetrotter II is currently en route to the Netherlands for tower and drilling system installation and will be capable of drilling in water depths up to

has been proven to offer reliable performance in a well blow-out scenario despite intense noise pollution that would severely limit the performance of an analogue acoustic BOP system.

“We have installed Sonardyne BOP systems on several other Noble rigs so we’re delighted to be able to continue providing them with the critical positioning and control solutions they need,” said Ted Kenny, Business Development Manager of

Subsea Control Systems at Sonardyne.“As the only provider with field-proven acoustic systems in the immediate vicinity of a subsea blowout, we have the technology and in-depth knowledge to support Noble as it continues with its deep water exploration activities.The redundancy of the equipment chosen for Noble Globetrotter II means that they will be able to reliably communicate with the BOP from the rig or remotely from a standby vessel.”

“The digital wideband technology has been proven to offer reliable performance in a well blow-out scenario.”

10,000ft.The vessel is due to begin work in the Gulf of Mexico 2013.

In the event of loss of normal communications with a BOP stack, Sonardyne’s acoustic command and control backup system is used to execute emergency shutdown and riser disconnect procedures.

The digital wideband acoustic signal technology incorporated into the system

The Noble Globetrotter II is of similar design to its sister vessel, the Noble Globetrotter I.The vessel is due to begin work in the Gulf of Mexico in the second half of 2013.

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“Our existing stock of 6G equipment has proven itself on many occasions so further investment in the technology ensures that we are well placed to meet ever increasing demands from our customers,” said Phil Middleton, Operations Manager at Seatronics.“With the kit ear-marked for the milestone Guará-Lula development, supported by Seatronics’ Brazil office, we know that the project will benefit from the reliability of the 6G product platform.”

Subsea 7’s Hugh Ferguson said,“We were looking for equipment to fulfil very challenging project requirements and Seatronics was able to supply Sonardyne 6G kit which would meet these objectives.”

Sonardyne Brasil has recently moved into its new offices in Rio das Ostras, a 10,000 square foot headquarters facility.An area popular with companies servicing the offshore industry, the new premises is designed to meet the needs of Sonardyne customers. A large acoustic test tank allows equipment to be tested and re-calibrated before delivery whilst training rooms provide the opportunity for operators to simulate using the equipment.

A large warehouse enables stock holding of spares and new products so that we can satisfy immediate demands for equipment.

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Trials Report Acoustically-aided inertial navigation

Dynamic Positioning Sea Trials for The Ranger 2 screenshot (Figure 2) shows the operator interface while on DP during the test.The USBL acoustic position for the vessel is shown in green and the INS position is shown in blue.The 2.9m 1DRMS is the conservative real-time value.

The screenshots taken from the vessel’s DP (Figures 3 and 4) show the response of the system to the DP-INS where it was the sole PME input during a six hour test of station keeping functionality.

The DP screenshot (Figure 5) shows how the DP desk responded to having two GNSS receivers selected along with the DP-INS system labelled HPR-1. Note that the DP-INS was using a single DPT6 transponder to aid the INS system.

Oceaneering’s Ocean Intervention is now fitted with DP-INS, Sonardyne’s new independent DP reference system. DP-INS seamlessly integrates acoustic and inertial technologies for high accuracy and precision.

n July of this year, Sonardyne’s new independent DP reference system, DP-INS, was installed on Oceaneering’s Ocean Intervention where it was commissioned on sea trials at a depth of 2,991 metres (9,814 feet) in the Gulf of Mexico.

The DP-INS system supplied consisted of a HPT 7000 USBL transceiver and Lodestar INS sensor mounted on the vessel’s through-hull deployment machine.

Co-location of the transceiver and INS is important in order to sense even the smallest changes to the USBL transceiver’s attitude.

On the bridge, a Sonardyne Ranger 2 USBL acoustic tracking system provided the power, communications and user interface.

The Ranger 2 system commands the USBL transceiver to measure the range and bearing to a transponder on the seabed.

The Lodestar works in co-operation with the transceiver to provide precise pitch, roll

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and heading stabilisation for the received acoustic position. All the acoustic measurements are then fed into the Lodestar INS which combines them with its sense of movement to produce an INS position that is approximately three times better than the USBL.The INS position is then sent to the DP system.

Sea Trials For the sea trials, a single DPT6 transponder was deployed on the seabed at a depth of 2,991 metres.The vessel was then placed on DP using the INS as the sole Position Monitoring Equipment (PME) source and was left holding station for six hours.

Following this, the vessel was manoeuvred around a 30 metre box and then the heading was varied. At all times the INS position was recorded along with the vessel’s GNSS position which was used to analyse DP-INS performance.

Conclusions An analysis of logged data from the test showed that at 3,000 metres depth, the DP-INS system was accurate to 1.2 metres (1DRMS) when the vessel was static, and 1.4 metres (1DRMS) when the analysis includes manoeuvring.This equates to 0.04% and 0.05% water depth respectively and assumes that the GNSS system was without error.

DP response is also improved by the INS sensing the acceleration and position change of the vessel which it sends to the DP systems at rates of 1 second or better without having to wait for the next acoustic position to detect the movement.

DP-INS:Benefits at a glance ● New DP reference independent from GPS/GNSS ● Proven to deliver time and cost savings ● Able to ride through short-term disruptions to acoustic references ● Delivers LUSBL performance with fewer transponders, saving operational time ● Better than a three fold improvement over USBL ● Optimum update rates to match DP requirements

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r Oceaneering’s Ocean Intervention

(Above) Figure 1. Graph showing the relative Latitude and Longitude of the vessel output from the DP-INS and GNSS system.

(Below) Figure 2.The Ranger 2 operator interface while on DP during test.

(Above right and below left) Figure 3 and 4.Screenshot of the vessel’s DP shows the response of the system to the DP-INS. (Below right) Figure 5.Screenshots showing how the DP desk responded to having 2 GNSS receivers selected along with the DP-INS system labelled HPR-1.

