Seabed Geosolutions Wins Brazil Survey Work
Fugro said its joint venture with CGG has secured a contract from Petrobras for a 3D ocean bottom node (OBN) survey in the Brazilian Santos Basin. The seven month contract awarded to the survey firms’ joint venture Seabed Geosolutions is valued at around $90 million and is scheduled to commence at the end of the fourth quarter of 2017 or early 2018, Fugro said. According to Seabed Geosolutions CEO, Stephan Midenet, the OBN survey is the “industry’s largest ever” and will span more than 1,600 square kilometers. Midenet added that Seabed Geosolution
Liquid Robotics Names Nightengale CFO
Caryn Nightengale, former Director of Corporate Development for Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), has transitioned from her role at Boeing to join Liquid Robotics as Chief Financial Officer. In her new position, Caryn is responsible for the financial management, information technology, contracts and Global Trade Controls (GTC) departments. She will report directly to Gary Gysin, President and CEO. Nightengale has a background in corporate development, investment banking and financial management. Her career focus has been leading companies through complex organizational transformation
New Tide Gauge, Water Temperature Monitoring Network in UAE
A three year project to design, install and deliver a fully operational network of 34 water level and temperature monitoring stations for Bayanat LLC in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been completed by OceanWise working with its licensed partner, Seatronics, an Acteon company, The stations are positioned at strategic locations within UAE from the Western Region to the border with Oman, a distance of over 400 km. Water level is being measured using Valeport VRS-20 Radars with water temperature being measured using PT100 sensors from General Acoustics. All equipment is solar
Briggs Marine Strengthens Subsea Offering
U.K. marine contractor Briggs Marine said it has invested more than £1 million into its subsea services division over recent months. The company has enhanced its subsea cable repair and installation capabilities with the addition of two new 15Te tracked cable tensioners to its existing cable handling equipment portfolio. The tensioners were employed immediately in the renewable energy sector to deliver power to cable installation operations for Briggs’ subsea services division. Briggs has also invested in two cable storage tanks, extending its Burntisland-based cable depot
Trelleborg Acquires Automated Dynamics
Trelleborg said it has, through its business area Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, signed an agreement to acquire the U.S.-based privately-owned Automated Dynamics, a specialist manufacture of advanced composite components. The transaction, which is subject to the approval of the relevant authorities, is expected to be finalized in the third quarter of 2017. Trelleborg said it sees composites as a strategic, adjacent technology with high potential in multiple industries, and the bolt-on acquisition is part of its strategy to strengthen its positions in attractive market segments. &
Statoil Cleared to Use Cap-X Drilling Technology – for Now
A ban on Norway's Statoil using a pioneering drilling technology in the Barents Sea was lifted after a plaintiff failed to post security in a patent dispute, a lawyer said on Thursday. A Stavanger court earlier in June upheld an injunction on the technology's use, pending payment of a 20 million Norwegian crown ($2.35 million) security by privately owned NeoDrill. NeoDrill was unable to post the security due to its "very limited economic position". But it was open to finding a commercial solution with Statoil, Kyrre Tangen Andersen, a lawyer representing NeoDrill, told Reuters in an
GoM Rigs Evacuated ahead of Storm Cindy
Facing incoming Tropical Storm Cindy, offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico have begun evacuating platforms and rigs as the storm moves north-westward toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. Data from offshore operator reports submitted to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) as of 11:30 CDT today indicate that personnel have been evacuated from a total of 40 production platforms, or 5.43 percent of the 737 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Personnel have been evacuated from one rig non-dynamically positioned (DP) rig, equivalent to 6.67 percent of
Wallace Joins Rovco as CTO
U.K.-based subsea company Rovco has appointed Dr. Iain Wallace o its senior management team as chief technology officer (CTO). A former technical lead for the European Space Agency, Wallace will drive the development of a real-time 3D vision system for ROVs and AUVs. He will also explore how artificial intelligence can be used to solve asset integrity issues by extracting actionable information from traditional video survey data. As CTO, he will enhance Rovco’s underwater photogrammetric 3D modeling capabilities utilizing the latest simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM)
University of Gothenburg Selects HUGIN AUV
The University Of Gothenburg has chosen Kongsberg Maritime’s HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to expand Sweden’s capabilities in the field of marine research using unmanned platforms. The HUGIN, which will be funded by grants from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and managed by a project team with representatives from the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology and Stockholm University, will be recognized as a national asset for marine research projects around Sweden and further afield. The University of Gothenburg has chosen a HUGIN configuratio
Oliver Named Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries
administrator, Oliver will oversee the federal agency responsible for recreational and commercial fisheries that contribute more than $200 billion to the nation's economy and support nearly two million jobs. In addition to managing productive and sustainable domestic fisheries, including some aspects of marine aquaculture, the agency works to recover and conserve protected resources such as whales, sea turtles and corals. He assumes his new position this week. For the past 27 years, Oliver worked at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, first as a fisheries biologist, later as deputy director
L3 Acquires Open Water Power, Inc.
