Seabed Sampling Investigation System
In 2008, GC Rieber Shipping took a 40% strategic stake on a geotechnical survey company - Bluestone Offshore. From start-up to operational, the team based in Singapore has come a long way in the past two years between purchasing their first vessel, initiating the retrofitting work with ST Marine early November and hiring key staff with extensive experience in Health & Safety, drilling, geotechnical and laboratory analysis.
The conversion work is upgrading the Bluestone Topaz into a dedicated DP geotechnical vessel and is focused on three main areas: shift the moon pool to the center of the vessel, install a customised derrick system and introduce a mezanine deck onto the main floor.
In partnership with A.P. van den Berg, Bluestone Offshore is installing WISON-APB/ROSON CPT and soil sampling systems for seabed investigations capable of operating in deep water and suitable for major worldwide offshore locations. The WISON-APB downhole wire line CPT system is built for water depths of 1000m and can also be used in combination with a soil sampling tool, a vane testing tool and a seismic data acquisition system.
The ROSON seabed CPT is suitable for pipeline, cable route and general soil seabed investigations of up to 1800m. This system is also equipped with a seabed frame operated by umbilical cord and electrically driven with 2000m power/data cable constant tensioning winch. The ROSON is designed for a maximum penetration of 40m depth and can be easily rebuilt as a driving unit for a 10m deepwater sampler (DWS) with an OD of 140mm. The DWS, of A.P. van den Berg, is a continuous soil sampling tool and has a recovery ratio of 95% on soft clay.
Sea trials are to follow completion of the conversion work in January 2009.
Bluestone Offshore is set to sail in the deep waters of the geotechnical survey market and has a lot to look forward to with initial jobs potentially lined up in the Southeast Asia in Q1 and Q2 in January 2009.
