Fiber Optics

Silicon Sensing Unveils New MEMS IMU

Silicon Sensing Systems  will launch a new high performance all-MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU), AMU30, at Sensors Expo this month. AMU30 is the company’s first IMU to combine high performance motion sensing with full attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) capabilities.  Based upon the DMU30, the AMU30 is designed to respond to growing demand for a tactical grade, non-ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) IMU that also outputs pitch, roll and heading data. The AMU30 is a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) product offering a real alternative to heavier

Seaspace Race Underway at Saab Subsea Docking Demo

A subsea space race is now officially underway in the offshore oil and gas industry following successful trials of docking and inspection operations using a commercially available underwater vehicle and Norwegian energy firm Equinor’s open-standard subsea docking station (SDS).The trials, witnessed by a crowd of leading players in the subsea resident remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and hybrid space, were carried out in Lake Vattern, at Motala, Sweden on Tuesday.The SDS, the second built for Equinor, was transported to Saab Dynamic’s Sweden facility

Case Study: Cables in Underwater Missions

more than 600 ocean research deployments. It safely holds the weight of 500 kilograms of equipment, including a carousel of 24 12-liter sample bottles. As it is lowered through the water column to depths of 7,000 meters, it endures factors including cold temperatures, bending, tension cycling, corrosion, marine abrasion, compression and even attack by sea-life. It must flex and bend to deal with winching, marine currents, and pressures exceeding 550 bar (55,000 kPa).Each cable provides the physical connection for real-time power and communication connectivity. Designs have to be rigorous, and manufacturing

Flying new Routes Subsea

infrastructure used for work on the turbines that we can tap into.”Images: Modus Seabed InterventionLast year, Modus deployed a HAUV offshore NW Australia to perform circa 240km of pipeline integrity survey, producing stunning images, as well as point cloud data, of both the pipeline and passing marine life (see inset with detail of the shark’s teeth, taken at 2knts) using a Cathx Scout laser profiling and HD imaging spread alongside a multibeam echosounder (MBES).The survey time was half of what it would have taken using a traditional ROV to perform the survey and it could have been faster

SEAMOR: ROV to Last Ice Project in Canada

SEAMOR Marine will provide a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to the department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Manitoba. The vehicle will be deployed to the High Arctic to inspect the area which remains frozen year-round and take part in research and evaluating ways to protect this special ecological region.The High Arctic is an important area encompassing the northern regions of Canada (Arctic Basin, Baffin Bay and the Pikialasorsuaq, or North Water Polynya) and reaches to western Greenland. This area remains frozen throughout the year, for multiple years, acting as an important refuge for ice-depend

Hydro Group Secures Japanese Partner

International underwater connectivity manufacturer Hydro Group announced Monday it has established a new partnership with Japanese electrical and optical products company Riken Dengu Seizo Co., Ltd.The Tokyo-headquartered firm will be the official distributor and business partner for Hydro Group’s subsea connectivity product range, including subsea electrical/optical cables and connection assemblies, in the Japanese market.Riken Dengu Seizo specializes in the sale of electrical and optical fiber cables and connectors, and also supplies electronic subsystems and componentry for the defense and

Advanced Tech Helps Guide Pioneering Spirit

Marine pilots relied on the latest inertial measurement technology to help guide the world’s largest construction vessel during a recent call at Maasvlakte in the port of Rotterdam.Measuring 372 by 124 meters, Allseas' Pioneering Spirit is the largest construction vessel in the world, designed for the single-lift installation and removal of large oil and gas platforms and the installation of record-weight pipelines.With large vessels such as this, final entrance and docking maneuvers in the close confines of port are typically controlled by a pilot. When Pioneering Spirit made its way into

DARE1 Marine Survey, Somalia Landing Station Complete

Cable system with landing points in Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya will bring increased capacity and connectivity to East AfricaDjibouti Telecom, Somtel and SubCom announced that the marine survey for the Djibouti Africa Regional Express 1 (DARE1) submarine cable system has been completed and the cable route finalized. The companies also announced the addition of a landing station in Bosaso, Somalia. The DARE1 cable system is the first step in a planned expansion into eastern Africa, which will connect Djibouti (Djibouti), Bosaso (Somalia), Mogadishu (Somalia) and Mombasa (Kenya). With a finalized

