The challenge

Operations in deep and ultra-deep water (6,000 to 10,000 feet) are challenging for drilling, construction and pipeline installation. These challenges can be made safer and more efficient through a good understanding of subsurface current patterns. For this to be effective, wireless transmission of observations to the surface are essential for instant analysis.

This type of data is usually obtained using acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) mounted near the surface looking down through the water column. As operational depths increase, a second ADCP, placed on the seabed looking-up, provides the additional data.

The most common approach involves deploying the second ADCP for several months at a time. This is set to log bottom currents at intervals from minutes to hours. While this data is extremely useful for site surveys and planning exploration activities, the delay between collection, instrument recovery, download and analysis, means its usefulness is limited. Particularly when needed for supporting on-site decision making during operations (including complying with government directives). A faster way to retrieve the data collected by the ADCP is needed.

The solution

An acoustic modem directly connected to the ADCP provides a cost-effective and increasingly popular option for providing instant access to the data collected. The modem enables access to the data from almost anywhere in the world.

But not all acoustic modems are made equal. It’s vital to make sure when choosing one for use in an application such as offshore drilling, the signal processing and error correction techniques reliably deliver critical data payloads over long distances and, if needed, through acoustically hostile transmission paths.

RPS Ocean Science identified Sonardyne’s 6G (sixth generation) wireless communications platform as the optimum solution. 6G has an enviable reputation across the region. Today it’s the only acoustic technology to have been proven as a successful monitoring solution during a well containment situation.

The seabed component of the monitoring system incorporated a Sonardyne Compatt 6 telemetry transponder interfaced with a Teledyne RDI Workhorse 300 kHz ADCP. These were mounted together in a deployment frame. 10,000 feet above, a Sonardyne HPT modem deployed from the rig acted as the surface receiver. It was enclosed within a rugged cage to protect it during deployment and recovery phases, and weighted to prevent drifting in high surface currents.

The HPT was integrated with the data collection system RPS Ocean Science had previously supplied to the rig, this included a 38 kHz ADCP at the surface and load handling system. The Compatt 6G modems and ADCP were deployed by ROV on the seabed at a depth of 9,970 feet, approximately 150 feet away from the rig’s BOP.

After establishing reliable seabed to surface communications, data collection was initiated. The acquisition system is designed to receive and display data from the surface and bottom ADCPs at 10 minute intervals.

The results

Following initial system deployment, the signal analysis tools built into the Compatt 6 and HPT enabled the bidirectional communications link to be optimised for the local conditions. This resulted in highly reliable and low latency data return rates.

Water velocity profiles were generated from approximately three metres to 100 m off the seabed. The profiles were composed of 50, two metre bins. Data was averaged over 75 seconds at a 1 Hz sample rate. Velocity and direction profiles were processed by the subsurface instrument and transmitted to the rig’s data acquisition system where profiles were displayed, along with the velocity and direction profiles from the surface ADCP, on the platform bridge.

The data has been utilised by the metocean team to support exploration operations in daily advisories as well as providing a unique perspective on potential Topographic Rossby Waves thought to be a common feature in the area. Processed data files were also transmitted to our client’s shore-based server and the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) in near real-time.

A demonstration of the system’s capability took place during the summer of 2015. Since then, the RPS-Sonardyne solution has proven to offer reliable self-contained operation with long service intervals. The configuration of the upward looking ADCP and Sonardyne 6G digital modem technology perfectly complements conventional near-surface and mid-column current monitoring. It also contributes toward lowering operational risk and increasing the safety of drilling, survey and ROV operations in deep water.