TerraSond Wins NOAA Contract
TerraSond reports it has been awarded its seveth consecutive NOAA contract.The five-year IDIQ contract was awarded by the Hydrographic Surveys Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Ocean Service, Office of Coast Survey, to provide hydrographic surveying services in the USA.The contract was effective January 1, 2020, with a maximum value of $250 million over five years, subject to appropriation by Congress. Thomas Newman, President, TerraSond, said, “Through our NOAA contracts, we have been performing comprehensive site characterization for
Mitcham Appoints New Tech Positions
MIND) ("Mitcham") has made two key additions to its technology development team. Andy Meecham has joined Mitcham in the newly-created position of Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. Additionally, Dr Peter Ramsay has joined the company as Director – Strategic Hydrographic Programs.Meecham will be responsible for directing all of Mitcham's research and development activities. This role includes identifying opportunities to expand product offerings from existing technologies as well as acquiring new technology through internal development, acquisition or partnering
UKHO Appoints Rear Admiral Sparkes
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) appointed Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes to the position of National Hydrographer and Deputy Chief Executive.As National Hydrographer, Sparkes is the UK government’s representative at the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), where he works with partners to set and maintain standards that protect the safety of mariners around the world. In addition to this, he oversees key international partnerships with foreign navies, hydrographic offices, governments and commercial organizations to support the sharing of global marine geospatial data. And on behalf of UK
NOAA Awards 5-yr Hydrographic Gig to Fugro
innovation and delivering on future NOAA task orders,” he added.Fugro will manage all work associated with the new IDIQ award from its Houston-based Hydrography Centre of Excellence in the Americas. Fugro established the center in 2017 to address the region’s growing need for hydrographic services.Since then, the center has successfully developed innovative data acquisition systems, which are complemented by remote processing and large data transfer capabilities. These technologies allow Fugro to deliver high quality hydrographic services with increased safety and efficiency, and a
Damen Inks Deal for Hydrographic R/V
(DTC) contract with Cotecmar during ExpoDefensa 2019 in Bogota. The contract will see DTC provide design, engineering and technical assistance for the construction of a Scientific Marine Research Vessel (Buque de Investigación Científico Marina (BICM)).Cotemcar will build the hydrographic and oceanogrpahic research vessel for DIMAR (Direccion Maritima – Maritime Authority) at their Mamonal location. The vessel, which will be 83 meters in length with a beam of 16 meters, will be the largest and most complex vessel ever to be built in Colombia.DIMAR will operate the vessel
XOCEAN Acquires 4D Ocean
Ocean data company XOCEAN announced on Wednesday that it has completed the acquisition of autonomous hydrographic survey company 4D Ocean.The announcement follows the news of XOCEAN’s successful €7.9 million funding round earlier this month.XOCEAN, which uses marine robotics known as unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to collect ocean data, has recently delivered projects for clients including BP, Equinor, PX Group and the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The services provided by XOCEAN include mapping the seabed, inspecting subsea structures and monitoring the environment.Currently
Peel Ports Group invests in Norbit Tech
based Survey Vessel ‘Royal Charter’ plus their upcoming delivery of an L3Harris ASV Ltd vehicle.The Norbit iWBMSh now commissioned on the Royal Charter has replaced the vessels previously installed multibeam system.With the vessel now delivering high quality bathymetric and backscatter hydrographic data, Peel Ports have additionally installed a Norbit iLiDAR laser scanner to provide further survey capability in its often interesting and challenging survey environments."Peel Ports are expert Hydrographic Surveyors, who have evaluated technology and identified ambitious operational challenges
New Tech Aids US Navy Mapping
of the primary yet challenging goals of SBIR programs is transferring the benefits of federally funded innovations to the private sector. Areté achieved this goal by partnering with Fugro to develop and commercialize RAMMS. As a result, PILLS itself was improved, making it possible to deliver hydrographic mapping of an accuracy and quality that can support numerous data applications, including updated nautical charts.“We are very pleased to be part of this full-circle technology transfer and successful collaboration between industry and government to the benefit of all parties,“ said