L3 Technologies has acquired Open Water Power, Inc., the Somerville, Mass. based developer of high-energy-density undersea power generation technologies for use by unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) and other maritime platforms. The business will be renamed L3 Open Water Power and will be integrated into L3’s Sensor Systems business segment. “The acquisition of Open Water Power aligns with L3’s disciplined growth strategy by adding an important new technology to our portfolio in the growing UUV market,” said Michael T. Strianese, L3’s chairman and chief
How Does Ocean Circulation Impact Marine Protected Areas?
Researchers at the National Oceanography Center (NOC) studying the U.K.’s four largest Marine Protected Areas have found that, because of the ocean’s vigorous circulation, even remote, seemingly pristine habitats, are not isolated from human activities, and may be vulnerable to pollution and overfishing impacts. In recent years, a number of large Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been set up around the world to create ‘safe havens’ for marine life. These have been established to help with biodiversity and habitat preservation, to restore damaged ecosystems, and also
BluHaptics, J2 Subsea Forge Sales Partnership
BluHaptics’ soon to be launched software for subsea robotics operations to be available through J2 Subsea BluHaptics, a Seattle-based software company developing new technology for augmented robotics, and J2 Subsea, an Acteon company and global supplier of subsea tooling and services, have formed a sales and distribution partnership for BluHaptics’ software solution for underwater manipulator arms – its first commercially available product due for launch in July 2017. Traditionally focused on subsea tooling (hardware), J2 Subsea will incorporate BluHaptics’
Jevtic Joins the ARGGONAUTS Team
The ARGGONAUTS – the only German participants in the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE – are expanding their team. Sasa Jevtic will be support the Fraunhofer IOSB team with immediate effect in its development of autonomous robot systems used for deep sea exploration. Last February, the team led by Dr. Gunnar Brink reached the semi-finals of the competition, which offers a total of $7 million in prize money. Jevtic will take on the position of Deputy Project Leader of the ARGGONAUTS. As a robotics expert with international experience, he will mainly support the team in the coordinat
James Fisher Subsea Excavation Unveils MultiROV
Mass/controlled flow excavation (M/CFE) specialist James Fisher Subsea Excavation (JFSE) has launched the MultiROV system, bringing new levels of controllability and productivity for excavation requirements in the offshore oil and gas and renewable energy sectors. The MultiROV reduces the services required from a vessel as it needs no stabilizing tuggers or clump weights. On-board thrusters allow movement and heading control which increase the operational window and productivity. The system’s configuration means it can be deployed in water depths in excess of 3,000m bringing
Kraken Wins Repeat AquaPix Contract
Kraken Sonar Inc. said its wholly-owned subsidiary Kraken Sonar Systems Inc. has been awarded a repeat contract valued at over C$400,000 (US$296,000) by a leading European defense contractor. Kraken will supply and integrate its AquaPix Miniature Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar and Real-Time SAS Signal Processor on the customer’s autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Delivery is expected in Q3, 2017. AquaPix is designed for operation on AUVs, manned and unmanned surface vessels and towed platforms. The modular system uses the latest electronics, transducer arrays and signal
Ocean Infinity Buys Two Additional USVs
Ocean Infinity informs it has purchased two unmanned surface vehicles (USV) from ASV Global. The additions will be used as auxiliary rapid response vehicles in the already comprehensive seabed exploration system. The USVs are being designed with a broad selection of sensors allowing for flexibility in differing operations. Ocean Infinity said it will continue to use the USVs for positioning and monitoring of the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV); HUGIN 6000 with IP mesh radio. The acquisition brings the autonomous vehicle fleet to a total of 16; with eight AUVs and eight USVs. The autonomous
New 300L Fluid Bath from Guildline
resellers for the Guildline Salinometers, and are well placed with regards to calibration, operating the IAPSO Standard Seawater Service from their facilities in the U.K., complete with in-house service and calibration department. OSIL produce unique integrated systems for environmental monitoring in all marine applications.
