Many faces of survey equipment failures during marine research at sea-Risk analysis

Abstract

Research of the marine environment is still a huge challenge for humanity. Each survey campaign is a complex project, where research vessels and relevant survey equipment is used. One of the problems that limit the success of working at sea are failures of survey equipment. The aim of this paper was to identify the most common survey equipment failures during marine research, find their causes and analyze identified risks. The authors employ risk assessment methodology in maritime research at sea and present its practical utility and contribution in social and organizational development. For this purpose we based the analysis on the review of relevant project documentation (Daily Progress Reports, Observation Cards) and the questionnaire addressed to specialists who carry out their survey work on board research vessels and also people involved in the implementation of offshore projects. The research reveals that 76.3% respondents participated in a project which had to be stopped due to a failure of the survey equipment that required return to the port which highlights that the problem which was analyzed is of particular importance. The questionnaire form was designed to obtain as much information as possible on the types of failures with examples and also their causes according to three groups: human factors, technical factors and forces of nature. Twelve risks were identified and analyzed. The authors also stress the relationship between the quality of research project management and its implementation in the context of the failure rate of measuring equipment.

Fig 1. Map with marked areas for offshore investments where Maritime Institute and MEWO conducted pre-investment research used in the documentation review for this paper.

Fig 2. Risk classification matrix (source: Internal data).

Fig 3. The most common causes of measuring equipment failures assessed from 1—the least common to 5—the most common.

Fig 4. The most common causes of measuring equipment failures due to human factor according to interviewees.

Fig 5. The most common causes of measuring equipment failures due to technical conditions according to interviewees.

Fig 6. The most common causes of survey equipment failures due to forces of nature according to interviewees.

Fig 7

Examples of objects on the seabed which may interfere with the survey: A) geological form on the seabed, image from the multibeam echosounder (MBES), B) single MBES profile in the location of the geological form A—height 5 m above the seabed, C) wreck of the Ślązak vessel, MBES image, D) fishing nets at the seabed of the reservoir, side-scan sonar SSS image with magnetic field anomaly lines, E) Palisade remains, MBES image, F) abandoned fishing nets, ROV TV picture.

Fig 8. Examples of mechanical damage.

A) Steel rope of the ship’s crane broken when lifting a device from the seabed, B) Hitting the MBES frame on the underwater installation, which resulted in a deformation of the frame and loss of the device, C) Broken cable, D) Damage to the measuring buoy plating due to a collision with another floating object, E) Tipping over of the measurement buoy after breaking the anchor due to severe weather conditions, collision / trampling by other floating object / lack of appropriate services, F) Damaged cable.

Fig 9. Side-scan sonar image of seabed consisting of various sediment types.