Fugro Enters the South Korean Offshore Wind
with UST21 will facilitate collaboration on marine projects in South Korean waters, whereby Fugro will expand UST21’s local hydrography capacity to provide site characterization services, including geotechnical, geophysical and offshore metocean solutions. In return, UST21’s local hydrographic expertise will provide logistical and operational support to Fugro’s offshore metocean projects. For example, in conjunction with UST21, Fugro will shortly deploy several Seawatch Wind LiDAR buoys offshore South Korea to perform vital wind resource assessments.“By combining Fugro&rsquo
Unique Group Buys Five USVs
Subsea and offshore solutions provider Unique Group has sad it has signed an agreement to acquire five unmanned surface vessels (USV) DriX units from French technology company iXblue.The autonomous offshore survey vehicles are designed for a range of tasks such as geophysical and hydrographic surveys, touchdown monitoring of pipelines, subsea positioning, and remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) tracking.DriX, with its long endurance, increased hydrodynamics and flexible sensor payload, can improve the efficiency of offshore operations and act as a true
WASSP Launches New Rapid Deployment Multibeam Sounder
by just two people from vessel to vessel, or even helicoptered in if necessary.“WASSP Multibeam was originally designed to help with the placement of Rock Lobster pots to optimize catch, and since then the technology has found many new markets and opportunities around the world such as hydrographic survey. With recent developments allowing a great mix of performance and portability we are very excited to bring our technology to this new market,” says WASSP Global Sales & Marketing Manager Rufus Whiteford.WASSP Multibeam has already been used effectively in disaster relief. After
Commercial Hydrographic Training with USV
Swathe Services, a Hydrographic survey support company in Hayle, Cornwall UK ran what it calls the world’s first Multi-Beam Echo-Sounder training course using a remotely operated Unmanned Surface Vessel. Hydrographic Surveying is usually done with a manned survey vessel and takes many hours to complete. People came from as far afield as Norway, France, Slovenia, UK and the USA to attend the intensive 5-day course.As part of the training, the delegates mapped Hayle Harbor in Cornwall using an Unmanned Surface Vessel fitted with Multi-beam Echo-Sounder technology. The USV was remotely operated
Trimble Marine Construction Software for Positioning
The new Trimble Marine Construction Software for Positioning provides contractors with the ability to perform their own pre-/post-construction hydrographic survey.The system consists of Trimble Marine Construction software and a single beam echo sounder (SBES) for data acquisition, editing, plotting and dredge volume calculations. According to the developer, Contractors can reduce rework, increase productivity and improve site safety with a better understanding of the underwater environment.The accuracy of the waterway bed survey is the combined accuracy of the GNSS position and the echosounder
Woolpert, iXblue to Deliver Aerial Mapping Services
Woolpert Inc and iXblue Sea Operations division, part of iXblue Group based in France, have formed a strategic partnership to provide aerial mapping services to clients in Australia, New Zealand and across the South Pacific. Under this partnership, Woolpert and iXblue will collect, process and deliver airborne Digital Imagery, Topographic LiDAR and Bathymetric LiDAR operations from helicopter and fixed wing platforms to provide custom solutions to commercial and government clients.Woolpert has collected and processed hundreds of thousands of square miles in aerial, terrestrial and bathymetric
Rovco Nets $12.8 Mln in 12 Months
over 2,000% on its 2017/18 performance. The work includes long term subsea framework agreements, technology platform sales and research grants from Innovate UK and the Oil and Gas Technology Center. This has been generated alongside numerous remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) inspections and hydrographic surveys primarily to offshore wind farms and other tier 1 service companies in the UK and Asia markets.The organization also introduced its time-saving and automation technology to the global oil and gas industry, showcasing its machine learning and computer vision systems to several oil majors