Tech File: Kongsberg’s Compact Survey Vessel
GeoSwath 4R system is pre-calibrated so that the survey operation can commence immediately on arrival, and no time is wasted running additional survey lines. Its shallow draft, high top speed and maneuverability combined with the stability of a catamaran hull make it ideal for use in both marine surveys and on canals, river and lakes. The ability to steer tight survey grids makes it a fast and accurate addition to the surveyor’s portfolio. The new GeoSwath 4R system offers unsurpassed productivity in shallow waters with at least 12x water depth coverage right up to the waterline
Noble Drillship Gets a DP Upgrade
Offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation plc has selected acoustically-aided inertial navigation technology from Sonardyne Inc., Houston, for its ultra-deep water drillship Noble Globetrotter I. The Marksman DP-INS system is being used to provide a high integrity, independent subsea position reference for the vessel’s GE DP3 dynamic positioning (DP) system as it drills exploration wells in water depths up to 10,000 feet. Built in 2011, the Noble Globetrotter I is significantly smaller than a conventional drillship but has the same operational capacity. The reduction in size has
Cannon Tapped to Lead FLIR Systems
FLIR Systems, Inc. has appointed James J. “Jim” Cannon as its new president and chief executive officer, effective June 19, 2017, succeeding Andy Teich, who will retire after 33 years of service. Cannon previously served for more than 16 years in a variety of senior leadership positions at Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., most recently as president of Stanley Security North America & Emerging Markets. Prior to that, he was president of the company’s Industrial & Automotive Repair (IAR) business unit, first in North America and subsequently in Europe and Latin America
Performance Inflatables Acquires SUBSALVE
Engineered inflatables manufacturer SUBSALVE USA has been acquired by Performance Inflatables Company, and will continue to operate at its current location with its current staff as a subsidiary of Performance Inflatables Company. “The additional support, resources, and knowledge of Performance Inflatables Company, will provide a force multiplier to SUBSALVE USA to continue and further accelerate its leading position and enhance its new products growth across the world,” said Richard Fryburg the founder of Subsalve USA in 1977 who has assumed the role of Chief Growth Officer.
Mathewson Joins FarSounder as Sales Director
Marine electronics manufacturer FarSounder, Inc. announced that Michael Mathewson has joined the company in a newly-created position of Director of Global Sales, charged with addressing the continued growth in the international marketplace for FarSounder key technologies for commercial, defense and private luxury yachts. He will report to CEO Cheryl M. Zimmerman. A mechanical engineer by training with expertise in the marine science, technology, engineering and international marketplace, Mathewson has spent his career managing multifaceted projects and developing high-performing engineering
New Split Hoist System from Bosch Rexroth
A new ‘split hoist’ heave compensation system from Bosch Rexroth combines active and passive heave compensation (AHC and PHC) elements with a sophisticated control system to enable AHC functionality to be added to new and existing hoisting installations. Using a modular and mobile design, the new split hoist system is especially interesting for use with existing multi-part reeved hoisting equipment. The new split hoist heave compensation system supports a much higher working load, while also improving system efficiency by as much as 80 percent, according to the manufacturer.
Klein Marine Systems: Side Scan Sonar Training
Side scan sonar systems manufacturer Klein Marine Systems will host a three-day side scan sonar training course at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye Beach, N.H., with practical sessions on UNH Gulf Challenger, based in Newcastle, N.H. Participants will develop a thorough understanding of sonar image analysis as well as get hands-on experience with single beam sonars such as the dual-frequency Klein 4900 and the high-speed, Multi-Beam Klein 5000 V2. The course, to be held June 20-22, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., is geared toward hydrographers, first responders, police and firefighters
Dutchman Wants to Deploy Barriers to Gather, Recycle Pacific Plastic
ashore and recycled. "You can imagine the bumper of your next car, or the chair you're sitting on or the frame of your phone can be ocean plastic in the future," Slat told Reuters. Environmental groups including Greenpeace have said removing large quantities of plastic could damage marine life. "To filter the plastic out of the water could affect very small marine life which is very important for the food chain," said Elvira Jimenez, a coordinator for Greenpeace's ocean campaign. Slat said his barriers would not act like a net and would spare marine life. Plastic pollution
Sonardyne Navigation Chosen for Thai AUV Program
A new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) being developed by a joint-research program between PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) and Kasetsart University (KU), Bangkok, Thailand will feature marine robotics navigation technology supplied by Sonardyne Asia Pte. Ltd, of Singapore. The order for Sonardyne’s SPRINT inertial navigation system (INS) and Syrinx Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) was placed by the PTTEP-KU and will be integrated on a 4,000 meter rated, long endurance AUV being built for applications including pipeline maintenance and oil-spill detection.
