AUV Tracking System Tested in Loch Ness
A collaborative research project called Autonomous Surface and Sub-surface Survey System (ASSSS) aims to deliver an integrated system to provide a means of conducting low cost, shore based, full water column marine surveys using multiple unmanned systems. The project, part funded by Innovate UK, hopes to encourage wider adoption of unmanned systems.The project is being led by a U.K. based developer of unmanned and autonomous marine systems, ASV Global. It combines the advantages of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) to further data gathering opportunities.
Nord Stream 2 Dredging Starting Off German Coast
over whether the additional route to bring Siberian gas to Germany directly from next year is in Europe's interest, economically and geopolitically.Environmentalists in Germany and Finland are still trying to halt licensing, saying authorities should take more care the pipeline does not endanger marine life.The consortium has said it will mitigate environmental problems, while arguing for the economic case of the project, as Europe will need more imported gas in future.Nord Stream 1, of an identical 55 bcm to the planned new pipeline and opened in 2010, has proved successful, it says.The Nord Stream
InterMoor Delivers H-Links Connectors for Appomattox FPS
InterMoor, a provider of mooring services, foundation solutions and offshore installations in subsea services group Acteon, completed the delivery of all H-Links connectors for the Appomattox Floating Production System (FPS) mooring lines. The Appomattox facility will be a four-column semi-submersible production platform moored using 16 mooring lines arranged in 4x4 clusters, in 2,255m (7,400ft) of water approximately 130km (80 miles) offshore Louisiana. The platform will become Shell’s largest floating platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Collaborating with Oceanside Equipment Ltd out of Nova
Noble Energy Contract for Schlumberger
Schlumberger today announced the award by Noble Energy of an engineering and supply contract for a two-thousand-ton single-lift process module to be installed on the Leviathan Platform in the Eastern Mediterranean. The scope of the contract includes pretreatment, salt removal and regeneration of monoethylene glycol (MEG) for reinjection in the subsea flowlines for hydrate inhibition. The Schlumberger PUREMEG reclamation and regeneration system is a proprietary technology that will be supplied as a single-lift module for installation on the production platform. “Our advances in
CEO Haugan Leaves Kvaerner to Lead Aker Energy
Jan Arve Haugan resigns as President & CEO of Kvaerner, and from March 1, 2018, he will start his new role as CEO of the newly established oil company Aker Energy. Idar Eikrem, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in Kvaerner, is appointed interim CEO. Haugan has been President & Chief Executive Officer with Kvaerner since its demerger from Aker Solutions and stock listing in the summer of 2011. "Under Jan Arve Haugan's management, Kvaerner has developed into a leading, renowned oil service company with EPC services as our specialty. Competitiveness
Schlumberger, Subsea 7 Mull Oil Services JV
Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield services firm, and smaller peer Subsea 7 said on Friday they were entering exclusive talks to form a joint venture to deliver subsea installations and services for oilfields. The news lifted Subsea 7 shares on hopes the talks could be the first step towards a full takeover, in a sector that has already seen consolidation with the 2016 merger of Technip and FMC Technologies. In recent months, oil firms have returned to profits due to higher oil prices and the benefits of deep cost cuts they made during the downturn. But their suppliers are
Sercel Sells High-res Streamer System to AWI Research Institute
CGG announced that Sercel has sold one of its new Sentinel HR high-resolution solid streamers to the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), a German research foundation specializing in polar and marine research in the Arctic and Antarctic. AWI will use the Sentinel HR on research projects it is conducting to record critical data about the relationship between geological activity and ecosystems in order to gain a better understanding of the Earth’s system. Launched in 2017, Sentinel HR is the latest member of Sercel’s Sentinel solid streamer family. With a close channel
Magseis: Seismic Survey Market to Surpass $1.2 Bln in 2018
Norway's Magseis, which maps out the seabed for oil and gas deposits, expects the global seismic market to grow in 2018, its CEO, Per Christian Grytnes, said on Wednesday. "We are fairly confident that we will see firm growth in 2018," Grytnes said during an oil conference. "We are on tender for an extension contract with Saudi Aramco in the Red Sea. I think we are well-positioned ... We are optimistic," he later told Reuters. "We expect the total market in 2018 to be above $1.2 billion." "With obvious technology driving down the cost... we see an uptake
Sotzing Joins Sea Machines as Engineering Director
Boston-based developer of autonomous vessel technology Sea Machines Robotics has hired Chris Sotzing as director of engineering. Sotzing will be responsible for the development and deployment of the company’s Sea Machines 300 technology system, as well as managing the engineering team. He reports to COO Jim Daly from the Boston office. Sotzing joins Sea Machines from SeeByte, where he served as an engineering manager supporting unmanned vehicle technologies in Boston. Prior to relocating to Boston, Sotzing held positions of increasing responsibility for nearly nine years at