Boskalis Subsea Services Eyes SURF Opportunities
On the back of recent contract awards, totaling in excess of £100 million ($122 million), Boskalis Subsea Services said it is inviting the supply chain to come forward with fresh, innovative ideas and new technology.The Aberdeen-headquartered subsea construction company, which has cemented its position in the North Sea with a series of inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) projects, is also turning its attention to securing large scale SURF (subsea, umbilicals riser and flowlines) projects globally.Stuart Cameron, managing director of Boskalis Subsea Services, said, “As part of Boskalis&r
CTI Announces SonarWiz, Hires Maddock
Chesapeake Technology Inc. (CTI) hired David Maddock shortly before Ocean Business 2019 (OB2019).Maddock has over a decade of experience as a software engineer in the hydrographic industry. Before joining the CTI team, he served as Technical Director for Programming at HYPACK where he worked with side scan, sub-bottom, multibeam, and LiDAR data acquisition and processing. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Central Connecticut State University and a M.S. in English Literature and Language from Signum University.CTI was active at OB2019 and SonarWiz was used for on board demonstrations of post-proce
MTR100: Teledyne Marine
new depthsIn 2019, Teledyne also launched the SEARAPTOR, a survey grade deep water autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) designed to operate at abyssal depths. A wide range of sensors allow the SeaRaptor to complete several types of missions including: broad area search with side-scan sonar, hydrographic survey with multibeam and sub bottom profiler, and high resolution inspection survey with camera and acoustic sonar. These surveys support applications such as search and recovery, salvage, exploration, construction support, marine archaeology, and oceanography.The SeaRaptor. Image: Teledyne MarineThe
New Autonomous Vehicle for Offshore Wind Surveys
a rigid wing sail while the LiDAR, navigation, and communication systems are powered by deck and sail mounted solar panels and large batteries.In addition, standard integration interfaces enable broad flexibility in sensor payload and survey types such as standard meteorological ocean, bathymetric and hydrographic, current and wave characteristics, avian and marine mammal detection, and alerting.Over the last 18 months, Equinor and AMS have conducted studies and built prototypes to test the system. These have shown dramatic improvements in lead time, cost and areal coverage versus today’s options
Bluefin-9 Simplifies Underwater Planning & Monitoring
Bluefin-9 Collect High Resolution Imagery of the SeafloorThe Bluefin-9's tightly integrated commercial off-the-shelf sensors deliver best-in-class imagery and collect bathymetric and environmental data, including data on water currents, temperature, salinity and turbidity. Designed for detailed hydrographic surveys, the Bluefin-9 autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is outfitted with Sonardyne Solstice Multi-Aperture Sonar (MAS) that provides high-resolution imagery even in littoral waters
Hydrographic Survey Training Courses: UK
This September, Swathe Services are running a five-day and a one-day HYPACK training course.The intensive five-day HYPACK/HYSWEEP Multi-Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) training course for hydrographic surveyors, will run from Monday 23rd - Friday 27th, September 2019 at the Swathe Services office in Cornwall UK.The one-day HYPACK training course will run on Monday, September 30, 2019 at the Kendleshire Golf Club in Bristol UK, and cover the latest features of HYPACK software.Managing Director James Williams said: “People come from the UK and overseas to attend our courses. The 5-Day course offers
Picotech's Man-Portable Multibeam USV
support for RTK via VRS Now (with user’s subscription), RTK via base station with optional UHF modem, optional mounting points for tracking prisms and an optional Lidar.PicoPODs have been incredibly successful with early adopters. The systems have been deployed in the UK, US, Japan and Italy for hydrographic survey of ports, tidal barriers, rivers, tailing ponds, SAR and multibeam training courses
Teledyne Marine Opens Vehicles Service Center
US-based Teledyne Marine said it has opened a Vehicles Service Center at the Teledyne Reson office in Slangerup, Denmark.The expanded facility in Slangerup will support the large number of LBVs, vLBVs, and Z-Boats throughout Europe, the company said. Customers of Teledyne SeaBotix and Teledyne Oceanscience will now have the option to have their remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) repaired, refurbished and tested within Europe. Local service will eliminate the need to ship vehicles back to the United States, saving significant time, effort and money.The Service Center
