Benthic Geotech

Benthic Geotech Pty Ltd, a spin-off company, has developed and manufactured and now operates a portable, remotely operated underwater drill (PROD). The drill, which can be lowered over the side of any ship of convenience, gathers data from the seafloor for use in offshore engineering and in scientific investigations. The project to create PROD was led by Professor Peter Davies, of the School of Geosciences, and Professor John Carter, of the Department of Civil Engineering, with industry partners.

Data obtained by PROD, which includes core samples and the results of seabed penetration testing may be used in the design of foundations for oil rigs and other off-shore structures, or in the positioning of submarine cables and pipelines. Scientists could also use PROD to recover archives of environmental data within ocean sediments, which promise to answer big questions about past climates and give insights into the greenhouse future.

The robot drill is a low-cost alternative to the big drilling ships used in oil exploration and scientific research. Benthic Geotech, in which the University has a significant stake, has already undertaken numerous deployments for industry clients in Korea and at several locations around the coast of Australia. Most recently it was used to recover core samples and conduct cone penetrometer testing in Bass Stait.

Benthic Geotech has attracted almost $1 million through the Industry Research and Development Board's START Program, and has more than doubled that investment during the commercialisation phase. Negotiations are currently underway for the construction of a second PROD, for use by German interests in the northern hemisphere.