What Are EOD, UXO and ERW?
Land and Marine Survey, Target Management and Clearance Documentation
An EOD and UXO survey is a controlled process used to assess whether potential explosive hazards may be present within a proposed work area.
Why Are UXO Surveys Important?
Legacy munitions can create serious risks for drilling, excavation, piling, trenching, dredging, pipeline installation and offshore construction. A structured UXO-risk process helps the project team identify potential hazards before intrusive work begins and creates an auditable basis for risk management. UXO surveys may support:
- Oil-field drilling pads and facility expansions
- Pipeline and utility corridors
- Roads, border infrastructure and government projects
- Ports, jetties and marine terminals
- Offshore platforms and concession areas
- Dredging and seabed-disturbance activities
- Site preparation before excavation or piling
- Project-insurer and client clearance documentation
How does an EOD and UXO Survey Works?
1. Desk Study and Risk Assessment
Available historical records, previous site information, land use and project activities are reviewed to define the potential contamination risk and appropriate survey strategy.
2. Survey Design
The team selects land or marine sensors, positioning, line spacing, coverage and quality controls according to the expected target, site environment and project requirements.
3. Data Acquisition
Magnetic or electromagnetic data is collected over the planned grid or marine corridor with positioning and field quality checks.
4. Processing and Target Prioritization
Specialist software is used to identify anomalies, estimate target characteristics and prepare a prioritized re-acquisition list and field maps.
5. Investigation and Certification
Selected targets are re-acquired and, where required, investigated under licensed EOD oversight. The results are documented through reports, databases and project-specific clearance or all-clear records.
What Are EOD, UXO and ERW?
An assessment of potential explosive hazards in worksites.
EOD & UXO Survey in Progress: Identifying and mitigating explosive hazards to create safer environments for construction, development, and infrastructure projects.
UXO means unexploded ordnance: military munitions that were used, fired, dropped or placed but did not function as intended and may remain hazardous. ERW means explosive remnants of war, a broader term that includes UXO and abandoned explosive ordnance. EOD means explosive ordnance disposal, the specialist discipline responsible for assessing, identifying, rendering safe and disposing of explosive hazards.
An EOD and UXO survey is a controlled process used to assess whether potential explosive hazards may be present within a proposed work area. It may include a historical desk study, non-intrusive geophysical survey, anomaly processing, target prioritization, field re-acquisition and, where justified, intrusive investigation under licensed EOD oversight.
Vision International provides land and marine UXO and ERW survey support for legacy-affected locations in Kuwait, including oil-field expansions, drilling pads, pipeline corridors, border-zone infrastructure, ports and offshore developments. Published equipment includes caesium-vapour magnetometers, multi-sensor gradient arrays, Geonics EM61 multi-channel detectors, time-domain electromagnetic systems and ROV-mounted marine sensors.
Land UXO Survey Methods
ON LAND
Land UXO Survey: Detecting Hidden Hazards Before Construction.
Caesium-Vapour Magnetometers
Caesium-vapour magnetometers measure small variations in the Earth’s magnetic field caused by ferrous objects. Vision International’s published capability includes total-field instruments and multi-sensor gradient arrays in towed, hand-carried, pushed and UAV-mounted configurations. Positioning can be integrated with RTK-GNSS.
EM61 and Time-Domain Electromagnetics
The Geonics EM61 is a multi-channel electromagnetic detector used to identify conductive metallic targets. Time-domain electromagnetic methods can complement magnetic surveys, including where non-ferrous or deeper conductive objects are relevant. Survey selection depends on the target, expected depth, background interference and site access.
UAV-Mounted Magnetometer Surveys
UAV-mounted magnetic systems can support data collection over selected open or difficult-access areas. Flight height, positioning, sensor stability, interference and regulatory permissions must be controlled to achieve suitable target detection and data quality.
Marine UXO Survey Methods
IN WATER
Detecting Hidden Underwater Hazards for Safer Marine Development.
