Cost effective offshore surveys are instrumental to the success of a project more than ever and drive choice of survey equipment and software. This also requires a tight integration of survey sensors with software to maximize ship time while producing detailed deliverables. In this case study we highlight such a successful pair involving FlexMode and Teledyne PDS software which enabled Fugro Caspian to collect high resolution pipeline data in a fast and efficient fashion.
FlexMode enables the operator to focus a great number of beams within the swath. Doing so will create high and low density swath sectors thus allowing the operator to collect high density data while not compromising the swath width. The high density sector can easily be steered on a target and is therefore actively used to image pipelines. Teledyne PDS can aid by automatically steering the high density sector on to a pipe based on its known or detected position. This proved particularly valuable when pipelines go in/out of burial or when the vessel/ROV rejoins previous lines.
The SeaBat and Teledyne PDS each have the functionality to go a step further and derive in real time the top of pipe position and average seabed next to the pipe, thereby establishing a pipeline route on-the-fly.
CASE STUDY: ROUTE STEERING FEATURE SAVED SUBSTANTIAL TIME DURING PIPELINE MONITORING SURVEY IN THE CASPIAN SEA. >
Video presentation: Surface Vessel Based Multibeam Pipeline Inspection
In a special collaboration between BP, Fugro Caspian and Teledyne RESON an unconventional approach was used to survey pipelines in the Caspian Sea. A vessel was outfitted with two pole mounts each equipped with a SeaBat 7125 SV2 using FP3. Teledyne PDS software was used to automatically detect and track the pipes in real time. A total of 710 km pipe was surveyed in just seven days. This presentation outlines the advanced technologies that were involved to collect such high resolution pipeline data.
Teledyne PDS route steering feature for pipeline monitoring
