Frequently Asked Questions
Below are a selection of questions from clients and other interested parties - you might have some more - fire away!
We face a challenge with fishing activities in our survey area - This impacts the node deployment & Recovery plans.
HOW WOULD THIS AFFECT AN OCEANID NODE SURVEY?
A common operational constraint for all rope, cable & ROV based solutions is the speed of deployment & speed of recovery. The Oceanid ascends at about 3 metres per second, un-propelled, to a defined collection zone upon command (descent is about 5 metres per second). This enables iDROP to deploy & recover faster than any solution and therefore better manage project externalities such as legitimate fishing activity.
YOUR NODES LOOK COMPLICATED WITH MANY MOVING PARTS
The Oceanid™ robust design comes from a Team with 20+ years of subsea engineering design expertise. Using smart design features, actuators & other components are minimised resulting in a intelligent unit that steers as it descends under the force of gravity. Conversely the Oceanid™ returns to the sea surface using its inherent buoyancy and steers to a common collection zone.
The Oceanid™ Solution has built in redundancy as deployed nodes that are out of specification can be supplemented with additional nodes on the fly. This contrasts starkly with ROV based solutions and their single point of failure exposure potentially delaying deployment, acquisition & recovery operations & ultimately survey data delivery to clients.
WON'T YOUR NODES GET STUCK ON THE SEABED?
Historically nodes do get stuck on the seafloor & various techniques have been attempted to assist with location by ROV. The Oceanid™ is different. It is a Smart Node that has passive & active capabilities to free itself from sediment.
WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM SEAFLOOR ANGLE THE NODE CAN TOLERATE?
Modelling has confirmed this as 30 degrees although design refinements will improve slope angle tolerance. The node sends a landing report (acoustically) to topside systems.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THE NODE WILL COUPLE WITH THE SEABED?
After landing on the seafloor & orientating itself to a vertical axis relative to gravity, the Oceanid deploys its seismic sensor package with a soil skirt into the seafloor. This results in best-in class coupling.
HOW LONG CAN THE NODES REMAIN ON THE SEABED (BATTERY LIFETIME)?
The Oceanid has a battery package that will support 180 days of data recording at 2ms. We have developed a highly efficient power management control system to ensure the majority of the battery power is available for recording and thus not consumed for navigation purposes.
WHO REALISED THE OCEANID™ NODE?
Kyrre Tjøm (founder of iDROP a/s) a serial entrepreneur, with extensive experience from the oilfield service sector (ABB & Schlumberger). +25 years of OBS design & development experience - Kyrre is considered an industry expert.
WILL DATA SETS REMAIN AT RISK ON THE SEABED?
Oceanid™ minimises this risk as nodes are recovered and data downloaded as the spread rolls. Thus avoiding large survey data sets remaining in submerged units.
IS THE NODE OLD TECHNOLOGY REPACKAGED?
No. The node is a novel design. It actively steers in freefall mode to the seafloor, decelerates and lands. After planting a sensor payload into the seafloor and recording data the node changes to float-mode and steers itself to a predetermined location on the sea surface for recovery onboard.
HOW WILL YOU DROP THEM?
Oceanid'es are deployed in batches of 9 nodes - covering 3 receiver lines simultaneously.