Acteon Acquires Proserv’s Field Technology Services
Subsea services group Acteon announced on Monday it has acquired Proserv’s field technology services (FTS) business unit, including its surveying capability. The exact terms of the transaction were been disclosed.The services and facilities of the FTS business, which offers cutting, friction stud welding and pipeline maintenance services from bases in Stavanger (Norway), Houma (USA), Singapore and Aberdeen (UK), will be integrated into Acteon under the Claxton brand. The survey business unit will join Acteon’s existing UTEC Survey business, an independent global surveying company.Richard
MAN in Global Service Deal with Wallem
German solution provider to the marine and energy sectors, MAN Energy Solutions (MES) has signed a Global Key Account Management contract with Hong Kongbased Wallem Group.The contract covers the supply of spares and services to MAN main engines, generators and turbochargers aboard vessels managed by Wallem, the provider of technology-driven maritime solutions.According to a press release from Augsburg-based MES, the global agreement covers all offices of the Wallem Group and provides access to a dedicated global and local key account manager from MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales
MPA Celebrates World Hydrography Day
In celebration of World Hydrography Day themed “Hydrographic Information Driving Marine Knowledge” this year, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) hosted the East Asia Hydrographic Commission working committee meetings in Singapore.The World Hydrography Day celebration event was held at Fort Canning, Singapore on June 28, 2019. "Singapore’s port is over 700 years old. Our rich history dates back to the early 14th century when Singapore was establishing itself as a free trade port. Today, we have grown into a global hub port, the largest transshipment port in the
NORBIT DCT – Hydrographic Survey Made Easy
With the increasing number of maritime operations worldwide, more and more hydrographic surveys are required to be conducted. This exerts a demand for hydrography providers with survey capabilities ranging from single-beam to multibeam echosounders, sub-bottom profilers, lidar, and magnetometers. The developed markets with a long history of bathymetry and hydrography surveys are well prepared to serve the increased demand with professional hydrographers, equipment and software support. However, in emerging markets and developing countries, the professional hydrography market requires a different
iXblue Wins OWF Survey in France
by developer EOLFI to conduct the geophysical survey of the future Groix & Belle-Île pilot floating wind farm located in the South of Brittany, off the west coast of France.The survey, which began earlier this week, will last for about five days and will be conducted by a crew of five iXblue hydrographic surveyors and geophysicist engineers on board the company’s hydrographic research vessel FeliX.“Our vessel has been designed and manufactured by our own shipyard and survey division, which means it has been specifically tailored for the particular requirements of MRE [marine renewable
Kraken Sets Up Unmanned Vehicles Facility
and investment in both military and commercial markets,” said Karl Kenny, Kraken’s President & CEO. “While most of the today’s global UMV market is military, the adoption trend of UMVs is increasing among various commercial sectors such as oil and gas exploration operators, hydrographic and oceanographic survey organizations, environmental monitoring and search/recovery teams. UMVs are also being adopted by various scientific research organizations for conducting oceanic studies and maritime surveys.”COVE CEO, Jim Hanlon, said, “We are now seeing a revolution in unmanned
Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE Winner Annouced
;s entry into the competition was funded by The Nippon Foundation, a Japanese private non-profit organisation, and the prize money will be reinvested by foundation into the development of future ocean mapping initiatives.The team venture was based at the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping / Joint Hydrographic Center (CCOM/JHC) at UNH. The Alumni worked closely with partners including the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Hushcraft Ltd., Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc., Earth Analytic, Teledyne CARIS, Raitt Orr and Associates, ShipOwners, and OmniAccess, as well as equipment supplier Kongsberg Maritime AS, to
UK Hydrographic Office Names Chief Executive