MacArtney Equips North Sea Cable Layer

the ASN Ile de Class cable laying vessel will facilitate the laying of seismic cables on the seabed of the Johan Castberg oilfield in the Barents Sea for Equinor’s new permanent reservoir monitoring system.MacArtney’s MERMAC R40 active heave compensated (AHC) winch purchased by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), part of the Nokia Corporation, will be utilized aboard the vessel in the laying of seismic cabling and sensors that will be permanently deployed on the Barents’ seabed to enable more frequent and improved 4D seismic interpretation of the subsurface.The AHC works to reduce the

Martin Linge Hooked Up to Shore Power

emissions annually once the field comes on stream in the first quarter of 2020. Using shore power will also help to reduce maintenance, noise and vibration on the platform.NKT said it specially designed, engineered, manufactured and installed the cable order comprising the 145 kV three-core XLPE HVAC submarine cable including fiber optic links with a 55 MW capacity. Furthermore, a 3.5 km long, 17.5 kV infield cable was installed - including 500 meters of dynamic cable. The dynamic cable that connects the platform to a floating storage and offloading vessel (FSO) anchored outside the platform, was intensely

Aker Solutions Buys Stake in Airborne

Airborne Oil & Gas announced Friday that Aker Solutions has joined its shareholder base to further strengthen, integrate and diversify its range of thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP) solutions for the international subsea sector.The global engineering company joins other shareholders Chevron Technology Ventures, Evonik Venture Capital, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, Shell Ventures, Subsea 7, Sumitomo Corporation and the private equity investor, HPE Growth Capital.Oliver Kassam, Airborne Oil & Gas CEO said,  “We have a very strong portfolio of organizations invested in the business

Leak Detection Sonar Deployed in the US Gulf

A sonar monitoring system will help a major US oil company to reinforce its deepwater offshore asset integrity assurance in the US Gulf of Mexico.The system, a wide-area Sentry Integrity Monitoring Sonar (IMS) developed and delivered by subsea engineering specialist Sonardyne International, has been deployed on the seafloor at more than 2,000 meters water depth. The ROV-deployable Sentry IMS,  which features a titanium housing and can be installed short-term or permanently, is able to detect, classify and localize subsea releases of hydrocarbons from either the seafloor or oil and gas field

Planet Ocean, EOM Offshore Sign Agreement

EOM Offshore’s specialized mooring equipment to its portfolio will strengthen the company’s capabilities.EOM Offshore is a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) spin-off that was established to commercialize its patented Stretch EM Cable, along with its Electromechanical Chain and its Marine Recovery Systems.   The Stretch EM Cable solves many problems commonly associated with traditional catenary mooring systems, and it provides an ideal platform for real-time acoustic monitoring, due to its ability to isolate ambient noise from acoustic sensors that are on the mooring.  

EOM Offshores Becomes SBIR Award Recipient

On February 5, 2019, EOM Offshore, LLC became a SBIR Phase I award recipient under SBIR Topic N-183-141 entitled “Technology Development of Fiber Optic Moorings for Surface Communication Buoys.”This is an exciting opportunity for EOM Offshore which plans to use its patented mooring technology to design a new lightweight, fiber optic Stretch EM Cable that will be used to tether communication gateway buoys.  To date, there is not a mooring cable on the market that can strain as the communication gateway buoy moves on the surface in wave action without the fiber optics becoming damaged

TechX: Pioneering and Accelerating

With just under a month left to apply for this year’s cohort of our technology accelerator program, TechX Pioneers, it’s a great time to celebrate the successes of the class of 2018, as well as look forward to the opportunities ahead.In March last year we whittled down over 125 international applications to just 10 start-ups that met our exacting criteria for enrolling on the first TechX Pioneers program.The 16-week intensive accelerator program, and follow-on 12-month incubator, provides unprecedented access to a host of expert mentors, global partners in the oil and gas industry, unrivaled

Scientist Pool Data to Create the $3B Ocean Map

, which ping back depending on the depth and topography of the ocean floor. That creates data points, which can be converted into a map."With advanced sonar technology it really is like seeing. I think we've come out of the era of being the blind man with the stick," said Robert Larter, a marine geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey."We can survey much more efficiently - and, not only that, but in much greater detail," he said, adding that the work was painstaking."The ocean's a big place!" he said.The advent of new technology such as underwater drones and

