ZONARCH.
Survey vessel Pardus at sea with a sensor package suspended from its crane
North Sea · 51°–61° N

See the asset. Understand its surroundings. Track what changes.

Continuous seabed imaging for subsea cables, pipelines and foundations.

Introduction

Keeping an eye on what’s below

Zonarch grew out of a technical curiosity and stubborn drive to make things as simple as they can possibly be. We set out to research the scattered landscape of seabed surveying, and developed a plan to provide a base level of information on offshore installations subsea cables, pipelines and such. That work is now well under way.

The North Sea is home to an extensive network of subsea infrastructure. Power and telecommunications cables, pipelines, offshore wind foundations and other assets operate in an environment that is constantly changing. Sonar surveys provide a way to monitor those assets without needing direct physical access.

By surveying the same area over time, we can create an up-to-date picture of both the infrastructure and the seabed surrounding it. Comparing survey datasets can help identify changes that may require closer investigation: changes in seabed level around foundations, exposed or buried sections of cable and pipeline routes, movement of sediment, scour, unexpected objects and other changes in the immediate environment around an asset.

Diver surfacing beside an inflatable boat with a dive flag
The platform

Supporting subsea asset management

Our seabed mapping can support the monitoring of:

  • Subsea cablesObserving cable routes and identifying areas of exposure, burial or changing seabed conditions.
  • PipelinesMapping pipeline position and the surrounding seabed to support inspection and integrity programmes.
  • Offshore wind foundationsMonitoring seabed morphology and scour around foundations and associated infrastructure.
  • InterconnectorsProviding continuous mapping along critical subsea power routes.
  • Other subsea assetsLocating and monitoring structures, protection systems and equipment installed on or near the seabed.

A platform for operators to jointly create and maintain a picture of the environment their assets live in.

Zonarch asset tracker showing the Dutch exclusive economic zone with offshore wind farms, cables and pipelines, shipping lanes and live AIS vessel positions
ZONARCH.NET asset tracker dutch EEZ
Click here for interactive map
Sensing technology

Two layers, one picture

Surface

On the Surface

We combine AIS, radar and communications data to monitor vessel activity at the surface. Based on excess or undeclared activity we help set priorities for inspections and contracted survey work.

Subsea

Below the waves

We contract sonar survey runs, process them through our classification and mosaicking pipeline, and make the results available to the offshore community. By pooling supply of and demand for subsea inspection, we make full use of our leased survey fleet and bring new operators on board.

Side-scan sonar record showing seabed texture on both sides of the survey track
Side-scan sonar record example.

A shared, clear picture for everybody who travels on, works in and cares for our North Sea.