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Feature Wireless monitoring and control

Sonardyne –Connecting you to your subsea world Over the last decade, the use of wireless acoustic communications to transfer data and control remote subsea assets has become very much a mainstream activity in the offshore industry. Writing for Baseline, Engineering Business Development Manager Shaun Dunn reviews a selection of monitoring and control applications made possible

by Sonardyne’s acoustic and new optical communications technologies. >>

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Sonardyne’s navigation and data telemetry technology is used to support all stages of reservoir surveys using Ocean Bottom Nodes including deployment, quality control data collection and recovery.

AvTrak 6 is an integrated AUV tracking and control system combining acoustic positioning and wireless communications in a single instrument.

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3 Autonomous Monitoring Transponders (AMTs) are long-endurance instruments used extensively for seabed and structure movement surveys.They autonomously acquire acoustic ranges and sensor data without surface control for up to 5 years.

The position, depth, inclination and current profile of risers, riser towers, mooring lines and turret buoys can be determined using multifunction 6G transponders.

Riser integrity monitoring using ultrasonic sensors and acoustic modems is used to determine the current extent, and predict the future rate, of corrosion to metallic parts of the structure.

A long-life subsea logging node, Fetch enables the wireless extraction of data via an integrated high speed acoustic modem.

Fetch can be configured with an array of different sensors depending on the monitoring application.

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10 DP-INS is an acoustically-aided inertial position reference for DP rigs and construction vessels. It delivers LUSBL performance with fewer seabed transponders saving operational time.

9 Sonardyne can equip Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs) with 6G acoustic modems, preparing them for wireless sensor data extraction. Using ASVs in this way can significantly reduce operational costs.

Seabed networks of 6G transponders deliver the highest levels of positioning and measurement precision.

Simultaneous operations are supported, ensuring tasks are fast and efficient.

Sonardyne’s acoustic Data Loggers are used to monitor various characteristics of subsea wells.They are programmed to measure and record sensor data within a well before being uploaded for analysis.

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Sonardyne has developed an Automatic Leak Detection Sonar capable of detecting small oil and gas leaks around subsea structures. From a single sensor, one billion cubic feet of water can be monitored.

12 In the event of loss of primary control of a wellhead, Sonardyne’s emergency acoustic BOP controller allows safe and secure shutdown and disconnect procedures.

Monitoring riser inclination is important for ensuring integrity is maintained.

Sonardyne’s Riser Profiling System offers wireless real-time profiles of current speed and direction, temperature and inclination.

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Feature Wireless monitoring and control

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SERS OF WIRELESS acoustic communications systems have applied Sonardyne technology successfully in countless applications, ranging from long term measurement of phenomena such as seabed settlement, changes to ambient temperature and sound velocity, to the real time monitoring of positions, attitude and movement of subsea structures and vehicles such as Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).

Well monitoring Sonardyne’s range of acoustic Data Loggers 7 have long been used to monitor various characteristics of subsea wells, removing the requirement for expensive umbilicals and surface infrastructure.

These devices are programmed to measure and record pressure and temperature data from sensors deep within a well over periods ranging from a few months to several years. A surface vessel uses an over-the-side acoustic modem to periodically upload this data for onward transmission to the client where it is analysed by reservoir engineers.

The wireless nature of the Data Logger enables it to be used in the infancy of a well prior to the arrival of a surface platform with umbilical connections to the wellhead. In this instance, the data is used to model the size and connectivity between individual oil deposits and to monitor the effects of hydrocarbon extraction on production pressures.

(Left) AMT transponders have a unique autonomous operating mode that allow them to log vast amounts of acoustic ranges (distance) and sensor measurements over many years without user intervention.Their precision enables any deformation of the seabed or slightest movement by a structure, to be measured to less than a centimetre.

Recovering data is both fast and secure, and by removing the overhead of a dedicated ROV and support vessel, remote monitoring projects using AMTs have been proven to deliver substantial cost savings.

(Right) Sonardyne has a proven track record in supplying acoustic positioning and communications solutions to the world’s leading AUV manufacturers and operators.

As production pressure reduces towards the end of a well’s life, it is often abandoned and the surface infrastructure removed. In this case, the Data Logger is used to provide long term monitoring and, in the event of rising well pressure, to help drive the decision to re-establish production.

BOP control Sharing the same robust acoustic communications protocols as Data Loggers, Sonardyne’s Emergency Acoustic BOP Control System allows a subsea well to be shut-in and the riser disconnected if control via the riser umbilical is lost. The additional wireless functionality provides an independent means to actuate the BOP from a vessel or lifeboat. With systems installed worldwide, an excellent track record for reliable operation has been established.

In 2011, subsea solution provider Trendsetter Engineering Inc. was contracted by the Marine Well Containment Company to develop a subsea capping stack for rapid deployment anywhere in the Gulf of Mexico in the event of a well blow out incident. During an emergency, the supplied Sonardyne system monitors pressures within the capping stack, transmitting the data to the surface in real time. This ensures that containment engineers are provided with up to date information when making critical operational decisions.

Acoustic networks Often, the sensors required to make subsea measurements are located several miles away from the nearest convenient data extraction point

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with no communications cables in place to transmit the data.

The maximum range of any wireless acoustic system is governed by many environmental factors that can limit the ability to transmit data directly from the sensor to the platform. To overcome this, Sonardyne has created networking capabilities for its autonomous monitoring and communication transponders that enable sensor data to be routed through several transponders, greatly improving the operational range of the system.

In West Africa, an autonomous monitoring and data acquisition system 3 was commissioned by Subsea 7 to investigate a pipeline that exhibited signs of axial creeping. Elsewhere in the region, a system is currently being engineered for Hess Equatorial Guinea, Inc. that will measure pipeline pressure and temperature at several choke valves located on the seabed in nearly 1,000 metres of water. Every few hours, each instrument will wake up, collect measurements and then transmit the data along a 10 kilometre backbone of transponders moored a few metres above the seabed and ultimately to an acoustic modem deployed from an FPSO. Analysis of this data will enable the operator to decide when valves must be opened or closed to control oil production rates.

Such vehicles manoeuvre and navigate largely independently without the provision of communications and power via an umbilical to drive the automation process.

Sonardyne provides a high integrity acoustic link for AUVs seamlessly integrated with a Ranger 2 USBL tracking system. 1 This provides two key benefits; it allows the AUV position to be monitored very precisely so that operators can intervene if for any reason the AUV does not follow its predetermined flight plan. Secondly, it provides a wireless communications link that can transmit position and sensor data generated by the AUV to the surface operator and can also be used as a command and control downlink to alter or abort the AUV’s mission plan if necessary.