Shepherd Joins Bibby Offshore's Renewables Team
and supporting infrastructure. In her new role, Shepherd will be instrumental in the delivery of new business in the renewables sector. The position includes supporting existing business development and tendering efforts, while collaborating with Bibby Offshore’s sister companies Bibby Marine Services, which offer SOV and Walk to Work vessels and Bibby HydroMap, which offer a range of seabed survey services. The appointment follows the formation of Bibby Offshore’s new business optimization team, led by Graeme Wood, as part of the company’s strategic growth strategy. The
Partners Developing Dynamic Subsea Laser Mapping
for dynamic scanning. Edward Moller, Global Business Manager for Construction Survey at Sonardyne, said, “The level of detail visible in the post-processed images we’ve gathered on projects in recent months, has to be seen to be believed; small bolt-holes, individual chain links, marine growth and even painted markings can all be clearly seen. In terms of wide-area seabed visualization, it’s a real game-changer.” Chris Gilson, Product Development Manager at 2G Robotics, said, “This new partnership eliminates the complexities most subsea customers face
A Location Strategy for Funding Port Infrastructure
revelation that ports are contributing funds disproportionately generally results in discussions of how to best attain full usage of money by more equitable distribution. This is an American Association of Port Authorities talking point, and it is a positive step toward addressing the myriad needs of our marine transportation system beyond mere channel dredging. Harbor berths, for example, need to be deep enough for the water level at every stage of the tidal cycle to accommodate the loading of ships. However, if ports and their stakeholders continue to look at these issues only from a local or regional
NKT Names New Cable-laying Vessel NKT Victoria
The new NKT cable-laying vessel was named NKT Victoria at a ceremony at the power cable plant in Karlskrona, Sweden. The act was carried out by the regional Governor of Blekinge and marks the starting point of a new era of NKT turnkey high-voltage offshore cable system capabilities. NKT took delivery of the new vessel on April 10, 2017. NKT Victoria lays high-voltage offshore cables with high precision based on e.g. DP3 (Dynamic Positioning) capability and a remotely operated vehicle using cameras and sonar. If not incorporated in the power cable itself, fiber optic cables for monitoring
Germany Chooses Kongsberg Research Ship Concept
the first newbuild to use Kongsberg’s Integrated Vessel Concept for research vessels, Atair II will become one of the most sophisticated ships in the world. In parallel to the high levels of integration, Atair II features DNV-GL SILENT class notation – SILENT R, ensuring minimal impact on the marine environment and optimum conditions for scientific work aboard. Atair II also meets the strictest standards for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions according to International Maritime Organisation (IMO Tier III) requirements and US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA Tier IV) soot particle emissions
Unmanned Maritime Systems: Class in Session
including novice, journeyman and expert levels. The inaugural class includes civilian and military personnel from the Naval Oceanographic Office, Fleet Survey Team and Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center based at Stennis Space Center; Naval Oceanography Special Warfare Center based in San Diego; Submarine Development Squadron 5 based in Bangor, Wash.; Naval Undersea Warfare Center based in Newport, R.I.; and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in based in Norfolk, Va. USM School of Ocean Science and Technology Directory Monty Graham said, “The University sees
Total to Explore Senegal's Deepwater Potential
Total has signed an agreement to explore for oil and gas off Senegal's Atlantic coast, boosting the prospect of major oil developments in the West African country. Under the deal Total will explore in the deepwater Rufisque Offshore Profond Block where it will be the operator with a 90 percent stake and Senegal's state-run oil company Petrosen will hold the remaining 10 percent. The two parties also agreed to cooperate on exploration in "ultra-deep" offshore waters, with the potential for Total to become an operator there too. The financial terms of the deal were
iSURVEY Reports Success in Q1 2017
contract with Shell UK Ltd, Shell NAM, Norske Shell and Shell E&P Ireland for the provision of rig positioning and surveying services A four-year contract with Maersk Oil Danish Business Unit, with iSURVEY named the nominated first caller contractor for survey and positioning services A marine construction survey support contract with Solstad Offshore Asia Pacific to support its 2017 pipeline and platform installation programme in Thailand Part of this growth has also been attributed to iSURVEY’s diversification into the offshore wind sector last year. Having already worked
Ocean Infinity Buys Two HUGIN 6000 AUVs
Ocean Infinity has purchased two more autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) from Kongsberg Maritime, expanding its fleet of HUGIN 6000 AUVs from six to eight vehicles. The AUVs will be used worldwide to collect high resolution seabed data for clients. The fleet of AUVs will be operated simultaneously, each AUV programmed with an independent mission plan. Independence allows the systems to cover huge swaths of seabed quickly and accurately. Each AUV can reach depths of 6,000 meters and has an approximate endurance of 48 hours. Ocean Infinity's AUVs all come standard with side