Google to Tap the Power of Offshore Wind

Google invests $700 mln in Danish data center, secures green energyGoogle will invest almost $700 million in a Danish data centre, the latest investment in the Nordic region which is known for its abundant renewable energy.Google said it would match the new centre's use of energy made from fossil fuels with green energy generated through so-called power purchase agreements (PPAs).The Nordic countries, which can generate electricity relatively cheaply from renewable sources such as hydropower and wind, have long been a magnet for heavy power-using industries, but are now attracting power-hungry

SubCom: Manatua Cable Contract is in Force

New submarine cable system will provide connectivity between Samoa and Tahiti with branches to Niue, Cook Island and Bora BoraSubCom and the Manatua Consortium announced the contract is in force for the supply and installation of the Manatua submarine cable system. The Manatua Consortium is composed of: The Office des Postes et Télécommunications (OPT), the telecoms operator of French Polynesia; Avaroa Cables Limited (ACL), the cable operator of Cook Islands, Telecom Niue Limited (TNL), the telecoms operator of Niue; and Samoa Submarine Cable Company (SSCC), the cable operator of

MacArtney Delivers TRIAXUS ROTV to China

MacArtney Singapore delivered a TRIAXUS ROTV with customized sensor payload to the Chinese Academy of Science for oceanographic research projects in the South China Sea.The Chinese Academy of Science, via MacArtney agent Geo Marine Technology Ltd, has purchased the first TRIAXUS ROTV to be utilized aboard CAS research vessels in the South China Sea.This milestone sale means that the MacArtney TRIAXUS ROTV is the first of its kind to enter the Chinese Ocean Science market and forecasts a future need for ROTV facilitated research in this region.Marine Observation Technology is a developing market as

PGS Sells OptoSeis to Geospace Technologies

Norwegian marine geophysical company PGS said it has sold its OptoSeis fiber optic sensing technology business to Houston based Geospace Technologies.The transaction includes an initial cash payment at closing of $1.8 million, plus contingent cash payments of up to an additional $23.2 million over a five-and-a-half year earn-out period. Contingent payments will be derived from revenues generated from products and services utilizing the acquired fiber optic technology."After reorganizing during the fourth quarter 2017, we started exploring opportunities to divest our non-core OptoSeis technology

Subsea Vision & Photogrammetry Lab Formed

Offshore robotics company FORSSEA ROBOTICS chose GMS as main technical partner to certify its real-time visual positioning technologies. A joint laboratory will be created to develop a common offer covering camera calibration, subsea image treatment and innovative photogrammetry solutions.FORSSEA ROBOTICS decided last year to adapt its Atoll ROV embedded visual docking technology into a stand-alone product. The company was already manufacturing and commercializing underwater cameras, mainly for R&D underwater vision applications.The so-called V-LOC (Visual LOCalization) technology has been designed

DeepSea Expands SeaCam Product Line

DeepSea Power & Light is expanding its SeaCam family of subsea imaging solutions with the new IP Multi SeaCam and IP Apex SeaCam. These subsea cameras offer efficient and high-quality compression along with support for common real-time IP streaming and camera management protocols, the manufacturer said.The IP Multi SeaCam provides a compact, fixed focus solution for subsea monitoring and tooling applications. Efficient and high-quality compression provides sub-200 ms latency network streaming with full HD resolution in both the 72° HFOV flat port and 105° HFOV dome port options. The 256 GB

Second MacArtney TRIAXUS ROTV for RV Investigator

MacArtney said it has recently supplied a second TRIAXUS ROTV system for use on the RV Investigator. This TRIAXUS E version features an even higher payload capacity and enables the installation of a wide range of sensors targeted to the specific needs of oceanographic research.The scope of supply from MacArtney in this case included:The TRIAXUS extended E versionThe Sea-Bird SBE 911 Conductivity, Temperature and Depth Instrument (CTD)A Transmissometer to determine the excitation of the water medium to gauge clarity at ranging ocean depthsA Fluorometer to measure the parameters of Chlorophyll a to

Cerberus to Acquire Subsea Communications Business from TE Connectivity

Cerberus Capital Management announced that one of its affiliates has entered into an agreement with TE Connectivity under which Cerberus will acquire TE's Subsea Communications business (SubCom).Headquartered in Eatontown, New Jersey, SubCom is a leading global supplier of subsea communications systems with approximately $700 million in revenue, based on fiscal year 2018 expectations. The business designs, manufactures, deploys, and maintains the subsea fiber optic cable systems that are vital for global communications.To date, SubCom has completed more than 100 cable systems and deployed over 610