The Ranger 2 AUV tracking and control system was recently installed on a Bluefin Robotics AUV used by Phoenix International Holdings, who in turn were contracted by The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) to search for the remains of the aircraft flown by Amelia Earhart during her failed circumnavigation attempt in 1937. The system provided key tracking data from the AUV to ensure it maintained its search patterns effectively and that vital sonar data was not overlooked.

AUV tracking and control AUVs are beginning to be used in oilfields to conduct autonomous inspection tasks such as pipeline positioning and integrity inspections as well as gathering video and sonar data of critical subsea infrastructure.

Riser integrity monitoring Subsea project and integrity management company Flexlife is a specialist in monitoring the integrity of flexible risers. One specific technique involves regularly probing into the riser with ultrasonic signals

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Feature Wireless monitoring and control

and observing the characteristics of these signals as they reflect off the various internal structures within the riser. With this technique, it is possible to determine if the riser is flooded with seawater and also to monitor the current extent and predict the future rate of any subsequent corrosion to metallic parts including the steel annulus wires.

In partnership, Flexlife and Sonardyne have developed FlexGuard, a long endurance ultrasonic integrity monitoring system that enables remote riser integrity monitoring from any location in the world and without direct operator intervention.

The system comprises a series of riser friendly ultrasonic clamp tools complete with acoustic modems that are deployed by ROV onto each riser in the field. 4 These are routinely and remotely interrogated using an acoustic modem dunker and topside software control system to measure the integrity status of each riser. The data gathered is used by Flexlife to advise asset managers of the most appropriate course of action; this could include conducting more detailed investigations or direct intervention to prolong the life of the affected riser or to replace it as necessary.

Riser shape profiling Monitoring the inclination of risers deployed from drilling or production vessels is an important step in ensuring integrity is maintained despite continual movement caused by tides, currents and harsh weather.

However, it is costly and impractical to use cable connected sensors along the length of the riser to perform this critical task.

Sonardyne’s Riser Profiling System 11 provides operators with a wireless real-time vertical profile of current speed, direction, temperature and inclination at regular intervals down the riser so that movement can be monitored.

Sensor data is measured by acoustic transponders fitted with external single point current metres. These are either clamped onto the riser during deployment, or installed via ROV. The information is transmitted at regular intervals using acoustic telemetry up to a transceiver fitted on the vessel, thereby eliminating the need for expensive umbilicals to be fitted up each riser.

High speed optics Underwater optical communications is an emerging technology that complements the long range capabilities of acoustic communications.

The high bandwidth signals support extremely high data rates of up to 20 megabits per second which can be used to transmit very large amounts of data between assets separated by up to a few hundred metres.

A further benefit is that in contrast to acoustic and radio frequency waves, the amount of energy required to transfer each binary ‘bit’ of data optically is extremely low. This is an important factor if wireless systems are required to operate from internal battery supplies for many years without intervention.

Free space optical communications technology has been developed over several years by scientists and engineers from the

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA and with whom Sonardyne recently formed a joint venture company called Lumasys.

The first Lumasys product offering, BlueComm, provides a high speed optical data uplink coupled with a low data rate acoustic downlink used for command and control. This system allows for the extraction of large amounts of data from wireless sensors in an energy efficient manner and also supports the transmission of camera imagery and high definition video in real time.

Low latency (<1s) optical communications are particularly suited for use with underwater vehicles. Operations close to subsea infrastructures are almost exclusively performed using tethered ROVs due to the need to carefully control the vehicle movements and to observe real time video imagery for the purpose of hazard avoidance.

The unique combination of bi-directional optical and acoustic communications offered by BlueComm will in the future enable ROV pilots to wirelessly control vehicles in close proximity to subsea structures without the need for a physical tether. This feature will enable a greater freedom of movement and reduction in risk of tether entanglement whilst still maintaining real time video feeds from, and direct control of, subsea vehicles.

Pipeline corrosion monitoring Monitoring the level of corrosion and erosion in subsea pipelines is the focus of Norwegian company ClampOn. Its non-invasive Corrosion(Opposite page clockwise from left) BlueComm is a short range, through-water wireless optical communication system that is capable of broadband speed data transmission.

BlueComm uses an array of high power light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are rapidly modulated to transmit data.This enables class leading data rate

of up to 10-20 Mb per second at 100 metres and 1 Mb per second at 200 metres in deepwater where turbidity is typically low; Norwegian company ClampOn use 6G transponders to log and transmit pipeline thickness data gathered by ultrasonic sensors; Acoustic profiling sensors can be installed by ROV whilst

the riser is deployed.

(This page, clockwise from right) ASVs like Wave Glider can be tasked with wirelessly harvesting data from Sonardyne subsea sensors; Graphs depicting the pressure and temperature data measurements from Sonardyne sensors and recovered via acoustic telemetry as part of a recent Tsunami monitoring study.

Erosion Monitor (CEM) uses ultrasonic sensors to periodically measure average pipeline wall thickness to detect and track any long term degradation to pipeline integrity.

Operating without hardwired communications and power, the CEM is connected to a Sonardyne Compatt 6 modem that stores individual measurement data over many months until a surface vessel is tasked to visit the site and acoustically extract the logged data using an over the side modem.

However, instead of sending a manned surface vessel to perform this task, the CEM sensor can also have its data extracted by a Liquid Robotics Wave Glider Autonomous Surface Vehicle 9 (ASV) equipped with a Sonardyne 6G acoustic modem. The ASV transits to the CEMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location, uploads the data acoustically and forwards it by Iridium satellite communications and across the internet to land based pipeline corrosion analysts. Using ASVs in this way provides a significant operational cost saving and eliminates the increased risk associated with sending vessels and crews to sea unnecessarily.

