HIAB Loaders Help Undersea Oil Prospects

Looking back over 40 years ago, there were initiatives by the Western Geophysical Company to find oil off the US west coast. And, of course, the efforts were supported by HIAB, with HIAB loaders becoming an integral part of this process.

What does the oil exploration job entail? Back in the Sixties, it started with studies of the geology of the seabed with the help of a survey vessel. Known as the Dantzler Spruce, this survey vessel studied the features of the seabed using different methods including shooting powerful sound waves into the surface of the ocean, a method similar to SONAR. These sound waves are reflected back from the various layers of the seabed and recorded by the sensitive equipment aboard the vessel.

These sensitive recordings provided geologists with an approximation of what the seabed is comprised of. The readings also indicate the possibilities of finding oil beneath the seabed, under the numerous layers of earth.

Two HIAB loaders accompanied the Dantzler Spruce. One of the loaders included the HIAB Titan that lifts heavy cannons used to fire sound waves into the ocean. These heavyweight cannons weigh almost four tons and are loaded in two wells aboard the vessel. Licensed under HIAB Italy, Titan can easily reach both wells on the Dantzler Spruce to switch cannons. When the vessel is docked, HIAB Titan is used to hoist equipment on and off the vessel.

The HIAB 174 Speedloader was used to lift delicate and sensitive equipment that was generally towed behind the vessel. Owing to its flexibility and expansive reach, the 174 Speedloader could clutch and lift delicate instruments away from the ship without risking any damage.

Read more about the HIAB Loaders used in Undersea Oil Prospects.