EIVA Rolls Out Virtual Buoy Solution
Danish hardware and software engineering specialist EIVA has introduced a new system solution that offers an alternative way to ensure safe navigation by marking channels, shoals, wrecks, etc as well as during harbor expansions and other construction projects. NaviSuite Perio provides harbor and other waterway authorities with the possibility of replacing marker buoys with virtual buoys that are managed via a software user interface and never actually deployed – yet, they are still displayed to AIS users as actual buoys at a given location in the water. “NaviSui
Oceaneering Acquires Ecosse Subsea
International has, through one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, acquired the Aberdeen-based Ecosse Subsea Limited for approximately GBP 50 million (US$69 Million). Headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, Ecosse builds and operates seabed preparation, route clearance and trenching tools for submarine cables and pipelines on an integrated basis that includes vessels, ROVs and survey services. Enabling technologies acquired in the transaction include Ecosse's modular SCAR Seabed System, capable of completing the entire trenching work scope (route preparation, boulder clearance
SBG Systems Launches Navsight Marine Solution at OI2018
SBG Systems releases at the Oceanology International trade show in London (UK), the Navsight Marine Solution, a full high performance inertial navigation solution designed to made surveyors’ tasks easier on both shallow and deep water. Built on a proven technology, Navsight strengthens SBG Systems position as leading innovator in the marine technology market. Navsight Marine Solution consists in an Inertial Measurement Unit available at two different performance levels (from shallow to deep water), and connected to Navsight, a rugged processing unit embedding the fusion intelligence
iSURVEY Investing in Training
iSURVEY, a provider of survey and positioning services to the global oil and gas, offshore renewables and telecommunications markets, said it has invested more than £40,000 in staff training. In order to meet client demand, iSURVEY staff were educated in rapid and accurate acquisition and processing of seabed survey data, the company said. During February and March, the staff gained a deeper understanding and awareness of the key elements of multi-beam echo sounder (MBES) acquisition and data management. Training was carried out through a combination of instructor-led
Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE Announcements at OI2018
The participation of Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE in the world-leading Oceanology International 2018 marine science exhibition and conference in the ExCeL, London adds an extra incentive to visit an already pivotal event. Now in its 49th year, Oceanology International is renowned as an invaluable global maritime technology business networking hub, with 8,500 industry professionals from more than 79 countries anticipated to attend this year. The 36-month Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE competition was launched in December 2015, with a $7 million prize purse, and challenges teams from
ROV Sales for Forum Subsea Announced
Forum Subsea Technologies a subsidiary of Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. has announced a strong start to the year with three recent sales awards in Russia and Norway. The deals will see the firm supplying four of its Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to academia and the aquaculture industry. These wins are in line with the company’s continued growth strategy to diversify into new ROV markets across the globe and complement its work in the oil and gas and renewables sectors. The first sale is to an academic research facility in Russia. Awarded through Forum’s local
Keppel Bags Awilco's Semi-submersible Rig Order
Following the Letter of Intent signed by Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Keppel FELS Limited, with Awilco Drilling PLC, Keppel has secured the contract to construct a mid-water semisubmersible (semi) drilling rig for harsh environment use worth about $425 million. As part of the transaction, Awilco has independent options to order up to another three similar rigs to be exercised within 12, 24 and 36 months respectively. The prices of the three additional rigs are subject to cost adjustments and will only be finalised and announced separately if and when the
ATLAS MARIDAN to Offer AUV Rental Services
ATLAS MARIDAN ApS. of Rungsted Kyst (Denmark), a subsidiary of the German naval systems supplier ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, has launched an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) rental service. The opportunity to rent ATLAS ELEKTRONIK’s latest unmanned underwater technology shall support customers within the offshore oil and gas, renewable energy, UxO and naval markets. The AUV SeaCat has recently finalized its serial maturity process and concluded certifications covering a wide range of requirements for system robustness, environmental conditions, navigational accuracy and transport safety.