Wirelessly connecting you The increasing number of real world projects demonstrate that wireless communications technology has opened up a whole variety of sensing and control tasks that are otherwise prohibited by cost, complexity and likelihood of failure of traditional cabled systems. With Sonardyneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly capable acoustic and now optical communications technologies, our wireless subsea solutions let you do it all. BL

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Baseline Âť Issue 8

Technology Automatic leak detection

TRACKINGDOW Leaks are unfortunately nothing new in the offshore oil and gas industry but sensitivity to their environmental consequences, and the ever more challenging deep water environments in which the industry must operate to extract remaining hydrocarbon reserves, has placed a spotlight on existing safety technology and procedures.

Reporting for Baseline, Dr Graham Brown writes about how Sonardyne has applied its sonar imaging techniques to develop a system capable of automatically monitoring more than one billion cubic feet of water for the smallest of leaks. Say hello to ALDS. >>

ALDS has been designed to continuously and automatically detect and localise oil and gas leaks below 1 barrel per day, at ranges in excess of 500 metres whilst eliminating transient acoustic targets that could trigger false alarms.

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WN THE LEAKS

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Technology Automatic leak detection

ALDS sonar head – at a glance ALDS is connected to the monitoring platform via single mode fibre-optic cable ensuring data transmission over long distances is rapid and reliable.

Manufactured from Grade 5 Titanium housing, the ALDS is designed for permanent installation in deep water field developments.

Efficient electronics and transducer arrays result in a total power budget of less than 70W for the sonar head.

The active sonar array can monitor more than one billion cubic feet of seawater, with 360° of coverage from a single sensor location.

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n light of recent well publicised hydrocarbon leaks in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Brazil, China and West Africa, sensitivities to drilling and production leaks have increased throughout the world, bringing the entire industry under scrutiny.

As such, there are compelling drivers for installing efficient and automatic wide area leak detection systems, which include the protection of the marine environment, compliance to emerging legislation and the protection of a corporation’s reputation and bottom line.

Providing operators with a tool to quickly detect and locate subsea leaks can facilitate rapid and structured intervention to solve the problem.

Recent events In recent years there have been many spills reported worldwide, some gaining only regional media attention, others having a sustained global media impact. In the North Sea in 2011, a spill of around 1,300 barrels in just 95 metres water was first suggested by the appearance of an oil slick. Difficulty in localising the original source resulted in a delayed response time and generated significant attention from national news outlets and political parties. Earlier this year, a small sheen of oil in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), estimated to be around six barrels over 10 square miles with little direct environmental impact and no direct link to the operation, was enough to send company shares down nearly 1% through unfavourable media reports. Looking ahead to the predicted Arctic oil rush, Lloyd’s has singled out an oil spill as ‘the greatest risk in terms of environmental damage, potential cost and insurance.’

Whilst subsea hydrocarbon leaks caused by drilling activity are widely publicised, few people realise the impact of natural seeps. In a natural seep, oil or gas leaks from a reservoir close to the surface. On land, these seeps were the basis used by early oil explorers to choose

their drilling locations. The National Research Council (NRC) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences stated that as a best estimate natural oil seeps contribute the highest amount of oil to the marine environment, accounting for 46% of the annual load to the world’s oceans. Research has shown that many natural seeps do not leak oil and gas continuously.

As such, there could be significant benefit to an operator surveying the seafloor to quantify any natural seeps prior to drilling.

Current techniques Existing leak detection spans a range of technologies dependent on the development phase of the field, the regulatory environment and the operator. During equipment commissioning, optical systems are often used to monitor dye injections for checking flange integrity during hydro-static pressure tests whilst during production, pipeline pressure measurements are one of the primary means by which operators monitor pipeline integrity by alerting on low pressures, termed Pressure Safety Lows (PSL). From a regulatory standpoint, pipeline leak detection has focused on the use of PSL though it has been observed that many small leaks are not detected by them. In a limited number of fields, passive hydrophone systems have been situated on critical subsea equipment to provide localised leak detection. During intervention to find suspected leaks, high frequency active sonar has also been used, but this has been limited to short operation close to the leak.

Whilst the issue of leaks is nothing new in the industry, there are significant gaps in leak detection and localisation technology; there is no existing real-time wide area coverage technology and no seamless real-time means by which detected leaks can be localised to specific regions for rapid intervention. This is the design intent of Sonardyne’s Automatic Leak Detection Sonar – ALDS.

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(Left) Deployment of an ALDS mounted to a seabed frame. Air and long bundles of neoprene strands were used to simulate hydrocarbon leaks during shallow water trials at Sonardyne’s research centre in Plymouth. (Right) Predicted ALDS detection range as a function of monophase gas leaks and oil leaks. (Far right) ALDS software is fully automated offering reliable detection, rapid notification and localisation of leaks.

ALDS does not require a trained sonar expert to adjust the sonar parameters;it has been designed to provide robust operation with low false alarm rates in all environments.

From Sentinel to ALDS ALDS is a new product from our active sonar programme which first yielded Sentinel, a diver detection sonar capable of tracking and classifying underwater targets at long ranges and from any direction.

With systems deployed worldwide, Sentinel is recognised as the best performing intruder sonar and proved the ideal technology base from which to develop a leak detection sonar.

In an offshore field development, ALDS sonar heads can be deployed in strategic locations near pipelines and seabed infrastructure.

Data from each sonar is combined into a single monitoring display installed at an offshore or onshore facility. Should a leak be detected, an alarm is raised and the precise location of the leak is displayed.

It’s not possible for a person to look at a raw sonar display and spot a leak. The core of any successful monitoring system is automation, and the team responsible for the development of the automated diver tracking within Sentinel have developed a completely new sonar processing strategy for leak detection. Such a system must be capable of ignoring normal operational activities such as ROV operations and production noise, and alert to and localise leaks with a low false alarm rate and good accuracy. To be operationally useful it must cover a wide area.

ALDS in action Theoretical analysis and performance modelling gave us the confidence to prototype a system for shallow water evaluation at our Plymouth test facility in order to test the theory. Although very different to deepwater, success here was critical for the development of a fully fledged ALDS. Using a compressed air supply and high accuracy flowmeters to simulate gas leaks and an acoustic mimic of a small oil plume, detailed analysis of the sonar raw data showed that the prototype system reliably

detected low volumes of simulated gas and oil leaks. Consequently, to continue with ALDS’ development, deepwater performance testing in a real world offshore environment was required. For reasons of commercial sensitivity, we can’t give precise details of the experimental location but it occurred in early 2012 in the GoM. The aims of the experiment were to demonstrate detection of simulated mono-phase (no gas) oil leaks of less than 100 barrels per day at ranges out to 500 metres in a real oil field environment, accurately localise the leak and automatically eliminate transient acoustic targets to ensure low false alarm rates and detect within a few seconds of initiation. The intention was to conduct a controlled experiment with a conservative, but realistic, sonar target replicating an oil plume.

