#MarineNotice - Further to the recent notice of a 2D seismic survey in the Atlantic waters of the Irish continental shelf, Marine Notice No 14 of 2013 advises mariners of two full 3D seismic surveys in the Celtic Sea off the south coast.

CGG will be conducting the surveys on behalf of Fastnet Oil & Gas as part of its option on the Deep Kinsale Prospect, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

The works are expected to commence in later this month and are expected to last around 50 days, subject to weather, beginning with the Deep Kinsale survey followed by the Mizen survey.

The seismic vessel SR/V Vantage (Call sign LMHY3) is scheduled to carry out the work. The vessel will be towing 10 cables, each 6km long with 100m separation for a total width of 900m, at a depth of seven metres. The vessel will also tow two source arrays, each made of three subarrays, each with a width of 16m and at a depth of six metres.

The seismic vessel will be accompanied by support vessel M/V Oms Resolution (Call sign HP5135) and chase vessel M/V Stormbas II (Call sign V4EM2).

In addition, as part of the Deep Kinsale survey, a second 3D seismic vessel M/V Artemis Angler (Call sign LAGU7) will assist in an undershoot of the Kinsale Alpha and Bravo platforms. The two 3D seismic vessels will sail in parallel at the same speed, one on each side of the platforms using streamers. The undershoot aspect of the acquisition is expected to last two to three days.

The seismic vessels will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre whilst carrying out the surveys and all other vessels are requested to give these operations a wide berth. All project vessels will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

All vessels, particularly those engaged in fishing, are requested to give the SR/V Vantage, the M/V Artemis Angler and their towed equipment a wide berth and keep a sharp lookout in the relevant areas.

Full details of co-ordinates of the survey areas are included in Marine Notice No 14 of 2013, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises mariners that ENI Ireland BV is scheduled to conduct a 2D seismic survey in the Atlantic waters of the Irish Designated Continental Shelf.

The planned start of the survey is mid-April 2013 and, weather permitting, will continue until mid-October 2013.

The proposed survey consists of 18,000km of a full-fold 2D seismic survey in offshore waters beyond the 12-nautical-mile limit, and extends into international (high seas) waters.

The seismic acquisition will be carried out by the seismic vessel M/V BGP Explorer (Call sign HP4919), which will be accompanied at all times by guard vessel M/V Alk Explorer (Call sign HO2639). In addition, M/V De Vrouw Marie (Call sign HP9974) will act as a supply vessel for the re-supply of materials.

M/V BGP Explorer will tow a single solid 10km streamer. The vessel will travel at 4–5 knots and the streamer will be located approximately 10 metres below the surface. All vessels will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

The notice requests all vessels, particularly those engaged in fishing, to give the M/V BGP Explorer, the M/V Alk Explorer and the supply vessel a wide berth, and keep a sharp lookout in the relevant areas.

Details of co-ordinates for the seismic survey are included in Marine Notice No 13 of 2013, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

Notice of this latest seismic survey comes after the news that the European Commission has sought an explanation from the Government over why it has not conducted environmental impact assessments for such operations in Irish waters, which are a designated whale and dolphin sanctuary.

Meanwhile, another recent Marine Notice advises passenger ship operators of the requirements for vessels engaged in the tendering of passengers between ship and shore.

Full details on the relevant provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts are included in Marine Notice No 12 of 2013 available HERE.

#MarineNotice - Marine Notice No 11 of 2013 from the DTTAS advises all seafarers that a deepwater exploration well will be drilled off the south-west coast of Ireland from the end of March 2013.

ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore) Limited is scheduled to drill the deepwater exploration well in Frontier Exploration Licence 3/04 ('Dunquin'). The proposed location is Latitude 51°19'54"N, Longitude 012°27'30"W (Geodetic datum: WGS84).

The rig will be on location from approximately late March 2013, and the drilling operations will last between 90 and 120 days.

The operation will be undertaken by Ocean Rig's semi-submersible drilling rig Eirik Raude (Call sign: C6QE7) and will be supported by supply vessels operating out of the Port of Cork. A 500-metre exclusion zone around the rig must be observed at all times. The work vessels will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

All other vessels, particularly those engaged in fishing, are requested to give the Eirik Raude a wide berth and keep a sharp lookout in the relevant area.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises of a hydrographic and geophysical survey operation being presently undertaken off the Clare coast till Tuesday 19 March.

The RV Celtic Voyager (Call sign EIQN) is carrying out these survey operations for INFOMAR on behalf of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

The vessel will be towing a magnetometer sensor with a single cable of up to 100m in length. The Celtic Voyager will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project and will display appropriate lights and markers.

Details of co-ordinates for the survey area are included in Marine Notice No 10 of 2013, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - Marine Notice No 9 of 2013 advise of preparatory works for the installation of an offshore umbilical at the Corrib Gas Field development off Co Mayo.

Works are set to commence in early March along the route of the existing Corrib offshore gas pipeline with a route survey and pre-cut trenching by the Normand Ranger (Call sign LAMT).

A trench will be constructed from the subsea facilities and well in the Corrib Gas Field to approximately 16km offshore using a subsea plough pulled by the trenching support vessel.