Norway's Heavyweights & Entrepreneurs
growth,” Jenssen says. “We have great ambitions here.” To help those ambitions, Norway’s March offshore acreage round offered energy companies a combined 195 blocks in the Norwegian and Barents Seas. (As published in the April 2017 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
DP Conference: Call for Papers
As the offshore oil and gas industry continues to rebound, so will the demand for dynamic positioning technology and services. The annual Dynamic Positioning Conference provides an annual forum for discussion and for exchange of knowledge, experience, new technology and technical know-how associated with the use, evolving technology and application of dynamic positioning. Each year, the conference continues to attract DP professionals from around the world as well as DP manufacturers and service companies who will be exhibiting their products and services. This year’s workshop and
Custom Tech Used in Subsea Pipeline Repair
Engineering teams from U.K.-based subsea connector specialists Hydratight and Norwegian technologists Connector Subsea Solutions (CSS) have completed a milestone deepwater pipeline repair in Western Australia. A 4” MEG line owned by a major-NOC required urgent repair. It was pressure rated to 400 bar and was located at 830m, so required a customized solution. The international team designed, manufactured and installed a diverless Structural Deepwater Pipeline Repair Clamp for the project. Prior to installation of the clamp, CSS and Hydratight also prepared the pipe using
Adams, Lewis Join FairfieldNodal Data Processing Team
Brian Adams and Andrew Lewis have joined FairfieldNodal as the company continues to focus on growing its data processing technology portfolio and service offerings. Adams assumes the role of Technical Sales Manager, Fairfield Seismic Technologies, tasked with growing FairfieldNodal’s data processing business with an expanded technical portfolio in the Permian Basin and Gulf of Mexico. Lewis joins FairfieldNodal as Manager of Reservoir Services, Fairfield Seismic Technologies. Reservoir characterization will be a new service offered to FairfieldNodal customers. Form
Aquabotix’s IPO Closes Oversubscribed
On April 20, 2017, underwater robotics company UUV Aquabotix Ltd announced that it was undertaking an initial public offering (IPO) on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). The maximum subscription under the IPO had been set at A$7 million (approximately US$5.5 million). The maximum subscription was substantially exceeded in the IPO, and the IPO has now closed substantially oversubscribed. Investors will be advised of the degree (if any) to which their applications for shares have been scaled back, in the coming days. Durval Tavares, Aquabotix’s CEO, commented, “Following the
Ocean Power Technologies Relocates HQ
Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (OPT) has announced plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and manufacturing center to support increased operational needs and allow for projected growth over the next several years. OPT’s new, larger facility in Monroe, N.J. will offer approximately 56,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space, nearly doubling the size of its current facility in Pennington, N.J. OPT manufactures the PowerBuoy, which uses ocean waves to provide electric power and communications for offshore applications. “Our ability to deliver
Work Class ROVs
An invaluable resource for the marine industry, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) perform a multitude of tasks, from pipeline inspection to subsea construction, often equipped with an array of cameras, sonars, sensors, manipulators and other tools to go to work where divers cannot. Power and payload, ruggedness and reliability: these are crucial to the heavy class ROVs examined here in part 2 of MTR’s ROV technology series. DOER Marine DOER’s H3000 is a midsize work class ROV. Designed for multimission use from a variety of platforms, the H3000 is well suited to underwater tasks
Hull Cleaning Robot Deployed in Rotterdam
Recently the hull of the vessel Vlieborg from Wagenborg has been cleaned in the Port of Rotterdam by Fleet Cleaner and OH Ship Cleaning. The vessel was heavily fouled with slime and algae, which were all removed from the hull and captured by the installation. The collected wastewater was carefully filtered in order to comply with environmental regulations. Since the Vlieborg was not loaded during the cleaning, a large portion of the fouled hull had to be cleaned above water. Onno Steenweg, superintendent at Wagenborg, emphasizes the importance of above water cleaning: “Because most of the
PLSV Skandi Búzios Begins Work off Brazil
, enabling the installation of large diameter flexible pipes in the ultra-deepwater Brazilian pre-salt area. Under the joint venture agreement, TechnipFMC is responsible for the engineering and management of the flexible pipelay, while DOF ASA subsidiary Norskan S.A. is responsible for the marine operations. “We are confident that these new state-of-the-art PLSVs, together with the expertise of our people will be key for Petrobras to successfully achieve its projects offshore Brazil,” said Hallvard Hasselknippe, TechnipFMC’s President of Subsea Projects.
