FSBI "VNIIOkeangeologia"
Leading Research Institute in the field of marine geology

Department of the Methodology of the Marine Geological and the Geophysical Researches

Department of the Methodology of the Marine Geological and the Geophysical Researches

Main areas of activity

  • Information support and development of new techniques and technologies for marine geological and geophysical research.

  • Methodological support and geological mapping on the shelf of the Russian Federation

  • Geo-ecological research and environment monitoring on the continental shelf of the Russian Federation.

  • Research on the issue of delimitation of the Russian Federation continental shelf external boundaries in the Arctic and Pacific oceans.

Main areas of research

  • Carrying out marine geophysical research on the shelf and deep sea areas of the Russian Federation for the purposes of mineral exploration, geological mapping, engineering geology and ecological monitoring;

  • Development of methodologies and technologies for marine geological and geophysical research;

  • Development of software and hardware complexes for marine geological and geophysical research;

List of tasks performed by the division

  • Years: 2002-2004. Design and development work: "Scanning sonar development for carrying out ice-surface survey", prime customer is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation;

  • Years: 2003-2008. Sonar deep-sea and seismic acoustic survey in the Okhotsk Sea as part of international expeditions "CHAOS-2003", "CHAOS-2005", "CHAOS-2007", "2008 SSGH";

  • Year: 2004. Marine geophysical research on the topic: "Research on the Cenozoic sedimentary mantle of the near-Koryak shelf of the Bering Sea in the Bay of Anastasia and Natalia". Customer: ZAO NK "Nobel Oil";

  • Year: 2005. Geophysical survey at 4-31/598 site "Creation of a set of State geological map, scale of 1:1 000 000, sheets - 1 (Wrangel Island), R-2 (Chukchi Sea)". Customer: Regional Agency for the subsoil use on the continental shelf and the global ocean;

  • Year: 2005. Performance of acoustic profiling at geological testing sites at the "Academician Fedorov" scientific research vessel within the object: "Additional geological and geophysical research in the Arctic and Pacific Oceans on the justification of the outer boundaries of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation". Customer: Regional Agency for the subsoil use on the continental shelf and the global ocean;

  • Years: 2006-2007. Marine geophysical research at the site "Marine engineering research at the licence sites of JSC "Severneftegas "Kola-1", "Kola-2" and "Kola-3" within Kola-Kanin Uniclinal on the continental shelf of the Barents Sea". Prime customer: JSC "Severneftegas";

  • Year: 2007. Underwater phototelevision profiling from the"Russia" nuclear icebreaker within the object # 4-2.07 "Additional geological and geophysical research in the area of articulation of the Lomonosov Ridge with the shelf of the Sea of Laptev and the East Siberian Sea to justify the outer boundaries of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation." Customer: Regional Agency for the subsoil use on the continental shelf and the global ocean;

  • Years: 2008-2009. "Development of technical tools and technologies for searching wrecked ships and aircrafts". Prime customer: The Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters;

  • Year: 2009. "Methodological support of the engineering and geophysical surveys at the site: "Oil pipeline "Okha - Komsomolsk-on-Amur" 196-207 km, back thread through the Nevelski Strait." Prime customer: JSC "Rosneft";

  • Year: 2009. "Development of baseline requirements for the development of technical proposals for creation of a new generation of small and specialized research vessels for geophysical, geological, environmental and other types of research". Customer: Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Krylov State Research Centre";

Proposals for the execution of contract works

  •  Development of software and hardware marine geophysical complexes.

  •  Carrying out marine geological and geophysical research.

Major technical developments

The BPTA-3000 towed underwater television vehicle

The BPTA-3000 towed underwater television vehicle is designed to carry out continuous television and photo survey of seabeds and ocean floors within three hours. The optimal distance of the television and photo cameras to the bottom's surface is 1-3 meters, that shall be controlled by veering out the cable cord from the winch. The optimal vessel speed at television or photo profiling is 0.4-0.6 knots. Video and photo survey management is performed through shipboard unit.

Composition and specifications of the BPTA-3000:

  • Digital video camera - Axis Q1920Video format - H.264 and MotionJPEG

  • Maximum resolution - 1280 x 960

  • Cable data transferring format - SHDSL

  • Sensitivity - 0.5 Lux

  • Lamps - four lamps 100 Watts, 12 Volts

  • Battery capacity - 4 units for 36A/hours, 12 Volts each

  • Time of continuous work - up to 4/8 hours (4/2 lamps)

  • Echo-sounder - DATASONICS PSA-916

  • Working frequency: -200 kHz

  • Range: -100 meters

  • Weight - 400 kg

  • Overall dimensions - 1600 x 954 x 970 mm

  • Maximum working depth - 3000 meters

  • Cable Type - KG1x1,5-55-90 (up to 2000 meters) KGP1-150, KGP1-196, KGP1-250 (up to 5000 meters)

SONIC-4" Seismic Acoustic Complex

The Complex is designed to work on seismic acoustic seas and oceans shelves profiling, as well as on lakes (freshwater bodies) to study the topography and the deposition of sediments in order to find minerals, to observe the state of the natural environment, to design and place underwater structures, and for other purposes.

The equipment of the complex is mobile, can be rapidly deployed on various types of vessels. The resulting depth of the section is 50-300 meters, with a resolution of 2 to 5 meters.
The software provides the ability to visualize the seismic acoustic information received on the screen, to obtain a hard copy of the seismograms on paper in real time, to record seismic-acoustic and navigational information to a hard disk for subsequent processing, printing of materials and storing on digital media.


Photogallery