US States Slow Trump Offshore Oil Drilling Expansion Plan
The Trump administration's plan to broadly expand drilling in U.S. offshore waters is moving slowly due to opposition from coastal states and indifference from oil companies that have turned their focus to other opportunities. The administration hopes encouraging U.S. energy development outside of shale oilfields will further its goal of "energy dominance." But existing Obama administration lease rules remain in place through 2022 unless the new rules gain approval. The Department of the Interior this year proposed opening vast new acreage in the U.S. outer continental
Digital Ocean: Making Subsea Data More Easily Accessible
The digital ocean is a reality and U.K.-based digital communications marine technology firm Sonardyne International Ltd is one of the organizations driving innovation to enable the extension of electronic and communications connectivity into the subsea domain. Based on a presentation given by Tom Rooney, Lead Trainer at Sonardyne, at the Digital Ocean conference held in Galway, Ireland in June 2017, this article describes the current state of play in the subsea acoustics and optical communications technology field, presents examples of the many ways these technologies are being applied and considers
Klein Marine Offers Side Scan Sonar Training
Klein Marine Systems, a manufacturer of side scan sonars, will be hosting a three day side scan sonar training at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye Beach, N.H. 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 . Training Topics Principles of underwater acoustics (Sonar Record Analysis, Targets & Shad-ows, reflectivity of underwater materials
Ashtead Invests $3.9 Mln in Its Rental Fleet
Global subsea equipment specialist Ashtead Technology said it has invested £2.8 million ($3.9 million) in new technology over the past month in response to anticipated market demand. The company has stocked up with core survey, imaging, mapping and positioning systems from a range of industry suppliers including Teledyne, Sonardyne, R2Sonic, EdgeTech and Geometrics, in order to fully support customer projects. The announcement follows the recent completion of Ashtead’s joint venture with Forum Energy Technologies to provide subsea survey and ROV equipment rental services.
Dennis joins SeaRobotics as Director of Programs
Lou Dennis has joined the SeaRobotics Corporation as Director of Programs based at the company's headquarters in Stuart, Fla. Dennis entered the ocean industry as a commercial diver after graduating from Florida Institute of Technology. He then joined Subsea 7's engineering group focused on Deepwater ROV and Intervention Tooling System design. Dennis later joined ROV manufacturer Perry Slingsby Systems, as its Vice President of Programs then moving onto Lockheed Martin as Business Development Manager for its AUV program. Before joining SeaRobotics, he served as General Manager of the Southeast
Hydroid Introduces New High Speed, Low Cost Micro AUV
Marine robotics manufacturer Hydroid Inc., a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, announced the release of the new REMUS M3V compact, one-man portable autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Low cost and ready to use right out of the box, this micro AUV supports numerous applications including search and survey; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); marine research; and multi-vehicle missions. The REMUS M3V can dive up to 300 meters in depth. It is an A-size (36” x 4.875”) vehicle with no fins or appendages outside the A-size envelope and can be used for multi-domain
L3 OceanServer Unveils Iver PW AUV
L3 OceanServer announced its new Iver Precision Workhorse (Iver PW) autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The new Iver PW is the first in a family of highly capable commercial AUVs to address a wide variety of customer missions, including survey research and mapping, sub-surface security, and environmental monitoring. “Undersea missions are evolving, and L3 is uniquely positioned to develop military and commercial solutions using next-generation processing, autonomy and power technologies to enable new capabilities and missions,” said Daryl Slocum, General Manager of L3 OceanServer.
