Benthic, a global geosciences company and part of the geo-services segment within marine energy and infrastructure services group Acteon, has provided Santos with geotechnical site investigation services at the Dorado field off the coast of Western Australia.

The work included geophysical and geotechnical surveys, consisting of multiple Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) and borehole locations up to 100m. 

The company used its PROD2 seabed drilling and geotechnical testing system, a proprietary portable remotely operated drill that can switch between piston sampling and rotary coring to maximize productivity. The tool can recover 75mm diameter cores with continuous sampling capability in water depths to 3,000m. It also operates on the seabed and is isolated from vessel motion via a slack umbilical, which reduces weather sensitivity and downtime, resulting in more efficient operations. PROD2 executed the project onboard the MMA Vigilant.

The project leveraged Benthic personnel in the Australian region and use of the PROD2 asset working in the region. Benthic’s long and successful Australian offshore execution capability is supported by a very experienced 100% Australian offshore crew, which presented a low risk and efficient solution to the client.

Steve Stuart, General Manager Asia Pacific at Benthic Geotech Pty Ltd, says: 
“This project is a testament to our long-standing geotechnical track record in Australia. The team and I are very proud of the exceptional safety and operational performance delivered on this project.”

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Benthic