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has appointment of Rear Admiral Tim Lowe CBE as its new Chief Executive and Accounting Officer.Lowe joined the UKHO as National Hydrographer and Deputy Chief Executive in 2015. In January 2019, he was made Acting Chief Executive, leading the UKHO’s transformation to become a modern marine geospatial information agency and hydrographic office.This included overseeing the opening of the UKHO’s award-winning office and championing key projects that have helped government, academia and the wider marine community make the best use of our oceans in safer, more
Ocean Infinity to Support Shell Survey
US based seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity announced it will support Australian marine survey company Guardian Geomatics on an extensive hydrographic project for Shell.The project, which is planned to commence in June 2019 will be run from Ocean Infinity’s vessel Seabed Constructor and will collect hydrographic data over an area in excess of 800 square kilometers, using up to three Ocean Infinity unmanned surface vessels (USVs), the company said.Guardian Geomatics, based in Perth, services the offshore oil and gas and renewable markets, with a footprint across Australia
Valeport Launches New Environmental Range
profiles up to 200 metres, in a single instrument. “2019 is an exciting year for Valeport with a number of new and upgraded products coming to market," said Guy Frankland, Valeport Marketing Manager. "We’re committed to innovating and leading the way in support of the hydrographic and oceanographic survey sector and are delighted with the reception the new Environmental range received at Ocean Business.”www.valeport.co.u
McLane IFCB Helps in Rust Tide Study
enable automated protection of juvenile shellfish that are especially vulnerable while growing within nursery systems. Moreover, the team seeks to develop C. polykrikoides bloom forecasting ability through image-based assessment of cell division and accumulation rates, water temperature, and other hydrographic observations. Finally, the program will establish automated, end-user customized notification networks for dissemination of vetted HAB abundance estimates to regulators, farmers and other stakeholders.PI Dr. Daniel Ward of Ward Aquafarms and Dr. Michael Brosnahan of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Unique Group Debuts New Survey USV
Unique Group, a provider of services and solutions for the offshore, subsea and life support industries, has designed and developed its first Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) called Uni-Cat.With proven hydrographic survey capabilities, the Uni-Cat can be used effectively for bathymetry survey offshore and in shallow waters, claimed a press release from the integrated subsea and offshore solution provider."It is ideal to be used in locations where conventional survey methods are not feasible," the release said.The Uni-Cat USV is purpose built with a long-lasting battery and the endurance
Kongsberg to Equip Belgian Research Vessel
in October 2020.Launched in 1984, RV Belgica carried out many years of service, however, emerging mechanical issues in 2013 catalyzed plans to build her replacement. Kongsberg Maritime’s delivery for the new vessel is based on a substantial integrated subsea package, comprising scientific, hydrographic, geophysical, SSBL and GNSS positioning systems. Kongsberg will also deliver a full sensor integration solution in addition to various third-party systems, to ensure efficient and sustainable operations.The Kongsberg series of Simrad scientific systems, including the EK80 wideband single-beam
C-Automation Buys Proserv Drilling Services
Aberdeen-headquartered controls technology company Proserv has agreed to sell its drilling services business (TIC) to pressure control systems specialist C-Automation.The divested business will now trade as C-Automation Services, said a press release. The financial terms of the deal are undisclosed.As a part of the sale agreement, Proserv and C-Automation will work in partnership to offer shared products and services. Proserv will supply its drilling controls products, including its Gilmore branded valves and field-testing equipment, while C-Automation will provide welding, electrical, piping, flushing
EOM Offshore Acquires Ocean Tech Services
Oceanographic technology and marine services provider EOM Offshore announced Tuesday it has acquired the assets and operations of the New Jersey-based marine services provider Ocean Tech Services.Ocean Tech Services has a decade of experience in the offshore renewable energy industry and increases EOM Offshore’s capabilities by providing metocean data collection solutions, subsea remote sensing and offshore logistics. Together, EOM Offshore’s mooring solutions technology development and Ocean Tech Services’ offshore operations capability provide a solution for customers requiring
