Seismic cables with sensors are towed behind vessels to survey the bedrock beneath the seabed in the exploration of hydrocarbons. The trend in the industry is that cables are increasing in both length and number.

This creates an increased need to control the position of the cables in terms of separation and depth. Kongsberg Seatex saw an opportunity and has developed a product to steer seismic cables.

Technological offshore innovation

eBird is interleaving  seismic cable sections and steers the cable laterally, vertically and in rotation. An eBird is typically fitted every 300 metres, and the total length of a streamer can be up to 12 km. eBird is a great innovative idea that makes use of an ingenious system design. It is designed for submerged operations and communicates advanced technology. The mechanism is compelling and the design is functional.

The ergonomics, use situation and work process for the detachable wings are well taken care of, which is important when there are many units onboard. The time needed for installation, operation and maintenance is reduced, leaving more time for production. Offshore yellow, in contrast to the grey titanium, places the product in the right context and makes it easily visible under poor sight conditions. The product has a visual quality with marketing potential for Kongsberg Seatex. A very worthy candidate.

Company strategy

A control unit for seismic cables is equipped with wings, and is therefore called a bird. Kongsberg Seatex had the idea of developing a bird in the early 1990s. Solutions were already available on the market, but Kongsberg Seatex thought it could create something better and more efficient. Long-term development of the company’s technology base and systematic strengthening of its innovative capability turned this ambition into reality. Finally, it was time for the eBird® to hatch. 

Gathering information

Kongsberg Seatex has been a player in the maritime seismic market for a long time. Its market position is built on leading GPS and motion measurement technology. The company’s well developed customer network was an important basis for understanding the basic needs that the eBird® had to cover. To ensure the management of Kongsberg Seatex was as deeply involved as possible, the company’s technical director was the project manager for the development project. This intense development course ensured that decision paths for choosing solutions and prioritising were short.

Planning

The eBird® project started out as a concept. It was immediately obvious that it carried high technical and market risks. To handle this, development had to be based on prototyping through much iteration. There has been a strong focus on learning as much as possible from the development and testing of each prototype.  Although the basic concept for the eBird® has been fixed throughout the entire development process, it has come a long way from the first 3D model produced by industrial designers at Inventas to the present eBird®.

Testing and choice of direction

Prototypes notwithstanding, it became clear that a better understanding of the physical conditions the eBird® would be exposed to was needed. Model tests were carried out at Marintek in Trondheim, Norway. FF Gunnerus, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s research vessel, was hired and rigged to test the first prototypes. An eBird® was also subjected to a long-term test in the Nidelven river to gather data about how it would behave under extreme current conditions. The team quickly named this device “the dipper”.

Design specification

The eBird® has to fly through the water, so form must follow function. It must create the least possible turbulence in the water and have carefully calculated lift characteristics. The three symmetrical wings have to be able to quickly control tilt, rotation and depth. The body is mounted as a fixed extension piece between sections of cable.  A typical configuration is one eBird® for every 300 metres, so the eBird® must be able to withstand very high tensile stresses. Furthermore, the eBird® must be able to survive at much greater depths than usual and operate under extreme conditions in the splash zone.

So as not to damage the streamers when they are winched in on drums, each eBird® has to have its wings removed before it reaches the drum. Therefore, it has to be as easy as possible to remove the wings – and replace them – when the streamers have to go into the sea again. To make the body of the eBird® as compact and slim as possible, as much of the mechanics and electronics was moved out to the wings as possible. Use of space and transferring signals and energy between the body and wings were the greatest challenges.

Development

The project was dependent on a strong team based on multiple disciplines. Over many years, Kongsberg Seatex had established a good working relationship with industrial designers from Inventas, who were among the first members of the team. As more new prototypes revealed the eBird®’s potential, the development team was given its own premises. This meant that it was easier to interact across different disciplines, creating common commitment to common goals and ensuring that problems were addressed from different perspectives. The resulting dynamics created strong innovation processes, which have, for example, led to a number of new patents and patent applications.  The eBird® project team is a good example of a team that is stronger than the sum of its members.

Commercialisation

Kongsberg Seatex launched the eBird® for the seismic market at the largest industrial trade fair in Houston in autumn 2009, where it received a lot of attention. It was regarded as one of the greatest news items of the year. At the same time, Kongsberg Seatex has signed an agreement with PGS, one of the largest players in maritime seismic. PGS has stated that it wants to standardise the eBird® as a control unit for its most advanced streamers.

Company: Kongsberg Seatex AS

Project group company: Kongsberg Seatex do not credit individuals in their design projects, as it may be difficult to put a limit on who should be credited.


Design: Inventas Trondheim AS

Award / year: Honours Award for Design Excellence - 2011

Category: Nominees