MacArtney Supplies Moog Focal LVEOS Swivel to FPSO

MacArtney said it has supplied a Low Voltage Electrical Optical Swivel (LVEOS) to Norwegian turret and loading systems provider for intended inclusion into a swivel stack for a floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO).OneSubsea, a Schlumberger company, will supply the Moog Focal LVEOS to the FPSO operating in Block SK10 of the Helang gas field located off the coast of Sarawak, Malaysia.Due for delivery in the mid-fourth quarter of 2018, the Moog Focal model 430 provides a rotating connection for low voltage power, electrical signal and optical cables in a single package. The shaft is

Seafloor Crawlers: New Robotic Tools for Challenging Missions

in the lower energy boundary layer. The low profile further minimizes current drag. The vehicle has operated in 1.5-m plunging surf and can cross soft terrain that will not support human loads. Recent tests demonstrated the ability to carry 40-kg payloads as well as tow a 45-kg sled across various marine surfaces.Specs of the Otter-SZC include:Symmetrical dual-sided operation for operation in the heavy surfWeight: 45-kg dry, 1-m long, 55-cm wide and 25-cm high (expandable in length and width)Speed: forward or reverse, variable up to 1-m/sNavigation: 3-axis IMU, FOG, dual encoders, dual-sided, dual-frequen

Aker Solutions to Supply Umbilicals for Liuhua FPSO

Aker Solutions said it has been contracted to deliver power umbilical systems to China National Offshore Oil Corporation's (CNOOC) Liuhua oil fields in the South China Sea, off Hong Kong.The order, which is said to be worth more than NOK 350 million ($36.6 million), was booked in the third quarter of 2018. The work scope includes more than 35 kilometers of dynamic and static power umbilicals for the Liuhua 16-2, 20-2 and 21-2 fields, linking the subsea development to a new floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit.Power umbilical systems are bundled cable and fiber optic systems

TE SubCom to Design and Deploy Google's New Cable System

Undersea communications technology firmTE SubCom, a TE Connectivity Ltd. company, announced it has been selected by Google as the supplier of its Dunant submarine cable system. The four-fiber pair cable system will span over 6,400km and will connect the East Coast of the United States to Europe, adding dedicated capacity to Google’s global network and will enable interconnection to other subsea infrastructure in the region.Sanjay Chowbey, president of TE SubCom, said the Dunant cable system will be built using SubCom’s A1 cable family, which is optimized for projects compatible with higher

Moog Focal Rolls Out New Fluid Rotary Union

Moog Focal has unveiled its latest Pneumatic and Hydraulic Fluid Rotary Union (FRU). The Model 810 FRU is designed for industrial and marine applications where multiple fluid passes need to be transferred across a rotational interface. There are a number of design options, depending on the application. The standard Model 810 FRU is available with two or four threaded ports of size 1/2 or 3/4 inch. A 1/2 inch on-axis bore enables easy integration with an electrical slip ring, fiber optic rotary joint or both.The Model 810 utilizes sealed-for-life rolling element bearings, ideal for long endurance

Unmanned Vehicles May Soon Take Up Residency Subsea

infrastructure for resident vehicles, regulation relating to unmanned vehicles, and skepticism and resistance to change. But, with a string of roadmaps in place, from vendors to operators and service providers, resident subsea vehicles are just a matter of time.(As published in the May 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter

AQUIND Interconnector Geophysical Survey Completed

Swedish based marine surveyor MMT has completed a geophysical seabed survey and delivered the final report for the proposed AQUIND Interconnector offshore cable route linking the British and French electric power grids.The survey, which commenced in November 2017, involved two of MMT’s high-tech vessels – M/V Franklin for offshore works and M/V Seabeam for nearshore works – and found no major obstacles to the proposed cable route between Portsmouth in the U.K. and the coastal region of Dieppe in France.“This is a major milestone in the development of AQUIND Interconnector

Powering the Seafloor: Put a Socket in It

is ready and the applications are ready,” says Bugge. Reliability of this equipment will be key, but it’s coming. “It’s early days, but I think this energy revolution at the seabed is coming and it won’t be just for oil and gas.”(As published in the May 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter

Efficient Cable Installation Slashes Emissions at Johan Sverdrup

The laying of the cable supplying Johan Sverdrup with power from shore started last week. This helps make the North Sea giant one of the oil and gas fields with the lowest CO2 emissions worldwide.On Wednesday last week the cable-laying vessel NKT Victoria began laying the cables that will supply the Johan Sverdrup field with power from shore.The starting point was the Johan Sverdrup converter station at Haugsneset near Kårstø, and by the end of May the vessel will have laid nearly 200 kilometers of power cables out to the field in the North Sea.Bundled with the power cables, a fiber-optic

