Everyday life on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad relies heavily on the region’s burgeoning energy industry. As such, the operating capacity of the local coastal infrastructure—in particular the island’s ports and docks—is central to Trinidad and Tobago’s offshore energy expansion plans. Critical to the safe and efficient management of the various vessels serving the offshore developers is the depth of the berthing areas and channels used to manage port traffic effectively. CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA)’s wholly owned local subsidiary, CSA Trinidad, specializes in the planning, execution, and analysis of multidisciplinary marine surveys including environmental, geotechnical, and geophysical work.

Recently, CSA Trinidad had the opportunity to conduct a bathymetric survey of a private dockyard in Chaguaramas, Trinidad (Image 1). This private dockyard provides the oil and gas industry with a wide range of services, including vessel berthing. To ensure the provision of safe berthing, Trinidad Salt Company Limited (TSCL) recently contracted CSA Trinidad to carry out a bathymetric survey.

Single beam echo-sounder (SBES) and side-scan Sonar (SSS) technologies were used by the local field team, resulting in a depth chart and an ortho-mosaic (Image 2) that provided the client with a detailed representation of the seafloor and associated subsurface hazards that could jeopardize safe navigation. The data and analysis provided has been instrumental to the continuation of safe berthing services to vessels using the port in Chaguaramas.

Image 1. View of the dock from seaward side.

Image 2. Ortho-mosaic (left) and depth chart (right).