Downhole site investigation (PROD)
Deep and shallow water geotechnical insight
PROD is a portable, remotely operated seabed drill developed to deliver efficient and precise offshore geotechnical drilling. PROD enables downhole testing and sampling without a drillship, reducing cost, mobilisation time and risk.
With a global track record across ultra-deepwater, steep slopes and variable seabed conditions, PROD achieves significantly higher productivity than traditional drillships. Its self-contained design maximises stability, safety and performance in demanding offshore environments - enabling efficient site investigation without the cost and complexity of vessel-based drilling.
Rated water depth. PROD enables reliable seabed drilling and testing in ultra-deepwater environments worldwide
How PROD works
A proprietary technology developed by Benthic, now UTEC, PROD is a self-contained seabed drilling system designed for downhole offshore geotechnical drilling. It's deployed directly to the seafloor, eliminating the need for a drillship and enabling efficient, low-risk site investigation drilling.
Once on the seabed, PROD delivers advanced sampling and in situ testing - including cone penetrometer testing (CPT), seismic CPT, borehole piezometer installation and ball penetrometer test (BPT) - with minimal surface support. Its stabilised platform and the deck mud system allow penetration up to 150 m below seabed, even in soft or hard sediments.
As part of Acteon’s integrated seabed characterisation services, PROD connects reliable field data with design support - enabling more accurate interpretation, faster decisions and safer outcomes in foundation design.
Act on data quality and offshore uncertainty
Offshore geotechnical site investigation presents major challenges - from difficult mobilisation and high operational costs to poor data recovery and inconsistent quality. PROD addresses these issues by delivering a stable, controlled platform for downhole testing and sampling in a wide range of seabed conditions.
Obtaining geotechnical data 5x faster
With PROD, you can gain geotechnical data five times faster than with traditional drill ships.
Delivering a lower cost per metre of data
When relocated subsea between test sites, PROD can conduct multiple borings in a single deployment from the vessel, delivering a lower cost per meter of data than other testing methods.
Improving shear strength measurement by 20%
Boost your confidence and decision-making with better sample quality, improving shear strength measurement by 20% compared to onshore lab results.
Latest resources
Explore how Acteon’s geotechnical systems like PROD support offshore wind and oil and gas projects worldwide.
Case Studies
Deepwater geotechnical site investigation offshore Mozambique using PROD technology
Podcasts
Act on Energy - Episode three
Blogs
Offshore construction for FPSOs – delivering margin, speed and certainty
Looking to learn more?
Acteon’s teams can advise on whether PROD is the most effective system for planned geotechnical site investigation campaigns.