US Company Boosts Survey Capabilities on West Coast

February 6, 2024, by Adnan Memija

The international marine environmental consulting and survey company, CSA Ocean Sciences, has been granted a non-exclusive General Offshore Geophysical Survey permit which allows the firm to conduct low-energy marine surveys within a three-mile zone from the mean high tide line along California’s coast.

The permit, granted by the California State Lands Commission (CSLC), allows CSA to support complex offshore energy development plans with marine data acquisition and marine environmental consultancy services, and support California’s commitment to sustainable management.

In the immediate future, that means providing regional offshore planners with the survey teams, technologies, and subject matter expertise to execute multidisciplinary surveys designed to determine the most non-invasive and least environmentally impactful installation and monitoring procedures for critical floating offshore wind infrastructures, CSA said.

The permit will enable the company to support offshore clients to run coastal and seafloor characterization studies; inspect new and existing subsea structures; identify faults or geophysical hazards that could jeopardize installation or maintenance plans; and map local sea life to inform any necessary mitigation plans.

“As true to the day we opened our doors for business in 1970, we remain fully committed to environmentally responsible data acquisition and marine survey practices. We look forward to working closely with regulatory agencies and stakeholders to ensure all related activities are conducted with the utmost care and consideration for the long-term health of our ocean,” said Kevin Peterson, CSA’s CEO.

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The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) completed the lease sale offshore California at the beginning of December 2022. The auction, the first-ever on the Pacific Coast and the first-ever organised for floating wind projects brought in USD 757.1 million to the US Treasury from the winning bids for the five lease areas.

The project capacities are well beyond those originally estimated and almost double the expected total capacity of 4.5 GW with at least 8.1 GW of floating wind likely to be installed.

In August 2022, California adopted increased offshore wind targets after Governor Gavin Newsom called for the state’s offshore wind target for 2045 to be raised to at least 20 GW.

The state now aims at having 2-5 GW of floating offshore wind capacity by 2030 and up to 25 GW installed by 2045.