Subsea UXO detection is essential to making an area of seabed safe for offshore projects to begin, such as drilling, laying foundations for fixed platforms, and other seabed construction.
For obvious reasons, the marine environment is more challenging to work in, and some sites may be located deep underwater and at high pressure, but still be at risk due to the potential presence of marine unexploded ordnance (UXO).
Safe and reliable methods of marine munitions detection are essential to survey seabed sites for UXO and to deal with the disposal of any unexploded marine munitions so work can proceed without any threat to human or aquatic life.
These are combined with low order techniques during the render safe procedure, so that negative impacts on the marine environment – including plant and animal life, and the geology of the seabed itself – can be minimised as far as possible.
Detection of subsea UXO
Subsea UXO detection starts with a risk assessment to determine the likelihood of any unexploded seabed ordnance in the area.
This can help to inform the decision of which methods of subsea munitions detection to use, as well as any likely types of ordnance – such as mines and unexploded torpedoes – that may be found in the area.
We then deploy the appropriate methods of marine UXO detection, including land-and-sea techniques and marine-only methods, visual inspection of the seabed, magnetometers and so on.
Shifting sands on the seabed can increase the risk of UXO being buried, while tidal action can move munitions many miles, so no area of seabed should be considered risk-free without a full marine UXO survey and any required disposal work carried out.
UXO Groundworks marine UXO services
At UXO Groundworks we have more than 25 years of experience in providing high-quality marine UXO services, using specialist equipment and engineers who have professional diving abilities.
Some examples of the methods of marine munitions disposal we use include:
- EOD diving
- EOLC (Enhanced Ordnance Lifting Craft)
- MMOs (Marine Mammal Observers)
- Precision dredging
- ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles)
- Subsea arc welding/burning
Our uniquely developed EOLC Lift & Shift solution is equipped with a precision-engineered UXO grab, and can hoist masses up to 2,000kg at a depth of up to 300m, so seabed UXO can be moved to a safe location for disposal.
To find out more or to make an enquiry about a seabed survey for UXO on your marine work site, contact UXO Groundworks today via email info@uxogroundworks.com or call us on the numbers provided below and we will be happy to help.
Karl – 07708692551
John – 07788552071
