Haun, Eric
Editor-
NASA Animations Depict the Formation of Ocean Garbage Patches
Researchers at NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio have produced several animations to depict the formation of garbage patches throughout the world’s oceans. Using two models, one simulating the movement of particles propelled by surface currents and the other tracking the migration of floating buoys distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) over the last 35-years…
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Bluewater to Supply Turret Mooring System for Rosebank FPSO
Bluewater Energy Services B.V. informs it was awarded a contract from shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the engineering, procurement, construction and integration (EPCI) of a turret and mooring system for a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel to be part of the Chevron-operated Rosebank project on the edge of the U.K. continental shelf. At about 80 meters in height…
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Polarcus ‘Riding Out the Storm’
Polarcus Limited released its second quarter 2015 financial statements, revealing revenues of $91.7 million and gross cost of sales of $61.6 million, down 33 percent and 27 percent from Q2 2014, respectively. EBITDA was $38.4 million, down 23 percent from Q2 2014 with increased margin to 42 percent from 36 percent. Polarcus CEO Rod Starr said, “The seismic market remains highly competitive and the outlook uncertain…
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Sea Trucks Returns to the Gulf of Mexico
Offshore installation services provider Sea Trucks Group announced it has been awarded a charter contract for its accommodation construction vessel Jascon 31 to operate in the Gulf of Mexico, marking the groups return to the region. The contract will see Sea Trucks provide accommodation support services, lifting operations and installation work to Permaducto S.A. de C.V. for works on the KMZ68/69 project from Pemex for a period of 95 days, plus options.
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HHI’s New Weather System Helps Plan Sea Trials
A new system has been developed by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to help better manage sea trial schedules for vessels built at its Ulsan yard. The new Sea Weather Forecasting System, developed by HHI in collaboration with Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST), analyzes sea weather information such as wave height, wind speed and current patterns on an hourly basis in seven offshore areas including Ulsan…
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One for Wasted Sea Stars
A new beer has been brewed with the goal of raising awareness about sea star wasting syndrome, a pandemic killing millions of sea stars along the U.S. Pacific Coast and across the country. Reportedly the largest marine animal disease event in recorded history, sea star wasting syndrome describes a set of symptoms, including lesions and tissue decay on the arms and body of starfish that eventually cause parts of the creature to fall off and can lead to death.
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Subsea 7 Bags Norwegian North Sea Contract
Subsea 7 S.A. announced it has been awarded a pipeline and construction contract worth approximately $300 million from Wintershall Norge AS for the Maria field development. The contract consists of engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of 95 kilometers of rigid flowlines and associated structures to develop the Maria field located in the Norwegian Sea at a water depth of approximately 300 meters.
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Bergen Group Cancels Rig Facilities Sale
The Bergen Group has decided to terminate a sales agreement that would see Semco Maritime acquire its rig service yard facilities at Hanøytangen. The real estate and the rig service activity at Hanøytangen will continue to be under the Bergen Group's ownership. According to Semco Maritime, the transaction, initially announced on April 13, 2015, was subject to final closing no later than April 30, but ran into “unforeseen issues” which caused the Bergen Group to cancel the deal.
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Savannah, Ga. Opposes Offshore Drilling
The city council of Savannah, Georgia on April 30 unanimously approved a resolution opposing offshore seismic testing and oil drilling activities, the Savannah Morning News reported. The city’s opposition comes as the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is trying to open the mid and south Atlantic coastal areas to exploration and development of offshore drilling as part of the Obama Administration’s…
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IADC to Present Well Control Training Program at OTC
The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) will announce a new industry well control training program at Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) Houston on Wednesday, May 6. The new WellSharp program represents a collaborative, industry-led effort to completely redefine well control training and assessment. According to IADC, the program emphasizes rigorous training for every person with well control responsibilities, whether office-based or rig-based.
