PPC-1′s survey vessel, The Gelendzhik, is currently in the Bismarck Sea off Papua New Guinea (PNG). Branching units in both Madang and Port Moresby are planned for PNG.

The Gelendzhik is now halfway through surveying the route from Guam to Sydney, and from here will continue through the Solomon Sea and down the Australian Eastern Seaboard to Sydney.  The survey is expected to be finished in early July.

You can see the overview of the entire route in the Geography section of the website, and follow the progress of the survey operations on the PPC-1 Progress page.

The Guam in shore survey team has completed their studies into the landing of PPC-1. The in shore survey involves:

• Inspecting the landing duct and beach manhole, and
• Close inspection of the seabed for the route out to sea (up to 20m water depth)

The survey involves following the route selected via a desktop study (PPC-1′s desktop study was completed during 2007). Survey swathes are then taken at regular intervals up to 500m either side of the survey ‘centreline’.  It pays attention to the location of the ducts and ensures that the desktop study matches with their position on the seabed.

Detailed analysis of the composition of the seabed is measured and any present flora and fauna is recorded.

At the end of the survey, a detailed report is produced and reviewed by Tyco and PPC-1′s marine team.

This photo shows the ducts on the seabed. There are a total of six ducts present. PPC-1 will use one of these for its cable. The other five ducts are currently empty but other cables are already planning to use these.

The inshore survey off Guam has commenced over the weekend. This operation is conducted using a “vessel of opportunity” (normally a small local fishing or charter vessel that is able to approach the shore to the surf line).

The operation involves the running of survey lines spaced at 50m intervals centred on the Route Position List centre-line route. This is done from the inshore extent of the route to the point where the main survey vessel can commence deep water survey operations. We intend to survey a swathe width of 1000m (i.e. +/- 500m either side of the centreline route). The vessel of opportunity above shows the towed towfish secured on the transom.