Reporter: Ahn Sang-min (tkdals0914@electimes.com) Published: October 26, 2024, 07:00
- Providing Total Solutions for Marine Physical and Geological Exploration
- First Project to Be Conducted on Domestic Site in November
- 20 Years of Experience and Expertise in Coastal and Deep-Sea Operations in Korea
Geoview, a regional company established in Busan in 2005, provides a total solution that combines geophysical and geotechnical survey services.
As the first company in the domestic industry to introduce a DP1-class (Dynamic Positioning Class 1) vessel and multi-channel ultra-high-resolution geotechnical survey (MC-UHRS) technology, Geoview has enhanced its competitiveness.
Seafloor geotechnical exploration requires skilled personnel and expensive equipment compared to land-based activities, and the entry barriers are also high. As a result, only a few companies in Korea have achieved success in this field.
Marine exploration is the first step in developing offshore wind projects, but in Korea, there are few companies with global standards, and many overseas companies dominate the market in numerous sites. To address this, Geoview is securing its technological capabilities through proactive investment and strengthening its equipment and workforce.
In particular, Geoview has marine exploration technology to support the entire offshore wind business process, including depth measurement (MBES), high-frequency subsurface exploration (SBP), low-frequency subsurface exploration (MC-UHRS), unexploded ordnance and unexploded bombs investigation (UXO/MAG), and seabed imaging survey (SSS).
Geoview is also enhancing its equipment and survey capabilities through large-scale investments. Currently, the company owns four survey vessels: Geoview DP1 (1,731 tons, DP1-class), Geoview 1 (121 tons), GeoOcean (499 tons), and GeoStar (1,554 tons) for marine geophysical and geotechnical surveys.
The key vessel, GeoStar, designed for geotechnical surveys, is equipped with a 30-meter spud and eight-point anchors, enabling efficient and quick geotechnical sampling and on-site testing. It has the advantage of performing seabed CPT (Cone Penetration Test) and sampling work simultaneously. GeoStar, which had its launching ceremony on the 25th, is set to begin its first project at a domestic offshore wind farm development site in November.
Geoview’s strength lies in its experience and local know-how, built over 20 years of working along most of Korea’s coastlines and in deep-sea waters. Based on this experience, the company has also conducted overseas projects, such as in the Philippines. Domestically, since 2022, Geoview has successfully completed major projects with global development operators such as Equinor, COP, and Corio.
Recently, Geoview has been planning to install equipment for UXO (unexploded ordnance) exploration in offshore, shallow, and coastal areas, developing an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) for exploration, and securing ROV (remote-operated vehicle) equipment for O&M (operations and maintenance). Moreover, to increase the role and influence of domestic companies in the expanding Korean offshore wind market, Geoview is striving to secure a competitive advantage in all areas of marine engineering surveys.
A Geoview representative stated, “Geoview has many years of rich experience in marine geophysical exploration and conducts most geophysical survey projects with our own capabilities. As a professional survey company that adheres to high standards, we will contribute to Korea’s offshore wind development.”
Source: Electric Times (https://www.electimes.com)
