OSIL (Ocean Scientific International Ltd.) prides itself in being able to provide complete solutions to the many marine and environmental problems that their clients present them with, thanks to the wide range of instrumentation and skills that they have available. OSIL’s team of experts guarantee that every client’s problem is dealt with in a professional and knowledgeable way, aligning business requirements with the latest science to ensure that the solution is of the highest standard.
The company’s origins lie with the production and worldwide supply of IAPSO Standard Seawater when it was privatised in 1989 from the Institute of Oceanographic Science (IOS) in Wormley, Surrey. When IOS moved to Southampton in 1995 OSIL settled in Petersfield, Hampshire in an 11,000 sq. ft facility which gave them the chance to expand their seawater distribution and service centre, providing marine instrument calibration and repair. The noted expertise within OSIL soon recognised the opportunity in the oceanographic market for a combined engineering and scientific provider of integrated solutions and data collection systems. This expansion led to a number of significant distributorships from leading manufacturers such as YSI, SonTek, Guildline Instruments and AML, and the development of in-house engineering capabilities that OSIL are now well known for.
Since December 2006, OSIL have been based in a purpose built facility in Havant, Hampshire, and the ever-increasing number of products that they represent continuously enables them to provide their customers with the perfect instrumentation for their application. From harbour mounts such as current and wave meters and multiparameter sondes, to monitoring platforms like data buoys and towed vehicles to underwater cameras and meteorological sensors, OSIL can ensure that, combined with their outstanding skill base, the correct solution can be provided for any problem.
As a company, OSIL excels when a client such as Strainstall UK Ltd, calls upon their expertise in an area such as monitoring currents and waves. When asked to provide a current meter to monitor the flow during the berthing of a vessel for their Berth Management System, OSIL had no trouble in providing Strainstall with a side-looking ADCP designed to measure water velocity and level in open channels. The system was ideally suited to such an application thanks to its design which guaranteed minimal cleaning and its compatibility with most software. Fixed site cabling was easily installed to connect the system to a PC in the central control room, where Strainstall’s software integrates the collected data with the other measured parameters.
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OSIL are continuously extending their list of own products giving their customers further choice and cost-effective options. The OSIL MiniBAT towed vehicle has been redesigned to provide the perfect instrument platform for environmental monitoring as it eliminates the need to stop to take profiles from a vessel, saving time and money. OSIL also offer a wide range of floating platforms, varying in design and features so that they are able to deliver a buoy to suit any application. The buoys provide mounting for telemetry and data acquisition electronics, meteorological sensors, solar panels and antennae and much more.
The in-house service centre excels in providing support to the integrated systems that OSIL has provided to their customers, as well as comprehensive aftersales service, repair, calibration and technical support for all OSIL’s instruments and systems. This ISO 9001:2000 accredited facility has seen a growth of 10% each year and clients include survey companies, research institutes, universities, manufacturers and military laboratories, all of whom require precision and accuracy in their data.
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By drawing on the knowledge and talents of its staff, OSIL has been able to expand in a controlled and sustained manner over the years, developing its capabilities and the relationships with manufacturers so that they can offer the best possible service to its clients. With each job, OSIL’s aptitude is developed and their involvement in an array of applications across the industry has developed their capability to find the solution to any monitoring requirement. When P&O looked to OSIL to design them a high accuracy monitoring system to assist their operation of two large ferries from the Port of Mostyn, OSIL called upon their vast knowledge of multiparameter monitoring and combined the talents of a variety of their manufactures to provide a system that would benefit its users around the clock. With an emphasis on fast knowledge and data transfer, a complex system of pressure, tide and meteorological sensors was chosen to gather accurate data on wave height, current speed and direction, tidal depth and wind speed. This equipment meant that data could be transmitted in real-time direct to ships and the harbour master’s office, by telemetry. The solution gave both vessels immediate access to essential data as and when it is needed to assess depth, currents and weather conditions before entering port.
OSIL have become instrumental in providing complete environmental monitoring systems to their customers and their success is evident by winning contracts from major clients such as BP, Halliburton, Esso, ABP, Shell, and Thales. When such a customer approaches OSIL the combined capabilities of the engineers and scientists becomes evident thanks to their experiences in the field. The solution that was provided to the Environmental Protection Agency in Kuwait when they asked for a state-of-the-art monitoring system is a prime example of the expert and professional attitude of OSIL.
Carefully considering EPA’s objectives, OSIL set about designing and implementing one of the most advanced monitoring systems in the world. They created a network of eight oceanographic data buoys to continuously assess pollution levels and collect data in Kuwait after the impact the Gulf War, industrialisation and extensive residential development began to take its toll on the country’s marine environment. The buoys were designed to deliver absolute accuracy and reliability and their installation and maintenance was overseen by OSIL on an ongoing basis. Each buoy was supplied fully equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation which allowed the swift and easy collection of biological, chemical, oceanographic and meteorological data in real-time.
Each contract taken on by the company combines the extensive skills, proven experience in field work, data processing and maintenance capabilities of the team to ensure that the client receives the best result possible. When contracted by GEMS Survey to design and supply advanced subsea monitoring equipment as part of a metocean study within H Block on behalf of Shell, OSIL was able to draw upon its strong history in the oil and gas sector, supplying major corporations like BP and Total, and selected the optimum robust metocean equipment to suit the geographic location and project requirements. The system, to be used off the coast of Nigeria, contained three fully instrumented ADCP mounts, each fitted with Nortek AWACs, which are ideal for providing current profiles and measuring wave data in a single, compact unit.
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OSIL’s in-house engineering facilities ensure that the utmost care and attention is paid to the assembly and fittings of each system. Two compact monitoring buoys were specifically designed for Dredging International for monitoring around dredge sites in the Fos Sur Mer Port in France, and the small time frame of one week did nothing to deter OSIL from delivering the best system they could. The robust, low-cost buoys that OSIL assembled were designed to be resistant against chemicals, solvents and fuel, which is essential for such applications. They could support an array of instrumentation and the small diameter of nominally 1 meter meant they were easy to transport and install for rapid deployment.
The buoys were completed within the deadline and were used with multiparameter sondes to monitor the turbidity, temperature and salinity of the water in the For Sur Mer Port. The data collected by the sondes was telemetered back, providing Dredging International with real-time data via both the internet and, more importantly, SMS text message directly to the barge. This system enabled the levels to be monitored and if they were seen to rise above the background of 50mg/l then the dredging operation could be temporarily halted to keep in line with the legislation. OSIL’s shipping procedures and in-house facilities allow them to instantly react to a client’s needs so they can provide a solution within tight deadlines or at short notice.
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OSIL’s clients span around the globe and across the oceanographic industry including research institutes, universities, government agencies, oil companies, harbour authorities, local councils, energy providers and engineering consultancies. With such a diverse selection of marine instrumentation, systems and services, combined with their unmatchable expertise and knowledge, OSIL has established a global presence for itself and when it comes to providing cutting edge solutions they are the clear choice.
By Sophy Gasson, OSIL.
As published by Cleaner Seas, pp 20-21, (Winter 07/08).