Prysmian to Order Cable Layer Newbuild
Prysmian Group announced it will invest more than €170 million ($210.3 million) in a new cable laying vessel to be delivered by the second quarter of 2020. The group said the vessel will support long-term growth prospects in the submarine cable installation business, strengthening its interconnection and offshore wind project execution capabilities. According to the Prysmian Group, the vessel will offer deep water installation capabilities for depths of more than 2,000 m; increased cable loading capacity thanks to large cable rotating platforms; capability to perform
CGG Begins Deepwater Survey Offshore Brazil
CGG said it has commenced acquisition of a large broadband 3D multi-client survey in the pre-salt area of the deepwater Santos Basin. Santos VIII is the most recent survey in CGG’s vast ongoing pre-salt program that delivers ultramodern seismic data, enabling exploration companies to better evaluate pre-salt opportunities in advance of Brazil’s pre-salt licensing rounds. Santos VIII covers an area of over 8,000 km2 adjacent to the Peroba, Pau Brasil and Boumerangue fields. The resulting BroadSeis data will be imaged with CGG’s advanced full-waveform inversion (FWI) technology
Løken Named CEO at Kvaerner
Karl-Petter Løken has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the international contracting company Kvaerner. Løken succeeds Jan Arve Haugan, who left Kvaerner for a position at Aker Energy. Kvaerner's EVP & CFO Idar Eikrem will continue as interim CEO until Løken steps into the role this spring after ending his current position as head of Project Development for Lundin Norway. Since 1991, Løken has held positions in the oil and gas industry for companies like Statoil, Aker Solutions and Lundin Norway. From 2011 to 2015
Applied Acoustics Launches New Products at OI
Applied Acoustics launched new products at Oceanology International in London from both its acoustic positioning and its geophysical product lines. The flagship USBL system, the Easytrak Nexus 2, is now available with a choice of transceiver; the directional 2780 version that can achieve very long ranges (up to 3km) with a high degree of accuracy (0.1% slant range), and the omni-directional 2686 version ideal for use in extremely shallow water (<2 metres). The operating console is the same in either case enabling the transceivers to be inter-changeable. In addition, the 1100 series of
Record-size US Offshore Oil Lease Sale Draws Modest Bidding
Oil and gas drillers bid modestly on Gulf of Mexico acreage in the largest lease sale in American history on Wednesday, dealing a setback to the Trump administration's efforts to rapidly pump up investment in the region. The Interior Department had offered up a record 77 million acres (31.2 million hectares) for development in the Gulf with discounted royalty rates on the shallower tracts as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump's administration to ramp up U.S. fossil fuels output. But companies bid on just 1 percent of that acreage, and won those tracts with bids
TechnipFMC, Magma Global join forces on Hybrid Flexible Pipe
TechnipFMC has agreed the terms of a collaboration agreement with Magma Global Ltd. to develop a new generation of hybrid flexible pipe (HFP) for use in offshore applications. HFP is expected to provide increased strength and fatigue performance, while also achieving dramatic weight and cost reductions, for subsea fluid transport applications. As part of the collaboration, TechnipFMC is purchasing a minority stake in Magma Global. Barry Glickman, President of Engineering, Manufacturing & Supply Chain at TechnipFMC, stated, “I am very pleased that we have reached this agreement with Magma
TechnipFMC bags Energean Karish Field contract
TechnipFMC has been awarded an iEPCITM (integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation) contract by Energean Oil & Gas for the Karish full field development, located offshore Israel at a water depth of 1,750 meters. This award extends our iEPCITM offering from seabed to offshore producing facility. The execution of this iEPCITM contract covers the design, procurement, construction and installation of the complete subsea system, a Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit (FPSO) designed to allow the subsequent tie-back of the Tanin field, the pipeline system
NOAA Taps Graham to Lead National Hurricane Center
Kenneth Graham has been selected to serve as the next director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami, as preparations continue ahead of the 2018 hurricane season, which begins on June 1. He will assume this new role on April 1. “The forecasts in last hurricane season were 25 percent more accurate than average, and with new satellites and other measures they are undertaking, we are very hopeful to keep improving the timeliness and accuracy of our forecasts,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Ken will be a great leader of the Department’s efforts in
Zurquiyah Named CEO of CGG
Geoscience company CGG announced Sophie Zurquiyah has been appointed to take over as the company’s next Chief Executive Officer. Zurquiyah, who previously served as CGG’s Chief Operating Officer and Senior Executive Vice President in charge of the GGR segment, Technology and Global Operational Excellence, succeeds outgoing CEO, Jean-Georges Malcor, who will not pursue his mandate once the company’s restructuring process is completed. “The Board is convinced that with Sophie, CGG will get a CEO with a strong knowledge of the company and the industry that will
Statoil Bags Four Blocks Offshore Brazil
Statoil and partners were the high bidders for four blocks in the Campos basin in Brazil’s 15th licensing round held on 29 March. With the new licenses, Statoil strengthens its position in Brazil and increases synergies with current projects. A consortium comprising Petrobras (30%), ExxonMobil (40%) and Statoil (30%), presented the winning bid for the C-M-657 block in Campos Basin with a signature bonus of 638,550,000 USD*. The same consortium made up of Petrobras (40%), ExxonMobil (40%) and Statoil (20%), presented the winning bid for the C-M-709 block in the Campos Basin with a
