A few years ago we did a contract for a leading global oil company with our SEA OWL™ sensor aboard a seismic vessel operating in the south of the Gulf of Mexico. During these months, we experienced operating temperatures up to 55C (131F), which was very stressful for the sealed gas laser sensor. We had to fix a white textile canopy above the sensor to shield it from the worst direct sunshine. Lesson learned.The experience lead us to develop the latest version of the SEA OWL™ sensor. Now, the sensor is fitted with aluminum shielding that will absorb the direct sunlight when operating in tropical conditions.

Further, in dialogue with our customer Petrobras of Brazil, we decided to produce a cooling unit that is mounted on top of the sensor. We also opted to change the physical position of the changeable gas cylinder from inside the sensor body to outside. This makes it quicker and easier to change the gas cylinder when performing periodical maintenance.

Last, we listened to our customers and mounted a camera parallel to the laser. Great for visual identification and monitoring purposes.

The first of the new SEA OWL™ models has already been shipped to Petrobras and we expect to learn a lot in the early half of 2023. Stay tuned!

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