Highland Geo Solutions

Working around the globe for a wide range of clients in a host of countries, Highland Geo Solutions has conducted hydrographic surveys in the English Channel, surveyed on a deep-water oilfield off the coast of Africa, assisted with mapping cable and pipeline routes in Asia and North America and worked on a post-Hurricane Katrina project in the United States.

HGS features two projects of which we are particularly proud.

When the RPM Nautical Foundation based in Key West, Florida set out to explore the coast of post-communist Albania to compile an underwater cultural heritage map, Highland Geo Solutions was there. HGS staff assisted in the exploration of ancient Greek and medieval shipwrecks by working on the survey of the seabed: we helped plan the survey, operated the survey equipment, managed survey operations and processed the data collected to generate maps of the sea floor.

“You’re touching something that was made before Plato was born…”

The most important recovery from a recent survey was a 2400-year-old Greek jar or amphora that mission leader, George Robb characterized this way: “You’re touching something that was made before Plato was born.” Up to 60 more amphorae and many more shipwrecks remain on the seabed. Highland Geo Solutions is already working on the next phase of this project by assisting with the planning of subsequent expeditions and reconfiguring the equipment on the survey vessel.

In 2007, Highland Geo Solutions worked with an American chemical company on a river clean-up project in the United States. Many decades earlier, contaminant graphite were deposited in the river. Over time, these contaminants migrated with the river. Because of erosion and deposition, the topography of the river changed. To solve the problems associated with locating and recovering these contaminant deposits, the company called on Highland Geo Solutions. With its mapping expertise, HGS was able to produce maps of the riverbed and help predict the locations of the contaminant deposits.

An agile company, this river channel mapping project demonstrates how HGS reacts quickly and fluidly. “This was nifty work. We applied cutting-edge technology,” says HGS president, Graham Nickerson. “We were writing software and doing some heavy duty data processing to get this project done.” HGS brings a creative solution approach to all its projects.