Kreuz Subsea Strengthens Senior Management Team
subsea services business, Kreuz Subsea, has strengthened its senior management team with two key appointments at its Singapore headquarters to support its global expansion plans. Pradeep Verma has joined the company as chief commercial officer while Marek Kaminski is welcomed as director of marine assets. The duo brings more than 50 years of combined oil and gas experience to Kreuz Subsea. Verma will be responsible for strengthening the company’s position in its core markets of India, Asia Pacific, and the growth of business into the Middle East market. He joins the
Flynn Signs on to Represent EOM Offshore
its strategic position in the U.S. market with the appointment of John Flynn and Flynn Technical Solutions LLC to serve as its representative in the “Hurricane” states. Flynn’s professional background serving as Technical Sales and VP Global Marketing Communications with various marine-related and technological companies will create synergy and momentum for EOM Offshore, the company said. “EOM Offshore’s innovative technologies bring an exciting new capability for increased reliability for data transmission and health management of moored buoy systems to the market
Saipem CEO Could Be Reappointed in May
The main shareholders of Italy's Saipem indicated on Thursday they would support the reappointment of Stefano Cao as chief executive of the oil service company. State lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and oil major Eni, who jointly control Saipem, included Cao's name in the slate of directors they will propose at a shareholder meeting in May. Cao's name was second in the list, a position which traditionally indicates the name of the potential CEO. Saipem shares have fallen more than 80 percent in the last three years as the sector continues to suffer from lower spending
C-Innovation Secures Subsea Construction Contract with BP
C-Innovation, LLC (C-I), an affiliate of Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) and its family of companies, has secured a three-year contract with BP Exploration & Production, Inc. (BP), the largest energy investor in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The contract encompasses subsea construction, inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) and logistics services in the Gulf of Mexico. With Port Fourchon, La., serving as the home port, the new contract will bring together ECO’s extensive fleet of multipurpose platform supply and well intervention vessels with C-I’s ROV, tooling, project
TGS Awards Seismic Survey Contract to Shearwater GeoServices
Shearwater GeoServices, jointly owned by GC Rieber Shipping ASA and Rasmussengruppen AS, has been awarded a new contract by geophysical company TGS. The project is expected to take approximately three months and is scheduled to be completed by the end of September, 2018. For the second consecutive year Shearwater has been awarded a contract for a seismic survey on the Atlantic Margin in the Norwegian Sea. The 2018 survey will cover 5,135 km2 and will be performed by one of Shearwater's high-end 3D vessels. The vessel will utilize FlexiSource and a wide tow spread, for
SMD to Supply Work Class ROV to China
Subsea equipment design and manufacturer Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD) has signed a contract to supply its Atom Mk1 1000m 100hp Work Class Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) system to Chinese power specialist China Southern Power Extra High Voltage Power Transmission Company (EHV, CSG), a subsidiary of the state-owned China Southern Power Grid (CSG). The ROV will be used for inspection of the 31km physical power cable connections in the Qiongzhou Strait between Hainan Island and mainland China. The Qiongzhou strait often experiences high currents so it was essential that CSG chose
Top Five Trends in Offshore Wind
advances and cost reductions continue, much as they have in the bottom-fixed segment. Statoil sees key markets for its Hywind technology in Europe, Japan and West Coast U.S., and predicts there could be nearly 13 GW floating wind capacity installed by 2030.(As published in the April 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
TechnipFMC Grabs BP FPSO Design Contract
UK-based TechnipFMC has been awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract by BP for the floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit for the Tortue/Ahmeyim Field Development, a major LNG (liquefied natural gas) project located offshore on the maritime border of Mauritania and Senegal. The agreement between the two companies provides a mechanism to allow a transition of the contract to an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) contract at a later stage. TechnipFMC will work on defining the technology and equipment scope and brings
Oil Recovered from Sunken Ship Thorco Cloud
Jaya Salvage Indonesia early last year. Bumi Subsea provided remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and the dynamically positioned Surf Allamanda, owned by Bourbon Offshore. This served as the work platform during the salvage of the trapped fuel by using the Moskito hot tap tool developed in Norway by Miko Marine. Thousands of sunken ships along the coast of Norway represent pollution dangers from the fuel trapped inside their hulls. This prompted the Norwegian Coastal Administration to invite Miko Marine to devise a method for removing it. The result was a unique tapping machine, known as the Moskito
Mannering Named Polarcus Chairman
Michael Mannering has been nominated to succeed Polarcus’ outgoing chairman of the board, Peter Rigg, with effect from the 2018 AGM on May 10.Rigg will retire after a decade as chairman of the marine geophysical company, having served in the role since the company’s inception in 2008.Mannering has previously held many senior corporate positions in Schlumberger as well as chairman and, subsequently, non-executive director of Songa Offshore until its acquisition by Transocean. He has a BSc (First Class) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton.
