Keeping the seismic cables moving

Text and photo: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Kommunikasjon

There is once again a hive of activity around one of the seismic vessels berthed at Lundevågen in Farsund.

This time, large quantities of cable are being taken off the vessel and wound onto drums ashore. Crews from shipping company Shearwater are carrying out the actual spooling operation, while Farmar is handling the logistics surrounding the job.

“WE HAVE ONE OPERATOR with a forklift assisting with the spooling work. Once a drum is full, we take it to a nearby storage facility and collect an empty one, which is then fitted to the spooling machine,” says Ronny Christoffersen, Workshop Manager at Farmar.

This allows the work to continue without interruption as the drums are shuttled back and forth between the quay and the storage facility.

“We have been working on the operation for several days. It started last week and continued throughout the weekend. We expect to be finished at the beginning of this week,” says Christoffersen.

ONCE THE CABLE has been removed and the work completed, the seismic vessel will be moved before heading out on new assignments.

For Farmar, the job is part of a type of logistics operation in which the company has extensive experience.

In April last year, Farmar also assisted when more than 200 drums of seismic cable were spooled from vessels laid up at Holmsundet in Lyngdal. On that occasion too, an important part of the job was keeping the flow of drums and equipment moving efficiently.

“Operations like these involve much more than the spooling itself. The right equipment has to be available at the right time, the drums have to be handled and stored, and the entire logistics chain has to work smoothly so the crew can operate efficiently. These are exactly the kinds of assignments we have equipped ourselves to handle,” says John W. Nilsen, Managing Director of Farmar.

FARMAR HAS has built up extensive operations serving the seismic industry. From Farsund, seismic cables are stored and distributed to vessels operating across large parts of the world.

“From Farsund, we supply vessels on every continent with seismic cables. Either the vessels come here to handle the cables, or we ship the drums to wherever the vessels are located. That has made this type of logistics an important part of our business,” says Nilsen.