Project Preparation and Logistics
Once the research conducted on a shipwreck project has been positively evaluated, a number of points need to be examined, decisions made and preparation put into practice before setting out to search for and identify the target.

The following are some of the considerations that need to be made:

	What is the priority of the new project?
	What kind of contract will need to be drawn up with the ship's legal owner and / or the government in which waters she is expected to lie?
	At what time of the year and for how long is the search effort anticipated to occur?
	What type of ship and what equipment are most suitable for the search and identification phase?
	Are that particular ship and other equipment available at that time? If so, does it make sense to mobilize them to that specific location for the time period specified?
	In which part of the world is the next project (the one following) expected to take place?
	Is it more economical to hire a ship or to invite a ship-owner into a partnership?
	Which personnel are most suitable for the project, and are they available?
	Before mobilizing, has the equipment been tested? Are there enough spare parts and consumables?
	When mobilizing and / or planning for the search and identification phase, the equipment has to be a "complete system" (e.g. a Side-Scan Sonar is ineffectual without the facilities to record the images, or without the winch and pulley to handle the cable.)
	Have the necessary permits, visas and passports been arranged?

Search and Identification Phase
Once the right ship, appropriate equipment and personnel have been mobilized, the Search Phase is ready to begin. The search equipment is chosen according to the type of project, i.e. for what exactly the team will be searching.

For most projects, some or all of the following equipment systems is/are required in order to carry out a search:

	DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System)
	Side-Scan Sonar System
	ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) System
	Sector Scanning Sonar System
	Magnetometer System
	HPR (Hydro Acoustic Position Reference) System
	Transponders
	Navigational Software and / or Track Plotter
	Diving Equipment (a whole range)

The search pattern is also drafted according to the type of project (see above), and depends very much on the size of the "target". Usually, the smaller the targeted object or wreck, the smaller the detection range and hence the closer the search lines drawn up in the area.

Once the area has been completely searched (or perhaps before), using the search sensors, it is hoped that a few targets would have been detected. The next step will be to verify the target with the ROV. The vehicle is then launched and navigated over the detected target for visual inspection. Sometimes it immediately becomes apparent that what was being sought has been found - the ROV will pick up perhaps a ship's name plate or several pieces of the 'treasure' lying on the sea bed. Often, however, a variety of factors can inhibit immediate identification, e.g. bottom-trawling can sometimes scatter the contents of a wreck, or the contents might even be buried from centuries of strong tide and current activity (dependent, also, on the water depth).

Excavation or Recovery Phase
Should the Search and Identification Phase prove successful, the project will now enter the Excavation or Recovery Phase. This phase needs as much planning - if not more - than the previous phase.

The particular method employed will depend on what is being recovered or excavated, as well as the waterdepth. Providing the risks are low, diving on air is generally considered to be the best option, while diving on a gas mixture can cause the cost of a project to escalate dramatically.

The planning will also differ depending on whether the project is an excavation (shipwrecks requiring an archaeological excavation) or cargo recovery (mostly modern ships with a cargo of commodity). Hallstrom Holdings believes that, where there is a need or point in doing so, it is the company's duty to excavate the wrecks in an archeologically acceptable manner. An excavation in deep water can be carried out with Work-Class ROV's and/or Mixed Gas Diving (Trimax or Saturation) only to a certain depth, after which Work-Class ROV's (or submersibles) are the only option. In the case of cargo recovery there are more crude options available such as "Grabbing" and "Underwater Cranage".

Media and News Coverage
While cargo recovery projects are not generally of interest to the public or media, shipwreck excavation projects are a different story altogether! It is felt that there exists a responsibility to the public to keep them informed of discoveries of a historical and/or cultural nature; to let interested people see, hear and read about all the facts surrounding such a project. This is where the media plays a key role, and representatives are often invited to cover the excavation process - in articles, on film or on radio. This media coverage is also important to bolster the final phase of a particular shipwreck project, namely the phase concerning exhibitions (of the recovered artefacts), marketing and sales (where recovered artefacts are for sale to collectors or the public). Visit the Breaking News page for the latest updates!

Exhibition, Marketing and Sales
Part and parcel of a project is ensuring that museums and other relevant institutions receive an excellent representation of the salvaged cargo for exhibition purposes (where the shipwreck and its cargo are historically and/or culturally significant). Hallstrom Holdings is particularly concerned that the public should be able to share in the knowledge acquired as part of such a project. Every shipwreck has its own fascinating story to tell, and these should, in turn, be heard. Where there is treasure to be seen, it should be accessible to the eyes of as many people as whom are interested.

Where the company has managed to keep part of a recovered cargo, the sale of the 'treasure' helps to cover the enormous costs of past and future projects. Any organisation, private collector, institution or museum can purchase the recovered artefacts - at especially arranged auctions or soon, via the Internet on this Website - from valuable, limited edition gold coins, to precious porcelain items unseen for hundreds of years below the sea.