• Drilling Matrix

The Drilling Matrix

In deepwater, the primary role for acoustic technology on a mobile drilling unit is to provide reliable and accurate position reference data for a vessel’s dynamic positioning system. Regulatory requirements for equipment redundancy, riser monitoring, multi-vessel operations and emergency BOP control are demands that further extend the role of acoustic technology.

Inside the Drilling Matrix, Sonardyne’s new 6G® hardware platform utilises ultra-wide bandwidth signals to enable seamless multi-vessel capability ensuring no vessel down time.

LUSBL

Sonardyne 6G® LUSBL increases the performance of USBL by including Long BaseLine (LBL) measurements from a seabed deployed array of Compatt 6 transponders. This increases accuracy by de-skewing USBL ranges and provides redundancy to ensure constant DP input. These systems are essential for continuous station keeping in areas affected by GPS scintillation due to sun spot activity.

The increased signal strength of Sonardyne’s Wideband® 2 signals allow the geometry of array to be reduced whilst still maintaining positioning accuracy. Smaller arrays allow deployment directly from the drilling vessel without the requirement for a support vessel.

Dual Independent LUSBL

For near failsafe DP, two LUSBL systems can be installed on a vessel with each system operating individually. Both systems can operate their own seabed array or share a single array of Compatt 6 transponders using time synchronisation via GPS or using the new multirole transponder identity feature. The DP desk receives position outputs from both systems as separate references to the DP desk increasing the DP classification.

Dual Redundant LUSBL

For critical DP, dual redundant LUSBL systems provide both seabed and surface equipment redundancy for a failsafe and accurate system. Sonardyne’s 6G® dual redundant LUSBL systems will continue to operate without any operator input even if one of the topside fails, and one of the power units fails and also one of the transceivers fails, creating a system that is immune to failure of individual components.

 

DP INS

Lodestar AHRS has a direct upgrade path to a Lodestar Acoustically Aided INS (AAINS) solution. Adding this capability provides a robust and smooth input for the DP thereby reducing its workload. AAINS is particularly suited for high accuracy DP projects in deepwater.

 

MRAMS

Sonardyne’s Marksman-based Marine Riser Angle Monitoring System (MRAMS) operates with a pair of DPT transponders fitted with inclinometers to provide precise riser and BOP differential angle monitoring during drilling operations to reduce excessive wear on subsea components.

 

Emergency BOP Control

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