SAND Geophysics
- SAND Geophysics
- Since 2018
Based in Southampton, UK, SAND Geophysics specialises in high-resolution seismic, sidescan and magnetometer surveys, frequently using USBLs for UXO survey projects that require high accuracy.
Upgrading from older Easytrak systems
While working in environments that require high levels of accuracy, SAND Geophysics often use USBL systems for projects involving Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and diver positioning.
The team were finding that older systems weren’t providing the accuracy that was required to enable them to provide their clients with the support and consultancy they needed.
One of the main issues that SAND Geophysics had was the time and effort required for calibration. Projects are often short term and on nearshore vessels where deploying beacons to the seabed involves a lot of manual handling and increased time to mobilise. This often increased the cost and risk to their clients, reducing efficiencies and flexibility.
Rapid mobilisation and calibration
The Pyxis INS + USBL system was created to be capable of highly accurate subsea tracking with survey grade performance. Seeing the upgraded Pyxis system and it’s rapid mobilisation and calibration was a key driver for SAND Geophysics, along with the accuracy and reliability of the Sigma 2 spread spectrum technology.
“As a new system on the market we wanted to test it out before committing and were grateful to applied acoustics for assisting with a rental system for setup on our first project.” states James Matthews, Director.
Having the Pyxis system has saved significant time and effort in calibrating, the Pyxis doesn’t require deploying a beacon to the seabed, instead just requiring the vessel to perform a series of manoeuvres to allow an internal calibration for the offsets between the antennas and the IMU. This reduces the manual handling and improves the safety of the team. It is also much quicker than a traditional calibration so reduces the cost and risk for SAND Geophysics’ clients and increases the flexibility and efficiency of their work.
What’s been the impact for SAND Geophysics’ team and clients?
Using the Pyxis system has made SAND Geophysics’ work easier, safer and faster, improving the confidence of the team and pride in their work, knowing that they are using a state-of-the-art system that delivers high-quality results.
The team has seen calibration times decrease by a factor of 2-3. depending on the project and environment. This decrease translates into significant cost saving for their clients and in turn increases SAND Geophysics competitiveness in the market.
To learn more about SAND Geophysics’ work, visit their website here.