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World's Largest Ship: Pioneering Spirit Awaits Completion
Final construction aboard the world’s largest vessel, Pioneering Spirit (formerly named Pieter Schelte), is wrapping up in the Port of Rotterdam before the vessel can be commissioned off Norway this summer. Built primarily at DSME’s Okpo Shipyard in South Korea, Allseas’ installation/decommissioning and pipelay vessel Pioneering Spirit was inaugurated with a ceremony in Rotterdam in February 2015.
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Hansson Sees Positive Outlook for NAO
Nordic American Offshore Ltd. (NAO) executive chairman, Herbjørn Hansson, has increased his ownership in the company, purchasing an additional 50,000 NAO shares with his son, Alexander, yesterday at about $7.83 per share. In a letter to NAO shareholders, Hansson shared thoughts on the progress the company has made since first being listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in June 2014, entering the Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) market against high…
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North American Rig Counts Continue Decline
The number of U.S. oil and gas rigs declined by 48 last week, according to data released today by Baker Hughes, which shows the number of U.S. rigs is now down to 1,310, a decrease of 461 from a year ago and the lowest since January 2010. Of the U.S. rigs shut down this week, 37 were oil and 11 were gas. Oil rigs are now down to 1,019 and gas rigs down to 289, showing respective decreases from a year ago of 406 and 53.
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Construction Vessel Delivered to Eidesvik Offshore
Eidesvik Offshore has taken delivery of Viking Neptun, an offshore construction vessel from Kleven Verft AS. According to Eidesvik Offshore, TBN Viking Neptun is represents its largest ever investment in the subsea segment. A long-term loan facility of $124 million has been drawn with Nordea and Eksportkreditt Norway/GIEK to finance the vessel. The vessel, equipped with Reach ROVs and manned by Eidesvik marine personnel and Reach ROV personnel and engineers…
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The Road to Standardization
Will subsea documentation guidelines help pave the way for broader industry standardization? Standardization is a buzzword in the subsea sector, but for many it remains a term shrouded by uncertainty. What exactly does the subsea market stand to gain from standardization, and how can it be applied to achieve optimum benefit? But despite the questions, there are several generally accepted notions: standardization can reduce overall costs and project timeframes across the industry…
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Teams Vie for $2m Ocean Health XPRIZE
Down from 77 initial entrants to 18, a diverse group of competitors vie for the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIXE’s $2 million cash purse. Nonprofit organization XPRIZE, which creates and manages large-scale, high-profile competitions that aim to stimulate research and development solutions to grand problems across a number of scientific fields, announced in September that 18 team were selected to…
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UNOLS Plans Early Career Workshop
UNOLS announced that it is planning a workshop MLSOC Early Career Program for the Fall AGU Meeting December 13-14, 2014 to introduce early career scientists to various facets of conducting marine seismic research though the use of the National Oceanographic Seismic Facility (NOSF). The workshop will bring together early career scientists, federal agencies representatives, members of the Marcus Langseth Science Oversight Committee…
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Arctic Wreck Found after 169 Years
After more than 169 years, Canadian researchers discovered one of the two ships from the doomed Arctic expedition of Sir John Franklin, cracking one of the largest mysteries in sea exploration. The wreck was found some 11 meters below the surface using a ROV recently acquired by Parks Canada. It is unknown whether the ship is HMS Erebus or HMS Terror, though researches expect to determine its identity within several days.
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MTR100: The Norway Way
Norway has a long and rich seafaring history, and it also sits on one of the world’s richest oil & gas resources in its sector of the North Sea. Earlier this year MTR contributor Eric Haun traversed the country in search of companies worthy inclusion in this year’s MTR100. He found, and presents here, a dozen. Announced at the end of 2012 as a joint venture between subsea systems provider Cameron and oilfield services company Schlumberger (split 60/40…
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Search Continues for Lost 1914 Submarine
Royal Australian Navy Minehunter, HMAS Yarra, has been undertaking an underwater search off Papua New Guinea for HMAS AE1, the Navy’s first submarine. AE1 was lost without a trace on September 14, 1914, with her full crew of three officers and 32 sailors. The Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett AO, CSC RAN, said the search had been ongoing for many years, and Yarra’s crew was up to the task: “The full expertise and training of the crew will be brought to bear in aid of the search.
February 2022