Fugro Commences Deep Sea Mining Support
Fugro is commencing its first project supporting deep sea polymetallic nodule mining under a contract awarded by seafloor mineral exploration company Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI), a subsidiary of DeepGreen Metals Inc. In the deep waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, its specialist marine geoscience team will perform detailed site characterisation surveys. The project, which began on 19th April, will advance NORI’s polymetallic nodule project. Polymetallic nodules are potato-sized concretions enriched in nickel, copper and cobalt. These nodules also contain metals and non-metals
Fugro Supporting Seabed Mining Exploration
In the deep waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, Fugro’s specialist marine geoscience team will perform detailed site characterization surveys to help advance seabed mining exploration.Fugro said it is commencing its first project supporting deep sea polymetallic nodule mining under a contract awarded by seafloor mineral exploration company Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI), a subsidiary of DeepGreen Metals Inc.The project, which began on April 19, will advance NORI’s polymetallic nodule project. Polymetallic nodules are potato-sized concretions enriched in nickel, copper and cobalt.
iXblue Equips Manned Submersible for Titanic Mission
and operates in the low frequency band for deep sea tracking operations. To communicate with Posidonia during each dive, Titan is equipped with iXblue’s MT8 compact low-frequency transponder.“Everyone at iXblue is very excited to be part of the Titanic Survey Expedition.” States Marine Slingue, Sales Director at iXblue. “We are thankful for the renewed trust OceanGate puts in us after a first partnership back in 2016 for the survey of the iconic wreck of Andrea Doria. It is a real vote of confidence for our products to be chosen again -- especially to explore and help survey
Sonardyne Hires Lynch
Navigation and positioning technology company Sonardyne International Ltd. UK, has appointed Derek Lynch as its new Global Business Manager for Marine Vessel Systems, with immediate effect.Lynch brings with him more than 25 years of experience working within the offshore energy, maritime and naval sectors. A former serviceman in the RAF and licensed avionics engineer, Lynch has held senior management positions with several technology companies involved in positioning, navigation and vessel control systems, including maritime software developer Sea Information Systems, Nautronix where he was Vice
Dual GyroUSBLs for Allseas' Lorelay Stinger
Offshore pipeline installation and subsea construction company Allseas has ordered Sonardyne International’s GyroUSBL acoustic positioning technology for two systems for its 236 meter long lay vessel Lorelay.Used in conjunction with a Ranger 2 USBL (Ultra-Short BaseLine) topside which also formed part of the order, the GyroUSBL transceivers will be installed on the end of the Lorelay’s stinger to acoustically track a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) deployed to ensure a pipe is accurately touching down in the permitted corridor.USBL transceivers are routinely deployed through the hull or
Interview: Antony Croston, Trelleborg Offshore
Antony Croston is Business Group Director at Trelleborg’s offshore operation in Houston, responsible for the externally-facing functions of the business covering engineering, business development and project management.MTR caught up with Croston ahead of next week’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston to discuss some of Trelleborg’s latest developments in buoyancy, FEA and engineering analysis, and fire suppression solutions.What is dynamically adjustable buoyancy, and how does this technology benefit its users?Dynamically adjustable buoyancy is a patented technology
Changes in Statoil's Top Deck
Statoil said on Friday it had expanded its leadership team and changed its corporate structure to reflect the company's increased focus on Brazil.Statoil's Brazilian operations will become a separate business unit headed by Margareth Oevrum, the company's current head of technology, project and drilling.Meanwhile, its separate U.S. business is being brought back within the broader international development and production division, which will be headed by current U.S. chief Torgrim Reitan."Torgrim Reitan strengthens his position as a candidate for being the next CEO," brokerage
Fugro Goes Hunting for Hydrocarbon Seeps Offshore Brazil
Geochemical Campaigns.“We have been operating in Brazil for more than two decades, providing a wide variety of geotechnical, survey, subsea and geoscience services, principally for the deepwater oil and gas industry,” he added. For almost two decades Fugro has been at the forefront of modern marine seep-hunting operations in the energy sector and has led the market in integrated multibeam and geochemical coring campaigns.Project deliverables will be used by energy companies to help optimise and refine their exploration and development activities in this prolific region