Detection performance During the trials, the simulated oil leaks were deployed in clear ‘line of sight’ of the sonar as well as close in front of and behind subsea structures.

Data analysis showed rapid detection and localisation of the leaks.

In most real cases leaks are never just pure oil, they are a mix of oil and gas. As gas is easier to detect, its presence in an oil leak makes it possible to detect at ranges of 500 metres.

Final testing of the ALDS will occur in early 2013, when the system will return to the deepwater oil field for real-time gas leak testing.

Sonardyne firmly believes that there will be strong immediate demands for ALDS throughout the life of an oilfield, from pre-drilling surveys of the site for natural fissures and leaks, through drilling and production phases, to decommissioning and monitoring of abandoned wells. Furthermore, as the world moves towards a carbon neutral economy, applications for ALDS may also exist for the continuous monitoring of future marine carbon sequestration sites. BL

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have certainly seen the benefits to using GyroCompatts and Sonardyne Wideband in this metrology project.â&#x20AC;?

Vincent Latron, Project Surveyor, Technip

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Case Study Fast, accurate subsea metrology

Technip saves time in the West Delta Deep Marine n June 2010,Technip, a leading company in project management, engineering and construction for the energy industry, was awarded a lump sum engineering, procurement, installation and construction (EPIC) contract for the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) concession offshore Egypt.

The project consisted of the expansion of the existing facilities, located approximately 90 kilometres from the Nile Delta shoreline.

Operating in depths ranging from 250 to 1000 metres, this natural gas project development was the first deepwater venture of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Under the terms of the EPIC agreement, Technip was required to:

I

● Design, supply and install three production manifolds and three subsea distribution assemblies ● Engineer, weld and install approximately 67 kilometres (km) of rigid production flowlines ● Engineer, fabricate and install approximately 88km of umbilicals, 12km of flexible flowlines and three flexible jumpers ● Connect the flowlines and umbilicals to the wellheads and subsea manifolds ● Pre-commission the entire system and support of the start-up activities In order to fulfil the work scope, 21 jumper metrology operations were required so Technip turned to Sonardyne to supply the latest Wideband Long BaseLine (LBL) acoustic positioning hardware.

Subsea metrology requires accurate, precise and robust acoustic measurements in order that a spool or jumper can be successfully fabricated and installed. For a low-risk, multi-functional and cost-effective

solution to Technip’s metrology project, Sonardyne recommended using its Lodestar GyroCompatts.These instruments integrated the features of Sonardyne’s most advance LBL transponder, Compatt, with a Lodestar Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) in a single ROV-deployable subsea housing.This provides high update rate wireless attitude, heading, heave, surge, sway, pressure, sound velocity (SV) and acoustic positioning of any subsea object.

Edd Moller, Sonardyne’s Survey Support Group Manager explained,“One of the main challenges of acoustic metrology is to ensure that the measured wideband acoustic range can be translated accurately down from the transponder to the hub level.

This is traditionally done using inclinometer Compatts which is then QC’d by rotating the Compatts in the hubs to determine misclosure in both the stab to hub mating and also inclinometer and alignment errors.

Thus the main purpose of this project was to simultaneously use a GyroCompatt in each hub with precision stabs and receptacles.

Acoustic ranges could then be made whilst rotating the GyroCompatts and then using the attitude data recorded by the GyroCompatt, the projections of the hub position could be deduced.This meant we could compare the calculated Hub-to-Hub distances during the different rotations in order to justify removing the requirement for this alignment QC procedure altogether.”

Vincent Latron, Project Surveyor at Technip said,“The results showed that the difference between the rotational alignments from the first four metrologies gave a maximum horizontal Hub-to-Hub distance error of 15 millimetres (mm).The overall average error was only 6 mm which was well within the Sonardyne position measurement quoted accuracy of 50 mm.”

and the required accuracy of 75mm.”

A GyroCompatt is manoeuvred into position on the hub by an ROV.

By optimising its technique,Technip was able to complete each metrology operation in an average of 13 hours; one such operation was also conducted in under 9 hours.This resulted in the setup, measurements, drawings, jumper fabrication and installation for the entire spool being completed in less than 8 days.

“We have certainly seen the benefits to using GyroCompatts and Sonardyne Wideband in this metrology project,” added Vincent.“We’ve had good accuracy with our baseline measurements and the integration of all the sensors has reduced offset errors, all with reduced ROV manipulation.The Wideband technology has also minimised the risks of multipath and was a significant factor in the reduction of the amount of baseline calibration required.”

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Project Report Pipeline bundle tow monitoring

Subsea7completes record North Sonardyne 6G technology Over the last 16 months, Sonardyne’s acoustic positioning technology has been used

by Subsea 7 for the transportation and installation of over 40 km of pipeline bundle tows for multiple contracts. Baseline looks at how the development of novel acoustic telemetry protocols and system software has aided the delivery of pipeline bundle projects.

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ubsea 7, a seabed-to-surface engineering, construction and services contractor to the offshore energy industry worldwide, is regularly awarded EPIC (Engineering, Procurement, Installation and Commissioning) contracts for the fabrication and installation of bundle pipelines.

Its most recent projects resulted in the delivery of eight such bundles, including its longest one to date – a 28 kilometre (km) delivered as four 7 km bundles. Pipeline bundle solutions are designed to neatly integrate all the necessary structures, valve work, pipeline and control systems required to operate a field within one single steel carrier pipe. Incorporating all of this technology within one structure

(Main image) The 28km bundle being towed to site using CDTM (Above, from left to right) Each bundle was assembled at Subsea 7’s fabrication facility; Compatt 6 transponders installed at regular intervals along the bundle;Tow out of the bundle begins from Wick in Scotland.

offers substantial cost savings as expensive offshore operations are minimised.

