Nautronix has conducted a successful trial of NASNet® for Cairn Energy, offshore Greenland, proving the viability of NASNet® and the Nautronix ADS² signalling technology capabilities in a harsh environment. The NASNet® system was deployed from the AHTS Siem Aquamarine in approximately 300msw and during the deployment various acoustic communication and positioning tasks were undertaken to demonstrate the capabilities of the system.
Cairn Energy wished to trial alternative acoustic systems at similar depths and environmental conditions to assess communications. No system acoustic communication issues were experienced at any point during the trial throughout the entire water column using NASNet®. The success of the trials ably demonstrated the advanced Nautronix ADS² signalling capabilities to provide a reliable and robust communication capability in the harshest of environments.
An array of 5 NASNet® seabed Stations was deployed at the chosen location to provide seamless multi-user positioning capability for both the vessel and ROV. The positioning capability and stability of the NASNet® system was fully demonstrated for both the vessel and ROV. This is particularly important for operational locations at high latitudes where periods of instability of GNSS systems are not unknown and NASNet® can offer a viable DP Reference position solution (NASNet® DPR) with position update frequency and quality equivalent to DGPS solution.
As per previous projects where NASNet® has been successfully deployed it was pleasing to be able to demonstrate the positioning capabilities of the NASNet® VTrx system for the ROV with favourable feedback from the experienced ROV crew in terms of installation ease, quality and rapid position update rates allowing ROV manoeuvres to be undertaken with increased confidence.
As with all Nautronix leading commercial acoustic systems, NASNet® utilises Nautronix proprietary ADS² (Acoustic Digital Spread Spectrum) broadband signalling technology which has been proven, with over ten years of successful subsea operations, to provide superior accuracy, repeatability and reliability for dynamic positioning of vessels during deepwater drilling operations. This trial demonstrated this function where successful long range communication tests were completed with no signal drop outs observed and once again provides confidence that operational critical function can be provided by the range of Nautronix commercial acoustic systems such as NASeBOP.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , January 18, 2012; Image: Nautronix