MacArtney Underwater Technology Turns 40

network of 25 companies spread across the globe.Since its foundation in 1978, the MacArtney Group has been supplying underwater technology solutions to operators and developers within several industries. The cornerstones of the MacArtney fields of operation are oil and gas, ocean science, defence, marine renewable energy, civil engineering and fishery. Possessing vast engineering competences, the company manufactures high-quality products, fully integrated systems and innovative custom solutions, from design to installation, supported by training, after-sales service and local workshops. Its competences

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

MacArtney: Custom EMO Multiplexer

Upgrading the subsea survey and camera interfaces of an ROV represents the primary purpose of the MUX having been deployed in Singapore. The requirements for reliable transmission of large amounts of data and video from ROVs, ROTVs, ocean observatories and instrumentation packages are contantly being sharpened. Gathering high-quality data from the deep sea is an im¬mense undertaking, which calls for ensuring that multiple sensor and equipment types work in perfect unison and that all data are efficiently transmitted to the surface for analysis.    Custom ROV MUX System A custom

ADCPs: Action in OOI's Cabled Observatory

; Sound waves propagate through the water column so echoes are returned and processed from many depths. The vertical range of this collection of measurements - called a profile of ocean current velocities - is greater for lower frequency sound waves.   Introduction Thanks to a spirited cadre of marine scientists and engineers, high-tech ocean observatories are now operational. These sites provide a continuous presence in the ocean for sustained and interactive observing. Many combine innovative infrastructure with multi-discipline marine sensors.   Installed at various depths, these observatorie

Afsluitdijk project awarded to Levvel Consortium

Rijkswaterstaat (part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment and responsible for the design, construction, management and maintenance of the main infrastructure facilities in the Netherlands) has awarded the Afsluitdijk project to the Levvel consortium. This joint venture is formed by Van Oord Aberdeen Infrastructure Partners B.V. (46%), BAM PPP PGGM Infrastructure Coöperatie U.A. (46%) and RebelValley B.V. (8%). Levvel will be responsible for design, build, finance and 25 years maintenance of the strengthened Afsluitdijk. Construction works are expected to start in the

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

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.

WFN: Cable Route Survey Support for Kativik

Strategies has been awarded a contract by Kativik Regional Government, a supramunicipal body with jurisdiction over the territory of Québec situated north of the 55th parallel of Canada, to provide cable route survey support for the proposed Eastern Arctic Undersea Fiber Optic Network (EAUFON) submarine telecoms cable system.   EAUFON is a planned submarine cable with landing points at multiple communities in Canada’s Nunavik region.  The EAUFON submarine cable system has an initial Ready For Service date of 2020 with multiple extensions planned subsequently. Although final

New In-line Dry-mate Connector from TE

dry-mate connectors are built from the same reliable technology used in multi-fiber optic HP/HT feedthrough systems, so engineers can expect a familiar interface that’s compatible with TE’s established DEUTSCH dry-mate connector,” said Jérémy Calac, product manager for marine oil & gas. “They are also optimized for offshore renewables systems, subsea flexibles and umbilical terminations.” According to TE, the DEUTSCH high density in-line connectors offer a cost-effective solution for multichannel fiber optic management, packing 12 to 24 fiber optic

Deep Sea Mooring Bags Quadrant Contract

project scope and engineering consultancy coordinated out of Perth, will enable Quadrant to have access to DSM and Vryhof Anchors’ portfolio of pre-lay mooring solutions that include chains, fiber ropes, anchors, connectors, buoyancy and handling equipment. Offshore personnel, back deck services, marine representatives and all equipment will be deployed from DSM’s Karratha, West Australia base.   The GSF Development Driller 1 rig was built in 2005 and is a sixth generation semi-submersible with a maximum water depth of 7,500 feet and drilling depth of 37,500 feet

BIRNS Introduces 1.25mm Ferrule

BIRNS now offering two optical ferrule sizes for ultra high density connector configurations   BIRNS, Inc. has added a new 1.25mm optical ferrule for its BIRNS Millennium connector series—a high performance, high density dry-mate connector range suitable for applications to 6km depth. The series can be used with molded or oil-filled cables in straight or 90° configurations and is available in high and low voltage, coax, fiber-optic, and hybrids of electro-coax, electro-optical and electro-opto-mechanical formats.   The 1.25mm ferrule provides single-mode and multi-mode options