Each pipeline bundle was assembled at Subsea 7’s onshore fabrication facility at Wick in Scotland, geographically suited to service West of Shetland fields, the Norwegian and North Seas.

Once complete, the fully tested pipeline bundle system is transported to its destination using the company’s pioneering Controlled Depth Tow Method (CDTM). Here, bundle configurations are suspended between two tow vessels at a controlled depth below the surface, a technique that requires real-time acoustic positioning and wireless status monitoring of the pipeline down its entire length.

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h Sea pipe bundle contracts using

Compatt 6, AHRS and custom software To achieve this, Sonardyne Compatt 6 transponders were installed along each bundle at intervals of 700-1000 metres whilst the company’s Lodestar Attitude Heading and Reference Systems (AHRS) were used to monitor the bundle tails. This suite of sensors was used to wirelessly transmit data relating to depth, heading, internal carrier pressure and tow wire angles to the escorting ROV Support Vessel (RSV). A full set of sensor reading updates were sent every 20-40 seconds. Custom designed software allowed the survey teams onboard to analyse the data throughout each tow to ensure that each pipeline did not sag or snake excessively due to the effects of tow

speed, tide and sea state, and that it was ‘flying’ at the required depth to avoid submerged objects. During a tow-out, the towmaster is able to alter the depth profile of a pipeline bundle by various methods including varying the tow speed.

Nick Street, Project Manager at Sonardyne said, “We’re delighted that the ongoing reliability and accuracy of our equipment has resulted in the successful delivery of Subsea 7’s pipeline bundle contracts. Our latest Wideband 2 signal architecture, present in all our 6G products, was designed specifically for use in the most challenging acoustic environments such as this case, and it has performed remarkably well.” BL

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Product Focus Ranger 2 USBL

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Ranger 2: Performance comes as standard Sonardyne introduced its first Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) two decades ago and its latest system,Ranger 2,continues to set the performance benchmark for underwater tracking and DP reference applications.

It’s the USBL that does it all. ● From shallow to ultra deep,Ranger 2 can track multiple subsea targets upto and beyond 6,000 metres. ● Software is easy to learn and intuitive to use,whether your task is simple tracking or complex survey. ● Ping stacking technology gives you the fastest position updates of any USBL system – one per second independent of water depth. ● Support for 6G and Wideband 2 technologies gives you robust performance,ease of use,faster operations and products that work together. ● Compatibility with previous generation hardware ensures you can upgrade to Ranger 2 smoothly and cost-effectively. ● Ranger 2 is tightly coupled with Sonardyne’s inertial technologies – integration that delivers even greater precision and faster operations. ● Ranger 2 supports all industry standard telegrams so you can be sure it will seamlessly integrate with your vessel’s DP system and survey suite. ● Invest in Ranger 2 and you’ll gain access to Sonardyne’s global support,backed up by experts in your region.

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Case Study Shallow water ROV positioning

Terminal 91 circa 1970.The Port had regained ownership of the piers after the US Navy had taken them over during WWII in 1942.Image: Port of Seattle Archives

Explosive accuracy forARA with Scout USBL ARA Incorporated, a specialist in high hazard explosives and environmental remediation, was recently tasked with supporting a subsurface survey of Terminal 91 in the Port of Seattle,Washington. Used by the Navy during World War II and as a berthing place of the USS Missouri,Terminal 91 was a port of embarkation for troops and supplies, and continued to be used by the military up until 1970. Following its acquisition by the Port of Seattle in 1976,Terminal 91 is now home to both short-and long-term moorings for many different vessels.

2009 saw further development of Terminal 91 with a new cruise ship facility, Smith Cove, opening on Pier 91 and homeport to a multitude of luxurious liners including Carnival, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. Prior to the beginning of the cruise season, a routine diver sweep of the seafloor surrounding the piers unearthed World War II-era military ammunitions, including a 5” training round and, subsequently, 20-90 mm rounds, a 3” armour-piercing round and a mechanical timer fuse.With the Terminal’s history as a

naval pier, it was not considered uncommon for ammunition to be lost in the bay.These initial sweeps of the ocean floor using multibeam, side scan sonar and stationary scanning resulted in a Time Critical operation status, cutting planning time to less than six months instead of the usual two to three years.This operation took place throughout the first quarter of 2011 during which further munitions were also detected.

Kitting out the survey To undertake further subsea surveys of the

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Terminal 91: A fascinating story

● Berthing place of the USS Missouri during World War II and used by the military until 1970, the terminal was bought by the Port of Seattle in 1976.Terminal 91 and its cruise facility at Pier 91 are now home to many cruise liners. ●With 17 berths, multiple storage options and cruise ship facilities, Terminal 91 is one of the most diverse marine terminals on the West Coast of America. ● More than 300 munitions were found during the survey including projectiles, warheads, armour piercing rounds and regular rounds.

terminal used by cruise ships to berth, ARA was supported by Sonardyne’s Houston office from which it purchased a Scout USBL acoustic tracking system and ViewPoint navigation software. A complete vessel based acoustic positioning system, Scout USBL is designed for tracking divers, ROVs and towfish in waters up to 1,000 metres.

Calculating the position of a subsea target by measuring its range and bearing from a vessel mounted transceiver to a small acoustic transponder fitted to the target, the system offers high accuracy performance with efficient subsea tracking operations.

Ralph Gall,Technical Sales Manager at Sonardyne remarked,“Although commonly used by the offshore survey and ocean scientific industries, Scout is equally at home tracking a diver or target in just a few metres of water so we were confident that it was the right solution for ARA to use on this unusual project.”

(Clockwise from top left) The creation of the Port of Seattle in 1911 transformed a mix of privately-owned and competing waterfront companies into a publicly-owned and organised centre of trade for Seattle. Image: courtesy Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Branch, Port of Seattle Photograph Collection; Engineers fit the ROUMRS ROV with a Sonardyne WSM6 transponder, ready for deployment in the port; The first object recovered was a 5” training round dated March 1945. Images: Port of Seattle

John Coughlin, Director of Engineering and Sciences at ARA commented:“With the development of the cruise ship terminal and the high-powered manoeuvring bow thrusters of modern day cruise ships disturbing the ocean sediment with their powerful wake, it was decided that the site under Pier 91 required further investigation.