MacArtney Names Omann CEO
Claus Omann has been appointed as the next CEO of the MacArtney Underwater Technology Group, effective August 1, 2017. Current CEO Niels Erik Hedeager will at the same time take over as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Omann’s technical and commercial background includes previous positions at LEGO, Viking Life-Saving Equipment and TRIAX in various senior management roles including technical director and most recently CEO. Hedeager has worked at MacArtney for more than 28 years.
Kongsberg Launches Complete Survey Vessel
pole with pre-installed motion sensor, GPS heading & position system and sound velocity sensor. The operator uses a console mounted ruggedised laptop to plan and control the survey. The vessel is even equipped with a VHF radio and is coastguard approved for use at sea with an International Marine Certificate. By design, the GeoSwath CSV is effective in a wide range of shallow survey applications. Its shallow draft, high top speed and manoeuvrability combined with the stability of a catamaran hull make it ideal for use in both marine surveys and on canals, river and lakes. The ability
N-Seatec Bags Deepwater CTD Winch Order
N-Seatec said it has been awarded an order for delivery of a complete deepwater CTD winch system. The system will be an upgraded version of previous designed and delivered CTD Winch-058 units, but now suitable for 3,500 meters water depth. The scope of delivery will include electrical rotating davit device; winch mounted spooler device; cable counter, lighting system and remote control; and lifting wire and clump weight. Delivery will take place in Q2 2017.
Revolutionizing Deepwater Drilling Riser Buoyancy
of the inverted helical module will facilitate the ability of drilling vessels around the globe to continue to deliver the energy needs of the future. The Author Collin Gaskill is Riser Analysis Engineer at Trelleborg Offshore. (As published in the April 2017 edition of Marine Technology Reporter)
Next Geosolutions Acquires RMS Submarine
Next Geosolutions announced the acquisition of UK-based marine resource solutions company, RMS Submarine Ltd. The acquisition of the companies enables Next Geosolutions to focus on the operations and maintenance market, for both the cables and renewables industries, and represents a strengthening of its presence in the North Sea and Baltic region. Based in Suffolk, RMS Submarine provides marine resource and management solutions in the marine survey, submarine cable, offshore renewables and oil and gas industries. Both companies developed a strong working relationship
FairfieldNodal Hires New Personnel
growth. Mike Gilliam has joined FairfieldNodal as Vice President of Operations, Fairfield Seismic Technologies, and will oversee the operations project management and crewing functions for the Data Acquisition unit. With operational experience in the oil and gas industry, specifically in the marine environment, Gilliam will bring knowledge and insight to ROV operations. Richard Bottomley has joined FairfieldNodal as Strategic Account Director, Fairfield Seismic Technologies, and will be responsible for helping the company capture new available market share. As FairfieldNodal continues
Aker Solutions Completes Reinertsen Acquisition
Aker Solutions has completed the acquisition of oil-services provider Reinertsen, building on its position as maintenance and modifications supplier offshore Norway. The purchase price is NOK 212.5 million (roughly $25 million). The agreement to buy Reinertsen's Norwegian oil and gas services business, announced on March 30, has also been cleared by Norway's competition authority.