This plough could trail as far as 1,700m behind the support vessel, and so all vessels in the vicinity are requested to keep a wide berth clear of the works. All vessel involved in the operations will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

Full details including relevant co-ordinates are included in the Marine Notice, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the DTTAS advises all seafarers off the West of Ireland that a hydrographic and geophysical survey operation will be carried out in Galway Bay from today Friday 22 February till Tuesday 26 February as part of the INFOMAR programme.

The RV Celtic Voyager (Call sign EIQN) is expected to carry out the survey operations. The vessel will be towing different senors from time to time with a cable of up to 150m in length for magnetometer and sidescan sonar.

The vessel will display appropriate lights and markers, and will be listening on VHF CH 16 throughout the project.

Full details, including co-ordinates, are included in Marine Notice No 08 of 2013, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the DTTAS concerns the scheduled recommencing of a 3D seismic survey over the Corrib Gas Field by Shell E&P Ireland Ltd.

Some 40% of the survey was completed in 2012, and the remaining 60% is now set to be conducted with a planned starting date of 20 February 2013. Weather permitting, the survey should be completed in June 2013.

The seismic acquisition will comprise a four-boat operation. The M/V Ocean Pearl (Call sign C6ZW4) will lay the ocean-bottom cables on the sea floor and will collect all data records, while the M/V Malene Ostervold (Call sign LCIU3) will serve as the source vessel. In addition to these vessels, a third vessel, the M/V Vikland (Call sign C6UL5) will assist the M/V Ocean Pearl with cable laying and also act as a utility vessel. A fourth vessel, the M/T Deilginis (Call sign EISL), will act as a guard wessel.

Seismic acquisition will occur over a set of four active 12km-long solid ocean-bottom cables laid 400m apart on the sea bed at a depth of 350m. At the end of each cable is a 1km lead-in section which is attached to a standalone buoy at surface. These buoys contain a power pack as well as a recording system. Each buoy contains a radio-link with the cable-laying vessel for remote control of the buoy and for data quality control. Each buoy has a GPS receiver, so its location is well known to both seismic vessels. One by one these cables are 'rolled along' (ie picked up from the northern edge of the active spread, and redeployed at the southern edge). The M/V Malene Ostervold will be towing two seismic sources, and operating around the set of four active 12km-long cables.

The overall survey area is divided into three work areas or Contact Zones (A, B and C). A Contact Zone is defined by a 10km radius circle. Radio Navigation Warnings will be given out daily by the Irish Coast Guard, giving the co-ordinates of the centre point of the Contact Zone for that day. All vessels will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

Full details - including co-ordinates and maps of the survey area - are contained in Marine Notice No 07 of 2013, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the DTTAS reminds all seafarers of their obligations to comply with the International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea (COLREGS).

The COLREGS are the basic “rules of the road” for all seafarers in charge of vessels on the high seas irrespective of type of vessel(s) concerned, and are “fully applicable to all vessels on the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels”.

New national regulations were made in 2012 and the International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea are now implemented in Irish law by the Statutory Instrument, Merchant Shipping (Collision Regulations) (Ships and Water Craft on the Water) Order 2012 (SI No 507 of 2012). This Order revoked and replaced the previous COLREG Orders, namely SI Nos 29 of 1984, 36 of 1990, 287 of 1993 and 47 of 2005.

In addition, new national regulations were also made in 2012 for signals of distress. The Signals of Distress (Ships) Rules 2012 (SI No 170 of 2012) update the provisions for signals of distress and their use in line with Annex IV of COLREGS. These 2012 Rules revoke and replace the previous Rules, namely SI No 234 of 1977.

#MarineNotice - A recent Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) raises importance of maintenance as highlighted in the MCIB report into the scuttling of fishing vessel Jeanette Roberta in Glandore Harbour in late 2011.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the prawn boat was returning to port on 11 December 2011 when the skipper had difficulty switching the helm from auto-pilot to manual due to a known issue with "sticky solenoids". The boat subsequently veered off course without warning and was holed on rocks on Adam's Island.

The official report into the incident castigated the owner/skipper for continuing to sail the vessel with persistent navigation issues - and Marine Notice No 04 of 2013 reminds all fishing vessel operators to ensure that deficiencies with their vessels are rectified without delay.

It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that a vessel is maintained and operated at all times in accordance with the requirements of the agreed Code of Practice. Owners of all vessels also have a legal obligation to operate their vessels in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, the latest Marine Notice is directed at passenger vessel owners and operators - encouraging them to continue voluntary efforts to improve accessibility on their vessels.

A new questionnaire has been made available to inform the DTTAS about the extent of accessibility improvements introduced to maritime passenger transport services in the State.

Full details are included in Marine Notice No 05 of 2013, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) reminds all mariners of the obligation to report marine casualties to the appropriate authorities in the event of an incident.

The notice refers to the official report by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) into the grounding of the cargo ship Pantanal (more details) at Rossaveal on 31 March 2011, which can be read in full HERE.

The report recommends that mariners be reminded of the European Communities (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System) Regulations 2010, as amended, which require the operator, agent or master of a ship in Irish waters to immediately report to the Irish Coast Guard any incident affecting the safety of the ship, or any incident liable to lead to pollution of the waters around Ireland or any other EU member state.

Full details are include within Marine Notice No 3 of 2013, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.