O&G and port sectors drive need for hydrographic data

Hydrographic services key to developing Africa’s ocean economy

SOUTH AFRICA: Ongoing interest in exploring Africa’s potential as an oil and gas frontier as well as investment in port development is continuing to drive the need for quality hydrographic data on the continent.

“We have done some good sales, and our post processing work is likely to keep us busy well into next year,” says Gaynor Deacon, Managing Director of Amaza Surveys.

According to Deacon activities in Mozambique are showing a strong pick up. “It’s not just Angola where there has traditionally been a long history of work including undersea pipe inspections, but also significant work is now coming in from northern Mozambique,” she explains.

“We are probably looking at consistent survey work being needed for a good couple of years as they build infrastructure and support offshore fields.”

“We are probably looking at consistent survey work being needed for a good couple of years as they build infrastructure and support offshore fields,” she adds.

Sales of multibeam and 3D side scanners for underwater visualisations also support her predictions. “This equipment is required by the oil and gas sector as well as by the marine construction industry to get a better understanding of what is actually happening on the seafloor,” she explains as she confirms a strong interest.

Workshop attracts wide interest

Amaza Surveys hosted a three-day NORBIT Workshop in November last year that attracted widespread interest from not only the oil and gas sector but also port authorities, offshore mining industries as well as coastal engineering and marine construction companies.

Deacon believes that workshops such as these help give attendees a good overview of what is available on the market and introduce them to the basic concepts of multibeam echosounders. “We highlighted the importance of stable installations and calibrations, quality control and quality assurance in an MBE survey,” she says adding that attendees walked away with recommendations on how to optimise as well as maintain their equipment in the field.

November’s workshop drew attendance of over 40 delegates from South Africa, Angola, Namibia and the United Kingdom.

“Participants in this NORBIT Workshop gained specific technical and practical skills in multibeam survey operations, recommendations for quality data acquisition, and pointers for successful processing techniques.

“These skills enable future capacity by preparing them to manage the entire survey project lifecycle, integrate modern technologies like uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), and give them insights into adapting to the rapidly evolving digital landscape of the hydrographic industry,” says Deacon.

Blessed with good weather, delegates were also able to participate in equipment demonstrations on board a vessel in Granger Bay. “Having chartered a vessel for the day, we were able to highlight the portability of the multibeam equipment and the ease of installing it on almost any vessel of opportunity,” says Deacon explaining that the technical team from NORBIT was on hand to demonstrate the NORBIT iWBMSXh installed on the NORBIT PORTUS portable mount.

“The technical team demonstrated the system's full capabilities surveying along the breakwater and marina entrance,” she said.

Exciting events on the horizon

Perhaps testimony to the increase in activity on the continent, two important international events are due to be hosted in South Africa this year. Highlighting plans for the company during 2026, Deacon includes attendance and participation in these two events planned for Cape Town and Durban.

The International Federation of Surveyors will jointly host their congress with the South Africa Geomatics Institute (SAGI) during May in Cape Town. It is supported by South African Geomatics Council (SAGC), The Government of Cape Town through the Cape Town Conventions and Exhibition Bureau, Tourism South Africa, the University of Cape Town together with a host of related national agencies, institutions and professional bodies.

Presentations will include peer reviewed, scientific, academic, technical and practical papers and participants will be from differing cultural backgrounds, diverse surveying traditions, varying professional experiences and multi-professional disciplines.

Later, in July, the 3rd International Conference on Seafloor Landforms, Processes and Evolution is being organised by the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Submarine Geomorphology working group of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG).

The conference aims to bring together different scientists, students, industry professionals, government agencies, community and non-governmental organisations to promote communication and collaborative interactions.

Amaza Surveys will also be hosting planned demos during the second quarter of the year. The invitational demos will help introduce surveyors to new technology and provide a useful opportunity to engage with equipment.

PHOTO: The technical team from NORBIT was on hand to demonstrate the NORBIT iWBMSXh installed on the NORBIT PORTUS portable mount during a workshop held in Cape Town during November 2025.