By OMM
Offshore Marine Management, subsea cable specialists, are proud to announce the launch of their in-house developed EPOCH (Enhanced Project & Offshore Cable History) suite. The marine cable based and O&M software solution provides live cable/ survey vessel data during offshore project operations via a client tailored web viewer. This provides the wind farm operator, Marine Coordinator, cable Installation/ trenching/ inspection client with a total solution to manage wind farm/ submarine cable project past, current and future events/ requirements and offshore operations.
The bespoke web based software solution has been developed by OMM’s survey and software department in conjunction with MariSoft (Cairo, Egypt). OMM are supported by MariSoft for all their data processing, digital video and charting software, GIS and bespoke software solutions/ programming requirements.
Offshore wind farms are increasingly becoming busy environments with vessel traffic even after installation. Due to constant O&M requirements and the need to not be QHSE complacent, the Marine Coordinator/ Project Manager requires to daily monitor wind park activity with respect to O&M (IRM) operations, crew boat locations and technician transfers to turbines or sub stations, as well as local fishing activity. The EPOCH suite provides this information in one combined GIS engine driven visual aid for both operational aspects as well as vessel monitoring.
Wind farm topside and subsea asset (export and inter-array cables) data management on an annual or continual basis is becoming an increasing requirement for operators with respect to O&M (IRM). The need to be able to integrity monitor and analyse subsea remedial action and intervention requirements is critical if the operator is to maintain the life cycle of an operational wind farm or subsea cable asset. Operators are requiring continual subsea security and confidence checks.
The suite can equally be utilised by submarine cable installers and clients to monitor pre surveys, RC, PLGR, installation, burial/ trenching, inspection and guard vessel movements during a live project.
The EPOCH suite allows for multiple vehicles to be displayed for any one vessel setup (i.e. Vessel with ROV) and also multiple vessels to be displayed. The system utilises a web interface and displays certain vessel & survey parameters, such as position, heading, speed, tow tension, depth of burial, KP and others, in near real time.  The data is delivered to the host server (via the onboard marine satellite communication system) by a send module onboard the operational vessel interfaced to and receiving the required string format from the survey/ navigation software or remote devices where it is then overlaid onto a client web viewer. The client is provided with the web receiver http/ website address and the required user name and password. The client is then able to view at will the vessel position with RPL (Route Position List) and other key topside/subsea assets on a Google Map/ Satellite backdrop (or a hybrid of the two), with data fields for the vessel presented down the left hand side and graphed data (i.e. tow tension, depth of burial) also depicted within the viewing pane. The plan window allows for zoom and pan functionality. A client logo is also depicted to personalise the service.
The suite can also be configured to show other field data and live graphs for project operations such as PLIB, cable installation, cable route surveys, wind farm operations etc. With the integration of the AIS live data feed, the suite provides a total solution for Marine Coordinators to manage project operations as they unfold with respect to all vessel traffic and activity. The core of the suite is GIS based and therefore includes GIS layers of all required spatial data (maritime boundaries, wind park perimeters and zones, DTM, contours, bathymetry, side scan mosaics and much more within the plan view pane). The suite provides RPL annotation when zoomed in and exportable reports (vessel, tension/ DOB data, QHSE, POB etc…) from the logged data for statistical analysis and marine coordination review & managing. The integration of meteorological data layers is planned for early 2011.
EPOCH has been utilized on all OMM’s recent 2010 offshore cable & inspection projects and is being used by OMM renewable energy clients for their operations and marine coordination.
