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Journal of Australian Energy Producers
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)

Whale detection and microseismic monitoring via DAS using submarine telecommunications cables – a case study from the NWS, Western Australia

Henry A. Debens https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2751-0196 A * , Denise McCorry A , Evgenii Sidenko B , Christine Erbe B , Olivia Collet C , Roman Pevzner C and Boris Gurevich C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Woodside Energy Group Ltd, Perth, WA, Australia.

B Centre for Marine Science and Technology (CMST), Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.

C Centre for Exploration Geophysics (CEG), Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.




Henry Debens has been working as a Geophysicist at Woodside Energy since 2016, primarily in the Technology & Innovation group and lately as part of the Global Wells & Seismic group. He joined Woodside after completing an MSci in geophysics and a PhD in petroleum geophysics at Imperial College London. Henry’s work involves all aspects of the seismic data life cycle, with projects ranging from acquisition through to interpretation, but chiefly concerns the development and application of novel approaches to seismic imaging and inversion.



Denise McCorry is a Principal Biodiversity Scientist in the Corporate Services Biodiversity & Science team at Woodside Energy, based in Western Australia. Denise obtained her PhD from the University of Hong Kong and has held post-doctoral fellowships from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Zoological Society of London, and the University of British Columbia. Denise has over 20 years of experience in tropical marine ecological studies and marine protected-area planning and management in South East Asia (Hong Kong, Brunei, the Philippines, and Indonesia) and environmental impact assessment for the extractive industries. Her current role at Woodside focusses on the science partnership programs and scientific studies to underpin credible environmental impact assessments across all offshore business-stream activities in Australia.



Evgenii Sidenko is a Research Associate in the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University. He received an MSc in geophysics (2012) from Lomonosov Moscow State University and a PhD (2023) from Curtin University. Evgenii worked as a data processing and seismic inversion geophysicist in various companies over 6 years. His research interests include DFOS, borehole seismic, and passive acoustic monitoring.



Christine Erbe is a John Curtin Distinguished Professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University and the Director of the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia. She holds a Master’s degree in Physics (University of Dortmund, Germany, 1993) and a PhD in Geophysics (University of British Columbia, Canada, 1998). She previously worked in industry (underwater acoustic consulting) and in government (noise effects on marine mammals and management thereof). Her research interests are underwater acoustics, marine bioacoustics, marine soundscapes, noise effects on animals, mitigation, and passive acoustic monitoring. She is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America. She is a Board member of the International Commission for Acoustics.



Olivia Collet joined Curtin University as a Research Fellow in 2022. She received an MSc (2010) in geophysics from the University of Strasbourg, France, and a PhD (2015) in exploration geophysics from Curtin University, Perth, Australia. She worked as a research geoscientist for CGG GeoSoftware for 5 years, where she contributed to developing anisotropy, rock physics, and machine learning software packages. She then held a postdoctoral position at the University of Pau and the Pays de l’Adour, France. Her research interests include DFOS, machine learning, rock physics, anisotropy, and reservoir characterisation.



Roman Pevzner received his BSc in geology (1999), MSc in geophysics (2001), and PhD in geophysics (2004), all from Lomonosov Moscow State University. From 2002 to 2008, he led the software development department at service company DECO Geophysical and undertook geophysical research and teaching at the same university. In 2008, Roman joined Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, where he has worked as an Associate Professor and Professor (from 2018). His main areas of interest include subsurface monitoring using active and passive seismic methods, borehole seismic, DFOS for geophysical applications, and CO2 geosequestration. Over the last 14 years, Roman has been involved in multiple CCS projects in Australia and abroad and has led the development of the seismic monitoring program for two recent stages of the CO2CRC Otway project. Roman has co-authored four book chapters, 86 journal papers, and more than 180 refereed conference publications.



Boris Gurevich has an MSc in geophysics (1976) from Moscow State University and a PhD (1988) from Institute of Geosystems, Moscow, Russia. After several research appointments in Germany, the UK, and Israel, in 2001 he joined Curtin University, where he currently serves as a John Curtin Distinguished Professor and Director of the Centre for Exploration Geophysics. Boris has over 100 journal publications in the areas of physics of rocks, poroelasticity, and geophysical monitoring of geological carbon storage, including a 2022 book on seismic attenuation and dispersion (with J. M. Carcione).

* Correspondence to: henry.debens@woodside.com

Australian Energy Producers Journal 64 S481-S486 https://doi.org/10.1071/EP23268
Accepted: 25 February 2024  Published: 16 May 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of Australian Energy Producers.

