SpiDeR –Spill Detection and Recognition system for ROV operations

The paper presents the outline of the Spill Detection and Recognition system – SpiDeR and its application to underwater oil and gas detection, classification and source characterization demonstrated in the remote-sensing survey of Mississippi Canyon area in the Gulf of Mexico founded by BSEE in 2017. The main objective of the operation was to deploy sensor package from a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) to survey, detect, and map the location(s) of hydrocarbon emissions that are responsible for the surface oil spill and sheen footprint in the Mississippi Canyon Area. The objectives have been accomplished by conducting a multi-day, three-part survey mapping the area of interest, generation of georeferenced charts and 3D visualizations with detected oil active spills, all supported by a ROV intervention outfitted with oil spill detection and recognition system SpiDeR. SpiDeR is a modular sensor suite capable of detecting, recognizing the source and classifying the hydrocarbon underwater leaks. The sensor suit with selectable configuration can be installed on any type of ROV vehicle and interfaces to the ROV with a single cable conducting the power and data. The presented here and used during the mission complete sensor suite consist of two 3D, broad band, electronically scanning multibeam sonar systems NORBIT WBMS STX, one Forward Looking Sonar NORBIT WBMS FLS, fluorescent oil classifier LIF – Laser Induced Fluorescence detection unit and the video camera with lights. The most useful capability of the SpiDeR is the ability to generate 3D imagery (georeferenced bathymetry) even when the ROV is not moving. That combined with time gives 4D observable capabilities of the oil spill. The 4D capabilities have been proven useful during the u-bathymetry part in Phase 2 and forward-looking 3D in Phase 3 of this mission. The system has been deployed from the ROV in the area where it has been known for the last decade that the leak of hydrocarbons is coming from. The real task at hand was to recognize the leak source and that source contain hydrocarbons and accurately document the source location and provide measurable documentation of its character.