Underwater noise assessment for energy extraction and production systems using unmanned arial vehicles (UAVs)

Abstract

Traditional operations such as oil and gas exploration and production have long undergone sound field and environmental impact assessments of underwater acoustic noise. More recently emerging industries such as renewables (wind, wave, and tidal energy production) have also required scrutiny in terms of underwater noise sound fields. To make these assessments, sound fields are typically measured using hydrophones deployed from boats, drifting systems or moored acoustic data loggers. These measurements are often complex and expensive requiring complicated equipment deployments, boat operations and personnel in often-dangerous or hazardous environments. Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV) or drone based technologies offer the opportunity for rapid deployment of smart hydrophone systems arrays over a large spatial area with significantly lower operator and boat interaction improving deployment flexibility, cost and minimising safety concerns for boat based deployments. Results presented are from tests of a prototyp...