Abstract

A monitoring trial of subsea distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) conducted in the marine waters of Australia is presented. This trial explores the concept of repurposing existing submarine telecommunications cables for remote monitoring of the environment and geophysical phenomena. The data were collected from a pre-existing fibre-optic cable, 50 km in length, that links two offshore hydrocarbon production platforms off the northwest coast of Australia. Initial data analyses confirmed the ability to detect underwater sounds from various sources, including marine animals (such as baleen whales), anthropogenic activities (such as vessels), and natural geophysical phenomena (such as earthquakes). The study underscores the efficacy of DAS for capturing and locating marine mammal vocalisations, specifically highlighting signals from pygmy blue whales – a species granted the highest protection status in Australia – and Omura’s whales, both of which migrate biannually through the offshore waters of Western Australia. These findings indicate the potential of subsea DAS for detecting and tracking marine fauna regionally. Moreover, they suggest its applicability for future monitoring in support of environmental impact assessments and the development of adaptive management strategies to prevent or minimise impacts on migratory whale species from offshore industries.

Keywords: DAS, DFOS, environmental monitoring, marine fauna, microseismic monitoring, PAM, telecommunications.

Biographies

EP23268_B1.gif

Henry Debens has been working as a Geophysicist at Woodside Energy since 2016, primarily in the Technology & Innovation group and lately as part of the Global Wells & Seismic group. He joined Woodside after completing an MSci in geophysics and a PhD in petroleum geophysics at Imperial College London. Henry’s work involves all aspects of the seismic data life cycle, with projects ranging from acquisition through to interpretation, but chiefly concerns the development and application of novel approaches to seismic imaging and inversion.

EP23268_B2.gif

Denise McCorry is a Principal Biodiversity Scientist in the Corporate Services Biodiversity & Science team at Woodside Energy, based in Western Australia. Denise obtained her PhD from the University of Hong Kong and has held post-doctoral fellowships from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Zoological Society of London, and the University of British Columbia. Denise has over 20 years of experience in tropical marine ecological studies and marine protected-area planning and management in South East Asia (Hong Kong, Brunei, the Philippines, and Indonesia) and environmental impact assessment for the extractive industries. Her current role at Woodside focusses on the science partnership programs and scientific studies to underpin credible environmental impact assessments across all offshore business-stream activities in Australia.

EP23268_B3.gif

Evgenii Sidenko is a Research Associate in the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University. He received an MSc in geophysics (2012) from Lomonosov Moscow State University and a PhD (2023) from Curtin University. Evgenii worked as a data processing and seismic inversion geophysicist in various companies over 6 years. His research interests include DFOS, borehole seismic, and passive acoustic monitoring.

EP23268_B4.gif

Christine Erbe is a John Curtin Distinguished Professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University and the Director of the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia. She holds a Master’s degree in Physics (University of Dortmund, Germany, 1993) and a PhD in Geophysics (University of British Columbia, Canada, 1998). She previously worked in industry (underwater acoustic consulting) and in government (noise effects on marine mammals and management thereof). Her research interests are underwater acoustics, marine bioacoustics, marine soundscapes, noise effects on animals, mitigation, and passive acoustic monitoring. She is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America. She is a Board member of the International Commission for Acoustics.

EP23268_B5.gif

Olivia Collet joined Curtin University as a Research Fellow in 2022. She received an MSc (2010) in geophysics from the University of Strasbourg, France, and a PhD (2015) in exploration geophysics from Curtin University, Perth, Australia. She worked as a research geoscientist for CGG GeoSoftware for 5 years, where she contributed to developing anisotropy, rock physics, and machine learning software packages. She then held a postdoctoral position at the University of Pau and the Pays de l’Adour, France. Her research interests include DFOS, machine learning, rock physics, anisotropy, and reservoir characterisation.

EP23268_B6.gif

Roman Pevzner received his BSc in geology (1999), MSc in geophysics (2001), and PhD in geophysics (2004), all from Lomonosov Moscow State University. From 2002 to 2008, he led the software development department at service company DECO Geophysical and undertook geophysical research and teaching at the same university. In 2008, Roman joined Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, where he has worked as an Associate Professor and Professor (from 2018). His main areas of interest include subsurface monitoring using active and passive seismic methods, borehole seismic, DFOS for geophysical applications, and CO2 geosequestration. Over the last 14 years, Roman has been involved in multiple CCS projects in Australia and abroad and has led the development of the seismic monitoring program for two recent stages of the CO2CRC Otway project. Roman has co-authored four book chapters, 86 journal papers, and more than 180 refereed conference publications.

EP23268_B7.gif

Boris Gurevich has an MSc in geophysics (1976) from Moscow State University and a PhD (1988) from Institute of Geosystems, Moscow, Russia. After several research appointments in Germany, the UK, and Israel, in 2001 he joined Curtin University, where he currently serves as a John Curtin Distinguished Professor and Director of the Centre for Exploration Geophysics. Boris has over 100 journal publications in the areas of physics of rocks, poroelasticity, and geophysical monitoring of geological carbon storage, including a 2022 book on seismic attenuation and dispersion (with J. M. Carcione).

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