DMO Orders Damen Expeditionary Survey Boat
Damen Shipyards Den Helder (DSDH) and the Netherlands’ Defense Material Organization (DMO) procurement agency have signed a contract for the design, build and delivery of a prototype Expeditionary Survey Boat (ESB).The craft will be optimized for rapid environmental assessments and hydrographic surveys in harbors, river mouths, shallow waters, coastal areas and shipping channels.The craft will be manned by four persons; two to crew the boat and two technicians to operate the hydrographic equipment, and will be able to spend up over 60 hours continuously at sea at her survey speed of
African Project Win for Teledyne CARIS
Teledyne CARIS will deliver a full software solution to the South African Navy Hydrographic Office. The solution, provided through Teledyne CARIS’ official distributor Unique Group, includes software that will be implemented as part of a larger project to be executed by Southern African Shipyards (SAS) where a new hydrographic survey vessel is being built. Three additional survey motor boats are also slated for manufacture, all of which will be equipped with HIPS and SIPS to process acquired hydrographic data. During the project, the shore based South African Navy Hydrographic Office
SBG Systems Unveils New IMU
Inertial motion sensing solutions provider SBG Systems has released the Horizon IMU, a FOG-based high performance inertial measurement unit (IMU) designed for large hydrographic vessels surveying harsh environments.Navsight Marine Solution consists in a powerful and ready-to-use inertial navigation solution dedicated to hydrographers. It is available at different levels of accuracy to meet the various application requirements and can be connected to various external equipment such as Echo-sounders, LiDAR, etc.Navsight Marine Solution already offered two levels of performance with the Ekinox and Apogee
TenneT Contracts Fugro for UXO Services
Geo-data specialist Fugro announced Tuesday it has been awarded a multimillion dollar contract from TenneT to provide integrated unexploded ordnance (UXO) services at an offshore wind farm development in Dutch coastal waters. The contract follows previous involvement in route survey activities at the site.Fugro said it will use DP2 multipurpose vessel Atlantis Dweller for the contract. The vessel is permanently equipped with a work class remotely operated vehicle (ROV), providing fast and safe identification of potential UXOs. Other technology includes a sub-bottom imager which can reduce dredge scope
Maersk Supply Service Wins Total Contract
Maersk Supply Service said it has fixed the newbuild subsea support vessels vessel (SSV) Maersk Involver for 161 days to support maintenance of the DAN F platform located offshore Esbjerg for walk-to-walk and accommodation services. The contract is expected to commence start-April 2019.Delivered in November 2017, the Stingray class Maersk Involver features DP3 station keeping capabilties and 120 modern single cabins. The vessel has been outfitted with an Ampelmann E-type active motion-compensated gangway system and pedestal, as well as a boat landing to perform personnel transfer via crew transfer
Australia Searching for Lost WWII Destroyer
went down but its exact location has proved elusive,” Rear Admiral Mead said.The Royal Australian Navy believes there is strong chance HMAS Vampire’s final resting place has been identified as the result of research by Australian and Sri Lankan hydrographers in recent months.The Australian hydrographic ship HMAS Leeuwin and mine hunter HMAS Diamantina are in the region to assist with a more thorough search.“There are no guarantees of success but we owe it to the families of those on board to follow up this new lead,” Rear Admiral Mead said.He continued, “Whatever the outcome
DOF Subsea Tallies Multiple Contracts
DOF Subsea announced Tuesday it has been awarded various contracts, securing utilization for vessels in the subsea inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) projects segment.The company said its Atlantic region has been awarded a contract by the Norwegian Mapping Authority regarding hydrographic services for the MAREANO 2019 program. The specialized survey and IMR vessel Geograph will be deployed on the project that is expected to last until late fall.DOF Subsea said it has also been awarded a contract by Siemens on the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm Project in the North Sea. The contract will
UKHO Contracts with TCarta