Teledyne Releases CAN Bus Active Flying Lead Configurations

Teledyne Oil & Gas has added the CAN bus communication protocol to its Active Flying Lead product family. The subsea oil and gas industry has standardized to "fault tolerant" CAN bus communications for sensors and other subsea controls. This variation has a limited transmission distance for single node or sensor systems of only 40 meters. Teledyne has recently qualified three new configurations that extends the range of the CAN bus signal to up to 5,000 meters. The Active Flying Lead product line is characterized by integrating specialized electronics into qualified highly reliable

DSM Begins Work for New Mooring Contract

Deep Sea Mooring (DSM), a Vryhof company, has commenced operations as part of a newly awarded contract to provide pre-lay mooring products and services to the Deepsea Bergen semisubmersible drilling rig on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Austrian oil & gas company OMV has deployed the semi-submersible rig to support drilling activities in the region.   With operations coordinated out of DSM’s equipment base in Mongstad, Norway the pre-lay mooring Equipment and services provided will include chain, fiber ropes, anchors, connectors, buoyancy and handling equipment as well as mobilization

Subsea Infrastructure: Challenges & Solutions

As offshore oil and gas reserves become ever more difficult and costly to recover, the demand for innovative technology has never been greater. Joe Orrell, managing director at RED Engineering, considers some of the challenges in subsea infrastructure design and the role of fast track engineering solutions.   The offshore oil and gas industry, even in times of low prices and abundant supply, is driven by the almost relentless search for new fields to replace those coming towards the end of their natural productive lives. Often this forces exploration in ever more challenging environments and

SEAIOCMA Extends Cable Maintenance Contract

 Offshore and subsea services company Global Marine, part of the Global Marine Group (GMG), said its maintenance contract with SEAIOCMA (South East Asia and Indian Ocean Cable Maintenance Agreement) has been extended for five-years, running to the end of 2022.   The SEAIOCMA maintenance zone agreement, which is a cooperative club managed by 46 cable owners, provides the repair of submarine cables that carry international telecommunications traffic. SEAIOCMA spans the area between Djibouti in the west, Perth in the south, Guam in the east and the northern tip of Taiwan. This is the third

Rovco Trials 3D Visualization Tech

Subsea cable survey and inspection work for the world’s largest and most technologically advanced offshore renewables test site, Wave Hub, was completed by U.K. based Rovco.   The inspection program included the first commercial trial of Rovco’s 3D visualization technology to create scaled, high resolution models of subsea infrastructure with millimeter accuracy.   Rovco also delivered a detailed bathymetric survey utilizing a multibeam echosounder (MBES), alongside a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video inspection with ultra-short baseline tracking for Wave Hub’s

Around the World in 49 Days

Sodebo to improve boat performance. As well as directly reporting leeway to the helmsman, the DVL data helped with evaluating refinements to the boat’s foils and dagger boards.   Observing Remote Parts of the Oceans Vessels such as Sodebo Ultim that sail through remote seas can collect new marine information about poorly known regions. The French Ocean Agency IFREMER partnered with Team Sodebo on this project. These researchers plan to analyze water currents observed from Sodebo Ultim. Part of the work will be comparing these direct observations with currents inferred from satellite altimetry

Trolex Expands Its Range of Slip Rings

 Trolex Engineering, a designer and manufacturer of Electrical Slip Ring Units, has introduced the TX4849 Slip Ring.   The Weather Protected Slip Ring is a compact 316L stainless steel unit which has a cover diameter of only 72mm. The unit can house up to 16 rings, rated 12 Amps, 1000V per ring. In addition to electrical passes, the unit can also be combined with a fiber optic rotary joint, both single and multimode options.   Suitable for a variety of applications including ROVs, winches and seismic surveying, the unit has been design tested to meet IP66 ratings, Trolex said.

