M/V American
with
Piggy-back shallow-water barge

Delta Exploration Incorporated
Jackson, Mississippi, USA

Gabon, West Africa - 1970/71

Seismic source: Aquaflex detonating cord

Data acquisition system: Texas Instruments DFS-III

Navigation system: Motorola RPS (X-Band Range Positioning System)

Harry Miller & Bob Horne (Me) outside the Grand Tarpon Hotel, Port Gentile, Gabon

The geophysical crew on board the M/V American

Chris Stafford (at one of the navigation shore stations) checks the batteries that power the x-band transponder which was mounted on the top of the mast (seen lying down). Local villagers were employed to raise and lower & secure the mast.

Here I'm calling the navigator on the barge to check that the transponder (mounted inside the wooden box)
at this navigation station (on a roof top) was pointed & operating correctly.

Setting sail for the prospect area in the early morning.

The "jug" boats carrying the shallow-water "bay" cables (actually oil-filled "eel" cables) follow behind.

First, the barge would navigate down the line to be shot and drop buoys at the shotpoints.
The bay cables were layed along the line of the buoys. The plugged joins between the bay cable sections
were kept out of the water with floats made from car inner tubes - making the joins easily accessible.
The buoys also indicated to the shooter in the shooting boat where the charge should be detonated.

(Photos - Robert J. Horne)