As a result, our role in this operation was to identify and clear magnetic anomalies in support of the subsea survey using magnetometers.”

Navigating the waters The Munitions Response Area of which ARA supported the Remedial Investigation was an area equivalent to 86 acres of open water.

ARA’s Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ROUMRS (Remotely Operated Underwater Munitions Recovery System) was fitted with a Sonardyne WSM6 transponder and a Scout transceiver was deployed from the

side of the dock on a simple pole arrangement, feeding ViewPoint with position output data to graphically display the ROV’s position on an electronic chart of the port.ViewPoint allowed ARA to explore, visualise and share positioning data from the USBL system, transforming the coordinates of surface vessels, subsea vehicles and structures into geographical information that is overlaid on easy-to-use guidance displays.

John continued:“The results of our subsea survey were fantastic and we were particularly impressed with the sub-metre accuracy we achieved in this challenging environment. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the team at Sonardyne; not only did they provide the best equipment for the job but their invaluable expertise, integrated software and on-site training meant that our objectives were fulfilled in a timely and cost-effective manner.”

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Technology Systems and Products

GyroUSBL Lodestar GyroUSBL combines a high performance HPT USBL transceiver and a Lodestar Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) in an easy-to-use mechanical assembly.

Calibration can be a timeconsuming exercise but with Lodestar GyroUSBL, only an initial calibration is required. Ideal for operations on vessels of opportunity, the technology reduces vessel delays and generates cost savings for owners.

Factory-calibrated and with the AHRS in fixed mechanical alignment to the USBL’s acoustic array, the Lodestar GyroUSBL can be quickly deployed without the need for a lengthy calibration to determine the alignment of the ship’s motion sensors to the acoustic transceiver. For certain applications, this can enable significant savings in vessel time and operational costs.

The HPT transceiver component of the instrument utilises the latest Sonardyne Wideband® 2 signal processing and is fully compatible with other products in the Sonardyne 6G equipment range.

Lodestar is tightly integrated into the USBL system, providing power and communications to the HPT transceiver and embedded highly accurate time-stamping of all motion and acoustic data.This enables

unparalleled precision and accuracy of position estimation by removing many of the sources of error associated with all USBLs such as lever arm offsets, pole bending and ship flexing.

In addition, because many of the system parameters are now fixed, only an initial straight-out-of-the-box calibration is required during installation.Thereafter, it can be installed on different vessels without the need for re-calibration.

Manufactured in Aluminium-Bronze, the Lodestar GyroUSBL is ideally suited for short term, temporary installations on vessels of opportunity using through-hull or over-the-side deployment poles. It is also ideal for permanent installation on flexible stem tubes.

GyroUSBL Facts & Figures ● Integrated Wideband 2 USBL transceiver and Lodestar AHRS/INS for high performance ● Available in two versions:standard and deepwater optimised ● Calibration-free for rapid set up ● Class leading system precision and accuracy ● Compatible with Sonardyne Marksman LUSBL,DP-INS and Ranger 2 USBL systems ● Water-blocked transducer array to protect electronics ● Compatible with through-hull, over-the-side and stem tube deployment systems

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Technology Systems and Products

iWand The iWand is a back deck acoustic transponder test and configuration device with serial test capability, developed for use with Sonardyne’s sixth generation product range.

The new iWand is a handheld, battery powered, highly portable design for back deck testing of sensors, acoustic levels, release mechanisms and battery pack capacity. It offers multi-band operation in LMF, MF and HMF with simple to use software that automatically synchronises to a variety of PC connection options.

Small, rugged and splash proof, the iWand is ideal for setting up acoustic transponders laid out on the back deck of a ship, fitted to ROVs or attached to subsea structures before they are deployed.The simple to use menu interface and sunlight readable display makes it easy to test, gather and download configurations.

Communication to a transponder is via an acoustic ‘Wand’ which is held against the transponder’s transducer.This tests the acoustic transmission and reception functions of the transponder, ensuring they are operating correctly.

The iWand is used in conjunction with the 6G configuration software running on a standard PC. It enables all 6G (except WSM6) transponders to be easily configured. Once an instrument has been

configured by the 6G Configurator software, its settings will be automatically downloaded to the iWand for delivery when a synchronisation process is performed.

Configurations for multiple 6G instruments can be held by the iWand at the same time.

The internal GPS receiver provides UTC time tagging of communication to transponders and PC and can also be used to synchronise multiple transponders to UTC for logging applications.

The configuration of the various transponders can then be exported to a document as an audit trail, or to a file that can be imported into Sonardyne positioning system navigation software.

The iWand has various PC connection options: Bluetooth, USB or Serial.The USB is used to recharge the internal battery.

iWand Facts & Figures ● Automatically discovers the acoustic address of the instrument ● Supports all 6G acoustic frequency bands (LMF,MF and HMF) and Wideband address ranges ● Easy communication via the accessible acoustic transducer ● Automatic instrument configuration based on the unique ID of the transponder,ensuring only the correct configuration is downloaded ● Simple transponder configuration ● Serial test capability ● Configuration export to other Sonardyne systems ● Test report generated for audit trail

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International News from around the World

SE Asia – Singapore Nick Smedley Senior Vice President

USA – Houston Simon Reeves Senior Vice President

UK – Aberdeen Barry Cairns VP Europe and Africa

Brazil – Rio das Ostras Paul Smith Operations Director

Workshops near you The demand for training is increasing but it isn’t always possible for participants to come to Singapore. As a result, we have organised workshops and formal training courses throughout the region.We can provide training for project managers, engineers and operators as well as USBL, LBL and INS workshops.

One-stop calibration From coast to coast we have seen significant interest in our new ‘single calibration’ GyroUSBL transceiver, which is an option when used in conjunction with our Ranger 2 USBL tracking system. In the last few months alone we’ve sold three systems, including one that has assisted The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery with the search for Amelia Earhart’s final resting place.

6G far and wide We are experiencing our busiest year to date with Sonardyne systems dominating major projects throughout the region as customers are now reaping the benefits of 6G and Wideband 2.

We are hearing reports of phenomenal results with SPRINT and Sparse LBL out in Egypt, proving that these systems are the most robust ever. 6G is now the dominant technology for positioning, navigation, telemetry and control, with demands for more challenging operations being met by its advanced features.