New Mini LED Flasher for AUVs and Gliders

Arctic Rays, LLC has released to the wider market its robust miniature self-contained deep-sea LED flasher designed to aid in vehicle recovery. Anglerfish is a 380 lumen LED with 360 degree collimating optic can be seen from a distance as far away as 5 nautical miles from any direction.   Its built-in daylight sensor prevents operation during daylight. Standard output is a double burst every 2 seconds, customizable upon request The Anglerfish easily mounts to vehicle masts and connects to power and control via a standard three pin connector.   Anglerfish is currently being used on the

The Quest to Find and Explore USS Indianapolis

. In the early hours of July 30, 1945, having just completed a secret mission to deliver materials from California for the first operational atomic bomb, “Little Boy” to a naval base on the Pacific island Tinian, Indianapolis was en route from Guam to Leyte when it was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-58.   Indianapolis sank quickly – reportedly in just 12 minutes – leaving little time for the crew to deploy lifeboats or for an emergency signal to be sent. It is estimated that 800 of the nearly 1,200 Sailors and Marines on board survived the sinking, but a communication error

Moog Focal Introduces a New Optical Transceiver

, several existing 1 Gbps PT systems currently deployed in the field can now be upgraded to support higher bandwidth applications. Pressure tolerant products need to be enclosed in a subsea junction box typically filled with oil. Focal said it has tested compatibility with many typical oils used in the marine industry and continues to validate additional fluids as new applications emerge.   In addition to pressure tolerant slip rings and fiber joints for use subsea, Moog Focal supplies pressure tolerant solutions for composite video, HD video, Ethernet and serial channels, with thousands of products

Hawaiki Transpacific Cable Set for Installation

The undersea fiber-optic cable and equipment for the 14,000 km Hawaiki transpacific cable system have been manufactured and are in the final stages of being loaded aboard cable laying vessels for deployment to beginning in early October.   The Hawaiki submarine cable system, owned and developed Hawaiki Submarine Cable LP, will link Australia and New Zealand to the mainland United States, as well as Hawaii and American Samoa, with options to expand to additional South Pacific islands. The carrier-neutral cable system was co-developed by New Zealand-based entrepreneurs Sir Eion Edgar, Malcolm

TE SubCom Launches New NOC Solution

into operational flow. Cable operators depending on the long-term viability of their networks will now have global 24x7x365 monitoring coverage and both high-level and regional visibility into their networks’ status.   SubCom’s NOC solution has already been selected for the Monet Submarine Cable, a 10,556km cable that is owned and operated by Algar Telecom (a Brazilian telecom company and ISP), Angola Cables (a multinational telecom company operating in the wholesale market), ANTEL (the Uruguayan telecom company) and Google. In the U.S., this new 6-fiber-pair cable system was landed

Global Marine Group Extends UK Footprint

Offshore engineering services provider Global Marine Group (GMG) has expanded its operations base in the United Kingdom to include the Port of Blyth, Northumberland.   Blyth, a modern, well-specified port, has emerged as a major support base for U.K. offshore energy projects. Operating from the Port of Blyth, both of GMG’s two business units, CWind, which provides services to the offshore wind industry, and Global Marine, which provides fiber optic cable solutions to multiple sectors, will be able to offer regionally-focused support, resulting in faster mobilization, greater flexibility

TE to Showcase New Wet-mate Connector

TE Connectivity (TE) said it will display a selection of products from its underwater portfolio at its SEACON booth at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen, September 5-8, 2017. Among its many connector systems, TE will specifically feature the new HydraElectric wet-mate connector.   TE’s SEACON portfolio includes more than 2,500 underwater electrical and fiber optic connectors for complete submerged connectivity systems. As the oil and gas industry continues to face new challenges with deeper drilling and harsher temperatures and pressures, TE said it continues to develop new technologies with

Manned Submersible Built to Explore Titanic Shipwreck

The titanium and carbon fiber wound pressure vessel for a new deep sea manned submersibles has been constructed in preparation for the first human exploration of the Titanic shipwreck since 2005.   Once completed Cyclops 2 will be the latest addition to the fleet of OceanGate, Inc., capable of reaching more than 50 percent of the ocean to increase human exploration of the undersea world.   “Construction of Cyclops 2 is a significant step in advancing human exploration of the ocean. When completed, it will be the only privately owned submersible in the world that can take five

GMG Secures Cable Contract for Rampion Offshore Wind Farm

Global Marine Group (GMG) announced that it has been awarded a contract from E.ON to install a fibre optic cable at the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, under construction 13km off the coast of Sussex, UK.   Upon completion the cable will run from the shore to an offshore substation, providing a vital communications link for this major wind farm. The installation is expected to be completed later this month.   CWind, which is part of the GMG and is responsible for delivering the Company’s power capabilities, will execute the contract and will utilize the Group’s capable assets