TCarta Marine was contracted by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) to provide a baseline dataset of water depths and seafloor classification around the Republic of Kiribati. Located in the Pacific Ocean, the island nation is threatened by rising sea levels.TCarta won the open bid for supply of Satellite Derived Bathymetry (SDB) to the UKHO to extract water depth measurements and seafloor classifications, including habitat types, from multispectral satellite imagery. In this project, TCarta is processing eight-band DigitalGlobe WorldView-2 and -3 data predominantly, as well as four-band
OiA '19 & GEBCO Seabed 2030
spent my entire professional career involved with ocean mapping, the opportunity to now help promote the need, to rally resources and help to get it done, is personally very satisfying.”Following an introduction in which RDML Shepard Smith will provide some background on how NOAA, as a national hydrographic authority, is incorporating Seabed 2030 into its plans and strategies, the floor will then be handed over to six panellists who will each deliver a short presentation elaborating upon various aspects of Seabed 2030, its connection to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and
Kongsberg on board South African Navy Survey Vessels
Kongsberg Maritime, through its Cape Town-based business partner Unique Hydra (Pty) Ltd, has been selected to deliver a cutting-edge integrated hydroacoustic and bridge system technology package for The Replacement of the SA Navy Hydrographic Capability Project.Kongsberg technology will be used on a state-of-the-art new Hydrographic Survey Vessel being built by Southern African Shipyards (SAS) in Durban. Due for delivery in 2022, the new 95 meters long, 17.5 meters wide ship is billed as one of the most complex vessels to be built in South Africa and will replace the SAS Protea, which has been in
AML Equips New Swedish Research Vessel
or extra work,” explained Daniel Bergman Sjostrand, Oceanographic Engineer at SMHI.AML said the contract was secured through its local agent in Spain, Casco Antiguo.MVP systems have been provided to organizations around the world seeking to reduce the technical and financial unpredictability of hydrographic and ocean science surveys. Due to strong demand for the solution, AML has expanded its Nova Scotia operations and relocated to a new customized production facility to accommodate a higher volume of MVP builds
3D Mobile Laser Scanner for ABP Humber
ABP Humber continues to increase their technology for Hydrographic surveying in their ports and harbors with the purchase of a new Carlson Merlin Lidar Scanner supplied by Swathe Services.The Merlin is a vessel-based 3D mobile laser scanner system developed specifically for coastal, offshore and inland waterway surveying. ABP Humber intends to use the system for quay wall inspections and surveying offshore structures.The Merlin is designed to integrate with existing hydrographic systems to simultaneously produce an accurate dataset of the environment above the waterline while a Multi-Beam Echo-Sounder
OSRL Launches UAV Services for Members
Oil Spill Response Ltd (OSRL) has expanded its member offer with the launch of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) service. The new service aims to enhance preparedness and response capabilities to better support members’ needs in the event of a spill.To facilitate the service on a global basis, and to ensure the shortest time to mobilization, OSRL has signed ‘call-off agreements’ with a number of third-party UAV providers around the world. Launch partners for the service include Bristow Aerial Solutions, Sky-Futures and Vertical Horizon Media. Each partner has been selected based on
C-Enduro Delivered to Royal Navy
L3 ASV has announced the successful delivery of a long-endurance autonomous vessel known as the C-Enduro to the Royal Navy. The C-Enduro will be used for military data gathering trials by the Mine countermeasures and Hydrographic Capability (MHC) program as the Navy seeks to exploit autonomous technology.The 4.8-meter autonomous vessel is equipped with 10 sensors combining scientific and hydrographic survey equipment. The vessel operates using L3 ASV’s proprietary control system, ASView, and is fitted with L3 ASV’s advanced autonomy package, ensuring situational awareness and smart
i-Tech Services Expands in Houston
i-Tech Services, a Subsea 7 company, said it has taken on 13 new people in Houston following a 12-month period which saw the office secure a series of new contract awards in the Gulf of Mexico. The expansion grows the regional team by 25%.Recent contracts included vessel charter renewals and the provision of custom engineering solutions for subsea flow assurance and inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) workscopes, the company said in a press release on Monday.Edward Galloway, Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico for i-Tech Services, said: “Despite the challenging market conditions, we enjoyed a