Forum Signs Comanche Deal with Baltic Diver Germany
Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. has announced the sale of two Sub-Atlantic Comanche ROVs to international diving contractor Baltic Taucherei- und Bergungsbetrieb Rostock GmbH (Baltic Diver Germany). The deal, supported by distributor Scholz Ingenieur Bϋro, will see both systems delivered at the beginning of May 2017 following an optimized manufacturing schedule. The Forum Sub-Atlantic Comanche was chosen due to its high thrust-to-weight ratio and compact laydown requirements which make it ideally suited for the operating environments expected by Baltic Diver. Baltic Diver general manager
Lankhorst Fibre Mooring Lines for World’s Largest Fish Farm
Lankhorst Euronete SA is supplying fibre mooring ropes to Global Maritime Consultancy & Engineering for construction of the world’s largest fish farm near the island of Froya, offshore Norway. The new concept fish farm is a pilot facility developed by Ocean Farming, a subsidiary of the SalMar Group. The aquaculture facility comprises a slack anchored, semi-submersible structure, permanently moored at a water depth of 300m by eight 130m polyester mooring lines. Each mooring line is made up of an anchor and two lengths of rope, joined by a H-link. Fibre rope is ideal for this kind of
NovAtel Unveils Oceanix Nearshore Service
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning technology, has unveiled its Oceanix Nearshore correction service at Ocean Business in Southampton, UK. Oceanix Nearshore, a subscription-based GNSS correction service for Precise Point Positioning (PPP), provides sub-decimetre positioning for marine applications such as dredging, hydrographic survey, mapping and coastal patrolling. The robustness of Oceanix infrastructure sets it apart from the competition. Oceanix precise corrections data is generated utilizing a network of over 80 strategically located GNSS reference stations globally
FairfieldNodal, Ikon Science Team Up
FairfieldNodal has announced an exclusive alliance with Ikon Science, an industry leader in geoprediction software sales and services, to offer complete reservoir services to the oil and gas industry. For nearly four decades, FairfieldNodal has been a trusted industry resource for multi-client seismic, data acquisition and data processing services. With this strategic alliance, the company can offer its customers an expanded technology portfolio that includes data acquisition, data processing and, now, reservoir services. To meet today’s challenging economic environment,
Kongsberg Introduces cNODE Micro
Kongsberg will unveil the innovative cNODE Micro system at Ocean Business this week. As the smallest member of the highly regarded cNODE series of subsea transponders, the new cNODE micro is designed to provide range accuracy better than 2 cm and is ideally suited for divers and shallow water ROVs, at depths down to 600 meters. With dimensions of 245 x 55 mm, cNODE Micro is both compact and light weight. It uses Kongsberg Maritime’s proprietary Cymbal digital acoustic protocols to provide the optimal positioning performance using the Kongsberg range of SSBL systems, from μPAP through
Kongsberg Introduces cNODE IQAM
The capabilities of Kongsberg Maritime’s cNODE series of transponders for underwater acoustic positioning and data link are expanding with the introduction of cNODE IQAM at Ocean Business. In a first for the established technology-leading transponder range, Kongsberg is offering the ability to log internal sensors and/or customers’ external sensors, transforming cNODE into a compact, self-contained subsea monitoring system, complete with data processing, positioning and data communication functionality. cNODE IQAM (Intelligent Data Analysis and Monitoring) is an advanced
iSURVEY Awarded Contract with Maersk Oil
Following an eight-year relationship with Maersk Oil, iSURVEY has been awarded a survey and positioning contract with the international oil and gas company. Commencing in March 2017, the four-year contract, which has the option to extend by one 12-month period, sees iSURVEY named as the nominated first caller contractor for survey and positioning services. iSURVEY will specifically support Maersk Oil Danish Business Unit with rig move operations in the Danish sector of the North Sea. The contract may also involve the mobilisation and demobilisation of a rig outside the Danish Sector
Water Linked Launches Underwater GPS System
Norwegian technology supplier Water Linked has launched a new Underwater GPS system that leverages traditional GPS along with Water Linked’s unique underwater acoustic positioning technology. Designed to enable underwater positioning in a wide new range of marine technology applications, this system is priced at $4,800, half the cost of existing underwater positioning systems. The Underwater GPS Developer Kit is available for order with the first deliveries expected in June 2017. California-based Blue Robotics is the first partner to integrate the Water Linked Underwater GPS