Marine UXO Survey
Marine UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) surveys are carefully planned based on water depth, seabed conditions, site accessibility, proposed construction activities, and the anticipated level of risk. Vision International deploys advanced detection technologies, including ROV-mounted gradiometers, ROV-mounted total-field magnetometers, and towed magnetometer arrays to support projects involving ports, jetties, pipelines, subsea cables, and offshore platforms.
Data Processing and Target Assessment
Survey data is processed using industry-leading software to identify, analyze, and prioritize magnetic anomalies. The workflow typically includes quality control, anomaly detection, target classification, depth estimation, and risk-based ranking. Results are delivered through GIS databases, target registers, survey maps, and investigation recommendations.
Target Investigation and Clearance Support
High-priority targets can be re-acquired and investigated using appropriate survey techniques and specialist equipment. When intrusive verification or disposal is required, Vision International works alongside licensed EOD specialists to support investigation, disposal operations, witnessing, and certification activities.
EOD & UXO Survey
APPLICATION
Burgan and Wafra oil-field projects: Survey support for drilling pads, pipelines and facility expansions in legacy-affected areas.
Pipeline and utility corridors: Magnetic and electromagnetic screening before trenching, boring or construction.
Ports and marine terminals: Marine UXO survey for berth, jetty, dredging and seabed-disturbance work.
Offshore platforms and pipelines: ROV or towed magnetic survey along structure locations and marine corridors.
Border-zone infrastructure: Risk assessment and survey support for roads, utilities and government developments.
Site preparation: Defined-area survey, anomaly investigation and documentation before mobilization of intrusive construction activities.
Typical EOD & UXO Survey Deliverables
EOD & UXO surveys provide the information needed to assess, manage, and reduce explosive ordnance risks before construction, excavation, dredging, or infrastructure activities commence. Typical deliverables include survey reports, hazard assessments, anomaly maps, target databases, GIS datasets, investigation records, and risk-based recommendations that support safe project planning and execution.
- Desk-study and contamination-risk assessment
- Survey design, method statement and grid or corridor plan
- Equipment and positioning records
- Raw and processed magnetic or electromagnetic data
- Quality-control records and coverage plots
- Anomaly maps and target-classification results
- Anomaly maps and target-classification results
- GIS deliverables and field maps
- Investigation and disposal records from licensed specialists
- Area-specific clearance or all-clear documentation
- Engineer-signed final report and audit trail
- Statement of survey limitations, detection criteria and clearance boundary
Quality, Documentation and Project Assurance
UXO work requires clear traceability. Survey lines, sensor settings, positioning, quality checks, processing decisions, target status and investigation outcomes should be retained in an auditable record. Vision International’s supplied material describes documentation aligned with KOC, Kuwait Ministry of Defence and project-insurer requirements, subject to the approvals and requirements applicable to each project.The company’s published approach combines field crews, senior engineers and licensed EOD partners. It also emphasizes engineer-led reporting and schedule-driven delivery for oil and gas, marine, infrastructure, government, defence and industrial projects.
Why Choose Vision International for An EOD & UXO Surveying?
Land and marine capability: The service covers hand-carried, pushed, towed, UAV-mounted and ROV-mounted survey configurations.
Multi-method detection: Caesium-vapour magnetometry, gradient arrays, EM61 and time-domain EM can be selected according to the project target and environment.
Integrated marine data: Marine magnetic results can be combined with multibeam, side-scan sonar and sub-bottom information.
Specialist coordination: Licensed EOD partners are coordinated for intrusive verification, disposal oversight and certification where required.
Audit-ready deliverables: Processing records, target databases, GIS outputs, investigation evidence and area-specific documentation support client and insurer review.
Regional experience: Vision International has operated since 2004 and provides Kuwait and GCC coverage.
Need an EOD & UXO Survey for a Project?
Planning drilling, excavation, pipeline construction, port work or offshore development in a potentially legacy-affected area?
Vision International can help define a land or marine UXO survey scope based on the location, historical risk, proposed ground disturbance, required detection criteria and documentation needs.
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