Thien Nam Positioning JSC has become the first company in Vietnam to invest in Sonardyne’s Mini-Ranger 2 underwater tracking technology (photo: Thien Nam Positioning)

Subsea technology from Sonardyne that tracks the position of divers and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as they carry out surveys and inspections has been selected by Vietnam-based Thien Nam Positioning JSC to support its offshore activities in the region.

The Mini-Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) acoustic tracking system, the first to be delivered into Vietnam, was supplied through Sonardyne’s subsidiary in Singapore. It has the capability to simultaneously and precisely track up to 10 underwater mobile targets and benefits from the same Wideband acoustic signal technology found in Sonardyne’s deep water USBL product family, but for significantly less cost.

Thien Nam Positioning conducts a wide range of geophysical surveys, pipeline and flowline installations, and maintenance operations in support of the country’s offshore oil and gas industry. Their divers and ROVs often work from vessels-of-opportunity, so survey equipment needs to be easy to install and easy to move from between vessels without affecting performance.

Speaking about the contract, Sonardyne Sales Manager, Daniel Tan explained that this type of operational scenario is perfect for Mini-Ranger 2. “For example, the transceiver used to communicate with the acoustic beacons fitted to divers and ROVs, is small and lightweight so can be mounted to a simple pole fitted to the side of a small survey vessel. At the same, it’s optimised to provide reliable tracking in shallow water, near the surface as well as in deeper waters.” He adds, “Onboard wiring is simple, whilst built-in diagnostic tools allow operators to monitor and tune system performance in difficult conditions.”

Vu Ba Dinh, Managing Director at Thien Nam Positioning says, “We’ve been a user of Sonardyne’s deep water system, Ranger 2 USBL, for some time now and been pleased with the results it’s delivered. Our decision to invest in Mini-Ranger 2 was made only after a detailed comparison of competing USBL technologies. This concluded that it’s attractive price and features will meet all of our needs.”

Tags: Sonardyne, Thien Nam Positioning JSC