Project: SI 1056 – Yampi Sound to Montgomery Reef
Client: Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO), under the HydroScheme Industry Partnership Program or simply ‘HIPP’
Working for: Reach Subsea
Year: 2025/2026
Area of operation: Western Australia, off Koolan Island and Horizontal Falls
Type of work: Hydrographic Survey
Further info: see link below (click SI1056) https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4eebeb4ac3a34f47a7699e63f006ca28
Key Equipment: Kongsberg Multibeam EM 2040, Veripos Positioning
Vessels: 2 x Small Survey Launch, 1 x Support Vessel, 1 x Large Survey Vessel, 1 x Drix (USV) survey vessel
Project Overview: I managed this project, to undertake a Hydrographic survey for the AHO, which is used to update navigational charts. Parts of the survey area were uncharted, with a massive tidal range of up to 10m. Due to the remoteness of the area we used charter aircraft to crew change and re-supply. Remote, croc infested waters, and temperatures in the 40’s, this was certainly an extremely challenging project, while working with multiple vessels in the field.
In field Scope:
- Hydrographic Survey (946 km2)
- Tide Gauges, Current meters, deployed to seabed
- Sampling of seabed (grabs and cameras)
- GNSS Buoys for duration of survey
- GNSS land base stations
Challenges:
- Massive tidal range, with completely uncharted waters in areas
- Multiple vessels, and utilising 2x third party vessel
- Remote area with crew working nearshore
- Wildlife attacking survey equipment
- Demanding data and mobilisation specs
- Working with multiple government stakeholders