Office update There is an air of anticipation as the Brasil office settles in to open our new, purpose built office complex in Rio das Ostras.

The new location includes our facility for the calibration and performance confirmation of strain gauge, DigiQuartz and inclinometer sensors associated with our products.The facilities also feature a four metre diametre test tank, allowing us to test the source level of Sonardyne acoustic hardware.

Increasing maritime security Interest in maritime security systems continues to offer exciting opportunities for sales and long term support. Several successful demos have resulted in the first permanent installation of a Sentinel in the region.

New Sales Manager Taking responsibility for our Malaysian and Indonesian markets, Graeme Buchanan has joined the Asia sales team.With a broad knowledge of the region and subsea operations, Graeme has already contributed to several large projects.

Offshore South East Asia This December, you can find us at OSEA on stand BW5-07 where we will be discussing the advantages of 6G and INS technology.We’ll also be showcasing our latest technology for deepwater leak detection.

Predicting and positioning Our predictions for Marksman and DP-INS in the last Baseline are coming true and we’re seeing a number of drilling vessels in the Gulf now upgrading their DP reference systems to the new performance standard. On pages 8 and 9 you can discover more about one of these installations on Oceaneering’s Ocean Intervention.

New sales agent Speaking of sales, we welcome Mike Chapman to our team of sales agents in the US. Based in Duvall,Washington, Mike will focus on promoting our diverse product range across North West America.To get in touch, head to the Contact section of our website.

Workshops and training Feedback from a recent training course held here in Aberdeen commented on how our systems are designed with the user in mind.“Clearly a great deal of thought has gone into understanding what our requirements are,” remarked one client.

Technology Workshops can now be tailored to cater for all operational scenarios with our ever expanding ‘subsea toolbox’ of 6G products.We will continue to run Workshops throughout 2012 around Europe so check in with your local Sonardyne office or the website to find out when the next one is near you.

DP-INS moves forward Our first DP-INS system for Petrobras has arrived in the country and is due to be commissioned in the coming weeks for the P23.This is a major step forward for the future of DP positioning in Brasil and shows the high level of confidence operators have in our INS positioning solution.

Presentation success Richard Binks, Simon Partridge and Edd Moller recently held a technology roadshow that was very well attended.The presentations covered a wide range of product lines and as a result, there has been a lot of interest in GyroCompatt and the ROV-Homer emergency location system.

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Help & Advice Your questions answered

Ask Darren Customer Services Manager, Darren Taylor and his team are the front line of Sonardyne’s customer support network. If you have a question, they can give you the answer.

Contact support@sonardyne.com with all your non-urgent technical questions for a fast response from Customer Support.For emergency assistance offshore,please contact Sonardyne’s 24hr helpline:+44 (0)1252 877600

Q A

Hi Darren,I’d like some advice about the current configuration of my Marksman system,what data do I need to send to you for help?

The most important thing is to send the Configuration Export File (CEF).In Marksman software,go to the Help menu,select Sonardyne Support and set the date and time to the period you want us to look at.

You should also include the following information: • A brief synopsis of your operation and the sequence of events leading up to your current situation • A sequence of events/description of the problem • Transceiver phase calibration and transceiver admittance test results.Both of these can be found in the Tools menu under Advanced.

Lastly,try and include screenshots of beacon/ transceiver settings,the navigation screen,alarms,signal analysis and noise plot.

Email everything to support@sonardyne.com.If it is too large to send via email,you can also use Sonardyne’s FTP site.

Q A

I have no connection to my WSM on deck.What checks should I perform?

There are some simple things to check first.

• Is the unit fully charged?

• Check the WSM is set to the ‘ON’position.

• Make sure you’re not charging the WSM whilst trying to communicate to it.

• Check that the serial port settings are set to default in WSM Terminal – ensure the serial port selected is the correct port that you are using.

• Confirm you are using the correct version of WSM Terminal.

If these don’t work,try an alternative comms cable to establish if this is where the problem lies.If these checks don’t provide an answer,we’d recommend returning the unit to Sonardyne for further investigation.

Q A

I’ve arrived on location and don’t know the addresses of the Compatt 6 units deployed in the field’s array.Is there a method of retrieving their addresses?

All 6G instruments (excluding the WSM6) respond to the DISC command.Enter this command using the manual command window in your Ranger 2/ Marksman/ Fusion system.This then returns the addresses of all 6G instruments deployed that are configured with WBv2 and WBv2+ addresses.

Q A

I have four Coastal Transponders (7815-000-07), how can I test these with an OBC/LRT deck unit?

As with OBCs and LRTs,the correct address must be selected on the portable deck unit in order to test communications on deck.You can use the table below to check which address each Coastal Transponder beacon channel corresponds to: ID Address Reply Channel A B C D

4 5 6 7

1 3 5 7

Q

I am in offshore Angola and have a question about the acoustic data logging system .It is a type 8057-00001 – is it possible to recharge the battery in the SEM? We’ve got multiple subsea trees to install and I would like to carry sufficient spares for the project.

A

All data loggers contain Lithium cells for maximum performance and reliability and are therefore not rechargeable.It is possible to order replacement batteries.When ordering, please state the serial numbers of the data loggers you have as they will help to determine the exact configuration of battery packs required.This information can be found on the unit’s housing if they have not been deployed – take note of this information next time it is topside.

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PIXEL PERFECT.

The sensor delivers extreme multi-beam performance combined with integrated bathymetry in a compact, easy to install and low power imaging platform. A complete system consumes less than 10 watts, providing significant power budget savings for all classes of AUV. A fully focused back projection technique delivers motion stabilised pixel perfect imaging, auto calibration, multipath suppression and the ability to perform onboard auto target recognition.

Solstice is a multifunctional tool delivering all the performance users could want from a sonar in a single effective package, capable of coverage rates that are significantly greater than previous generation side-scans. www.sonardyne-ms.com

Š Copyright Sonardyne International Limited. Specifications subject to change without notice. Printed 10/12

Solstice redefines your expectations from a side-scan sonar. It is designed specifically to provide world-leading imagery especially in shallow water environments which exhibit high levels of acoustic interference and limited platform stability.