BSEE Regs Update to Cut Burden on Operators
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) – incorporating industry innovation, best science, and best practices – is proposing to update regulations covering offshore oil and gas drilling operations to improve reliability, safety, efficiency, and environmental stewardship, and reduce unnecessary burdens on operators. BSEE reviewed the existing regulations in response to Executive and Secretary’s Orders instructing it to identify ways to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens while ensuring that offshore oil and gas drilling operations are conducted in a safe and
Prysmian Orders New Cable Laying Vessel
environmental footprint. With a length of 172 meters, and a beam of 34 meters, the vessel will be able to accommodate a crew of 120 persons.Massimo Battaini, Prysmian Group SVP Business Energy Project, said, “This new strategic asset will consolidate Prysmian Group’s leadership in the submarine cable industry, by bolstering turnkey approach, under which we deliver end-to-end EPCI projects, from engineering, manufacturing and installation to full monitoring and diagnostic services.” Roy Reite, CEO and Executive Director of VARD, commented, “Our broad experience in the design
In US Gulf, Robots, Drones Take on Dangerous Offshore Oil Work
industry has turned to robots and drones to cut costs and improve safety in some of the world's tougher working environments. Drones inspect gear high up on floating rigs. Robots crawl underwater to test subsea equipment for microscopic metal cracks. Remotely operated mini submarines can replace divers. Big oil producers such as BP and Statoil are racing to create the oilfields of the future, where smart devices replace workers. They have the potential to cut costs, save lives, and reduce the scope for human error. "This is going to change the way oil and gas does
Shell Awards Deepwater Installation Contract in GOM
In another sign that activity in the moribund offshore sector is starting to loosen, Jumbo said that it has won the installation contract for the Shell deep-water Vito development in the US Gulf of Mexico. The Vito development is located in the Mississippi Canyon, approximately 150 miles south of New Orleans in water depth of more than 4,000 feet. Jumbo’s installation contract involves the initial pre-lay of the mooring system as well as the subsequent tow and hook-up of the FPS. Roddy Lafontaine, VP Offshore for Jumbo says: "The Jumbo Offshore team is very
Aker to explore options for Aker Energy after Ghana plan filing
Norwegian investment firm Aker will consider options for its stake in oil startup Aker Energy after the unit has appraised its offshore field in Ghana and submitted a development plan for the site to the Ghanaian government.Aker Energy bought a 50-percent stake in Ghana's ultra deepwater Tano Cape Three Points block from Hess for $100 million in February.Options for the stake include listing Aker Energy separately, offering it for sale to oil companies in the area or those seeking to enter Ghana, or a combination of both, Aker's CEO Oeyvind Eriksen told Reuters.Aker Energy is 50 percent owned
University of Limerick Buys ROV for Renewables Research
for the offshore renewables industry. The ROV is equipped to a high specification with precision positioning and navigation systems, camera and lighting systems and sonars. The systems will be used as a test bed for research to develop capabilities for inspection, maintenance and repair work on Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) infrastructure in the challenging strong wave and current conditions at MRE test-sites and offshore MRE sites in Ireland and further afield. The ROV system is home ported at Limerick Docks in the Republic of Ireland.University of Limerick President, Dr. Des Fitzgerald, stated
Offshore: Nippon Foundation, Deepstar Sign MOU
Japan's Nippon Foundation and Deepstar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently which essentially will allow Japan to tap the expertise and resources of DeepStar to help Japan discover and recover new-found subsea resources, as well as educate future generations of Japanese. The MOU was signed on May 1, 2018 at the Hotel ZaZa in Houston, and speaking at the event Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa said "We need to acquire the resources to discover and reach (our) natural resources. There is no question that Houton is the hub of space exploration, but ehere are two
Unique Grillage Design for Offshore Wind Farm
Conbit has developed a unique grillage design as part of a collaborative scope for an offshore wind farm project in the U.K. and one of the biggest in the world.Conbit said it is providing the specialist offshore engineering for parent company ALE, who has been contracted to provide the marine transportation, sea-fastening, load-out and ballasting of over 100 TPs for Ørsted’s Hornsea Project One in the North Sea, set to be the biggest wind farm in the world.For the structural engineering, Conbit used its internal structural engineering expertise to conduct the structural integrity and sea
