Improved HSEQ and survey efficiency demonstrated with a new remotely operated streamer cleaning tool

Summary

Barnacle growth on seismic streamers creates noise on the recorded signals. Keeping a low noise level in barnacle areas is challenging to seismic crews: Frequent workboat trips are required for streamer cleaning, and workboat operations are weather-dependent and considered undesirable from an HSE perspective. In 2007 a purely mechanical and autonomous streamer cleaning unit (SCU) was introduced that is launched and recovered from the workboat. In 2016 we subsequently developed a remotely operated streamer tool (ROST) that is capable of launching and recovering SCUs to/from the streamer without the use of a workboat, and which is therefore less affected by weather. The ROST is operated from a support vessel that is independent of the seismic vessel. We present experiences from four surveys that were subject to different operating conditions. Operation in high sea states is demonstrated on a survey offshore Namibia, and operation in extreme currents is demonstrated on another survey east of South Africa. A noise removal method is also presented that allows operation of the ROST while online during seismic recording. The method was first applied on the offshore South African survey, and later on two surveys in offshore Angola. It is demonstrated that work boat exposure hours can be reduced by 70-80%, and a 14 streamer spread can be cleaned twice a week while acquiring seismic in all types of operating conditions.

• barnacles
• noise
• HSE
• seismic
• automation