Global Marine Group Buys Stake in Rovco
Group (GMG) to bring intelligent inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) solutions to the global offshore market.GMG, made up of three business units - Global Offshore, CWind and Global Marine - has secured a 13.8% share in the Bristol and Aberdeen based remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and hydrographic services business. The partnership will see both companies work together to deliver a range of subsea solutions aimed at improving data acquisition.Rovco’s latest development, SubSLAM, which replaces visual video inspection with live 3D reconstruction technology, to obtain an accurate picture
NNHO Expands Bathymetric Capabilities
Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office establishes new bathymetric capabilities with CARIS softwareThe Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO) has selected Teledyne CARIS to provide solutions for both current and future national and international charting requirements. Equipped with CARIS Ping-to-Chart technology, the NNHO is establishing new capabilities for bathymetric analysis, and completion of hydrographic and other geospatial data. These tools will ensure an efficient workflow for the production of electronic charts and paper charts according to both the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
Offshore Service Market to Outspace Onshore Shale
Spending on the offshore service sector will outpace spending on the onshore shale sector this year, said Rystad Energy.According to Rystad's Oilfield Service Research report, service companies exposed to the offshore subsea market and the maintenance, modifications and operations (MMO) sector are set to benefit from this trend reversal.At current oil price levels, spending on land rigs, fracking and other services for the shale industry is likely to stay essentially flat in 2019. The offshore service market, too, will feel the effects of the recent oil price slide, but this sector is nevertheless
Ocean Infinity to Conduct AUV Surveys for Petrobras
U.S. based seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity announced Wednesday that its Brazilian partner has been awarded a contract to provide high-resolution hydrographic mapping services to Brazilian national oil company Petrobras.Working under contract to Brazilian offshore consulting company Cepemais, Ocean Infinity will go to work in the the Campos, Espirito Santo and Santos basins offshore Brazil, mapping an area of 5,000km2 and inspecting 12,000km of pipelines. Work will commence in mid-2019, and the contract duration is for three years.Ocean Infinity will operate a fleet of
SISTAC: Brazil´s Homegrown Subsea Service Provider
Sistac is an established local offshore service provider in two subsea areas (ROV and Diving), along with its distinguished position as a pioneer in rope access services, which only enhances their value and importance to the national offshore growth effort. Marine Technology Reporter spoke to Felipe Gutterres, CEO of Sistac about is history and operations in Brazil.Gutterres joined Sistac in 2016. He is the former CFO, Investor Relations Director and International Board Member of Wilson Sons Limited – one of the largest listed port and maritime logistics providers in Brazil – where he held
New Research on Gulf of Mexico Loop Current
the Loop Current Campaign: Data Compilation to Improve Understanding, Simulation and Prediction of the Loop Current SystemThis project will design, develop, deploy, and maintain an information system to digitally compile, update, analyze, and make publicly accessible physical oceanographic and hydrographic data from Gulf of Mexico Loop Current field studies. The system will be an important component of future data compilation efforts for a long-term LCS research campaign. Award Amount: $647,813Project Director: Barbara Kirkpatrick (Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association)Projec
Full-Depth Current Profiling Around the Global Ocean
in how deep currents take part in the global climate system. Especially important are the changing heat and CO2 content of the deep ocean.Methods for observing the deep sea below the upper seasonal layer are established. For measuring deep currents, scientists worldwide attach compact ADCPs to hydrographic packages. These packages are routinely lowered to the seabed to catch water samples and to measure water properties.In this report we look at various findings from LADCP work around the global ocean. LADCP measurements were initially looking at deep currents in equatorial regions and in tropical
