September 2012
Rapid Response Service Goes
Operational
in Northern Norway
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Following the successful demonstration in September 2010 of the rapid
response SeaSonde for oil spill response, The Norwegian Clean Seas
Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) and the oil company
ENI NORGE AS have initiated a pilot service for monitoring surface
currents in the Barents Sea around the Goliat oil field, 60 km off the pristine
coast of the county of Finnmark.
Under the management of CodarNor A/S (led by Anton Kjelaas), three Low
Power SeaSonde Remote Units, each consuming less than 210 W average, have
been integrated into durable, lightweight shelters with autonomous, off-grid
power supplies consisting of a combination of fuel cell and solar panels.
In September of 2012, all three shelters were delivered to remote locations on
offshore islands via helicopter. With a crew of four and a helicopter pilot, all
three units were installed and operating in a little under 10 hours, including
transit time, with no more than 2.5 hours on the ground at any of the sites.
Built by Power Controls A/S, each shelter’s power system can be remotely
monitored and controlled in real-time via CDMA wireless data modem.
SeaSonde data products are also being provided in real-time via wireless
communications to NOFO and the Norwegian Meteorologic Institute for
incorporation into coastal ocean circulation and oil drift models. These
SeaSondes and shelters will be used in a six-month campaign for the Goliat
field with other deployments planned afterward. At any time they can be
rapidly relocated in case of a spill in a different area.
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