GeoForce Technical Services, part of Oceanscan and the wider Venterra Group, has launched an expanded geotechnical testing capability that adds a 24 7 onboard soils laboratory and strengthened onshore testing to deliver a full site investigation workflow from acquisition through to reporting. The company is positioning the upgrade as a way to reduce execution risk in offshore projects by shortening the time between sampling and decision-ready engineering outputs, especially when survey schedules and vessel time are expensive and changes must be made quickly.

 

First Deployment Combined CPT Coring and Thermal Testing

 

The first project under the expanded offering was delivered for offshore survey company Sulmara and was structured as a complete geotechnical spread. GeoForce carried out cone penetration testing, vibrocorer operations, and thermal resistivity testing, while running the onboard soils lab continuously to support real-time sample handling and rapid integration of findings into the engineering workflow.

 

What Was Collected and Why the Numbers Matter

 

Across the campaign, teams collected more than 500 metres of soil samples and acquired more than 300 metres of CPT data. GeoForce says the datasets are being processed by its engineers to inform design and delivery decisions, reflecting the core value proposition of the model, which is not only collecting data offshore but also moving it through testing and interpretation fast enough to influence ongoing work rather than arriving too late to change outcomes.

 

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Operational Risk Reduction Through On Vessel Capability

 

Sulmara’s feedback highlights the practical advantage of having competent geotechnical personnel and a robust partner embedded on the vessel, enabling issues to be addressed proactively and changes implemented without delays. For offshore execution, this matters because geotechnical uncertainty can trigger costly rework, schedule drift, or conservative design decisions that increase foundation and installation costs, and the faster the loop closes between sample recovery and engineering interpretation, the more controllable those risks become.

 

Investment Context and the Bigger Group Strategy

 

GeoForce links the launch to a year of accelerated investment across the Oceanscan Group, including a doubling of its CPT fleet in 2025 and additional assets aimed at strengthening end to end delivery capability. The company frames the combined survey and inspection heritage of Oceanscan with GeoForce’s geotechnical capability as a way to offer integrated offshore solutions that respond to real operational constraints, where speed, safety, and workflow coordination can be as important as laboratory precision.