New system improves awareness and safety of marine seismic operations.
The Kongsberg Maritime owned AIS and position reference specialist Kongsberg Seatex has developed a solution to display the size and shape of seismic streamers over standard AIS. With this information available to all vessels in the survey area, this new development has the potential to enhance safety and streamline operations.
Seismic operations in areas of high shipping activity can be a challenge as a seismic survey vessel has restricted maneuverability due to the large size of a 3D/4D streamer spread - typically 6 to 12 kilometers in length and up to about one kilometer in width. Traditionally, chase or guard boats are employed to contact conflicting vessels in order to secure the operation. Kongsberg Seatex has developed an AIS solution to address this challenge. By utilizing AIS technology, the vessel can broadcast its coordinates in the area where the vessel actually operates, together with the size and shape of the actual streamer spread. A key element in this concept is that only AIS standard compliant functions are utilized so that the vessel and spread will be visible on AIS-compatible ECDIS displays aboard surrounding vessels.
“This shows the flexibility of AIS and how it can be adapted and utilized to really become a great tool during these highly challenging operations,” says Gard Ueland, President, Kongsberg Seatex. “Further it also shows our commitment in creating added value for our customers utilizing a wide range of technologies, and the ability to tailor solutions for different applications.” As one of the first manufacturers to develop AIS solutions, Kongsberg Seatex has demonstrated its AIS technology in many areas. Recent developments include sophisticated AIS receiver payloads for the spacecraft AIS-Sat1 and the International Space Station (ISS). These space applications demonstrate how AIS can be a complementary asset to authorities and have been operational for over a year.