Echoscope assists Deep BV in Cable Laying

CodaOctopus and their agent in The Netherlands, Nautikaris BV, have recently been involved in a project for Deep BV Hydrography and Geophysics, providing positioning and survey services for the installation of a power cable at the Thornton Bank Wind Farm off the Belgian coast.

This is a significant development for the Echoscope® as this is the first time the sonar has been used to monitor the touchdown of a cable into a trench on the seabed. Using Echoscope® the operator was able to visualize in real time the cable’s catenary and touchdown point in three dimensions as it was being laid. This proves the valuable application of the Echoscope® in deep sea cable laying. Additionally, it was also used to visualize and monitor the pull-in of the cable into the J-tube. This gave the operator an immediate 3D view of the subsea scene during the operation, resulting in confident decision making.

Furthermore, using CodaOctopus’ proprietary USE™ (Underwater Survey Explorer) software with its “augmented reality” capabilities it was possible to overlay a computer generated image of the planned siting of the cable onto the sonar view to confirm the cable was being laid on target. Work is on-going but early results indicate that this approach has led to a major increase in productivity.

Jurgen Beerens, Commercial Manager at Deep BV, said “This project has proven to us that using Echoscope® can bring significant productivity gains. By ensuring the correct siting of the cable and by making necessary adjustments as it is being laid, we were able to work continuously without having to stop to check its position. We therefore avoided having to go back and take remedial action.”

Blair Cunningham, CodaOctopus’ President of Technology, said, “We are delighted with the results of this project.  The Echoscope® real time 3D sonar is the technology of the future in these types of operations. The last twelve months have seen a further expansion in the range of applications where the Echoscope® has been successfully deployed. Businesses involved in these complex and difficult operations are beginning to understand the advantages of the real time capabilities of the Echoscope® over conventional sonars or multibeam equipment, and are attesting to the productivity gains realized through deploying the Echoscope®. This represents one of our first forays into this significant market. There are hundreds of international power and telecommunications cables globally, and this number is set to increase significantly. Even laying a short cable of a couple of hundred miles or so can cost about $1Bn, and we are delighted that we have a proven application in this market which is good for our customers and for CodaOctopus.”