Fiber Optics

Maritime Blue-Light Laser Discovered

An EU maritime study has identified a record-breaking ‘blue-light’ laser for the maritime industry.Scientists working on the $1 million KETmaritime project have released a detailed report on the potential of ‘Photonic Marine Applications’.The latest report, which has been produced by Spanish research center AIMEN, reveals new boundaries broken in marine laser development – enhancing the detection of underwater objects including submarines and archaeological sites.Project coordinator Ana Vila from the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) said: “In

Industry Event OCEANS 2019 Seattle A Success

Convention Center and the new Hyatt Regency in downtown Seattle. The area’s unique history of forward-thinking ocean research, technology development, federal agency and Navy presence, and focus on the Blue Economy combined to make this a great place to host OCEANS this fall. Co-sponsored by the Marine Technology Society and IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society, this year’s meeting was themed “Blue Sky.  Blue Sea. Blue Tech.” The conference attracted professionals and students from 38 countries representing industry, academia, and the public sector to exchange information and

#Oi2020 History

In 1976, testing began by the Naval Electronics Laboratory Center of two fiber optic undersea tow cables. This was done to measure “changes in optical attenuation caused by cabling, tension, temperature and pressure,” according to the book Advances in Marine Technology, as published by the Marine Technology Society. The testing led to the six-fiber cable (as manufactured by ITT Electro-Products Division, as the caveat to commence the accuracy of using fiber optics in undersea tow cables.   Marine Technology Reporter has been commissioned to publish the Official “Oceanolo

Ocean Infinity Mobilizes Normand Frontier

Subsea technology and data company Ocean Infinity announced the launch of its third vessel, Normand Frontier. The vessel has now been mobilized, having been signed on a three-year year charter with the Norwegian ship owner Solstad Offshore, in December 2018.The Normand Frontier is a modern, fuel-efficient, multipurpose vessel capable of both supporting autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and unmanned surface vehicle (USV) operations, as well as deepwater search and recovery services. The mobilization of this third vessel adds to Ocean Infinity’s current fleet consisting of the Seabed Constructor

Manatua Consortium Approves Cable Lay

A crucial meeting of regional telecommunications leaders has approved the final stages of planning for the installation of the Manatua – One Polynesia Cable.  The new optical fiber submarine cable will span the South Pacific transforming speed, capacity, resilience and affordability.  The six landings will be in Tahiti and Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, Apia, Samoa and Niue.  It is the first fiber connectivity to Niue and the Cook Islands.  Manatua is a groundbreaking collaboration initiated in April 2017 with the signing of an

MacArtney Supplies Time Saving Solution to MMT

MacArtney has recently supplied the latest in a series of seven customized NEXUS MK C ‘Super MUX’ multiplexers to MMT, providers of customized marine surveys for the offshore energy industry.Multiplexers, designed to simultaneously transmit data along a single channel of communication, provide operators with the opportunity to gather numerous types of data at once. The Swedish based, MMT working in close collaboration with Reach Subsea, ordered the customized NEXUS MK C connectivity solution (named the Super MUX by MMT) from MacArtney Underwater Technology earlier this year.MMT assists

Mooring Cables for LoVe Ocean Observatory

experience in designing and manufacturing underwater custom cables, NOVACAVI has recently supplied a couple of specially engineered mooring cables for the Lofoten-Vesterålen Cabeled Ocean Observatory.The Lofoten-Vesterålen Cabeled Ocean Observatory (LoVe) is a Norwegian infrastructure for marine research, monitoring and subsea technology development off the North Norway coast.Due to their peculiar harsh environmental application, these cables had to be conceived and manufactured to fulfil a wide range of data communication systems while guaranteeing the following key features:Breaking strength

OceanGate to Build Two New Submersibles

OceanGate said it plans to build two additional manned submersibles for deep ocean exploration and commercial operations to the Titanic wreck site and beyond.The Everett, Wash.-based company, which already owns and operates a fleet of three manned submersibles rated between 305 meters to 4,000 meters, said it has begun the construction planning for two subs rated for even greater depths in response to increasing demand for commercial and private access to manned submersibles.“Increasing demand for Titanic missions, deep-sea research and environmental supervision of deep-sea mining have further

#Oi2020 History

and 16 scientists and engineers from the Navy's Coastal Systems Station accompanying and operating the equipment when it arrives in Canada. The system consists of more than 54,000 lbs. of gear and requires two U.S. Air Force C-17s to carry it and its accompanying personnel to Halifax.  Marine Technology Reporter has been commissioned to publish the Official “Oceanology International 50th Anniversary Edition” which will distribute with the MARCH 2020 edition of MTR. For information on advertising in this edition, contact Rob Howard @ howard@marinelink.com, t: +1 561-732-4368

Transmark Subsea Acquires WiSub

Transmark Subsea announced on Tuesday it has acquired fellow Norwegian underwater environment company WiSub.Transmark Subsea manufactures cable systems for distribution of electrical signals, power and fiber optics to the offshore subsea industry, WiSub supplies patented flexible wet-mate pinless underwater connection systems. Both companies have been key equipment and service providers to underwater intervention drone (UID) docking stations since 2018. This convergence of mature cable and connector manufacturing and design with innovative wireless underwater power and data transfer systems

WASSP Launches New Rapid Deployment Multibeam Sounder

WASSP Multibeam has launched its new rapid deployment multibeam sounder – the W3 Rapid Deployment System (RDS).Revealed at Pacific Expo 2019 in Sydney this week, W3 RDS has been designed for Navy’s, Maritime Police and Search & Rescue organisations for use where depths are unknown and to find safe navigation routes for larger vessels.When a fixed transducer installation in a small vessel such as a tender isn’t always practical, the W3 RDS has been designed around a portable Carbon fiber Mast that includes a transducer, motion sensor and satellite compass. This lets operators

MacArtney to Supply Swedish Research Vessel

After a successful Sea Acceptance Test in the North Sea, MacArtney has signed off on an integrated system solution for the new research vessel, the R/V Svea.Working with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) since 2009, MacArtney has provided a range of technology, from camera and light systems, to more recently, the co-design and upgrade of a Lobster Sledge with fiber optic multiplexer and interfaces.Now MacArtney has delivered a fully integrated scope of supply including the MacArtney TRIAXUS and FOCUS 2 ROTVs (Remote Operated Towed Vehicles) and a customized CTD (Conductivity

MTR100: General Dynamics Mission Systems

General Dynamics Mission SystemsQuincy, Mass., President CEO: Chris BradyNo. of Employees: 13,400https://gdmissionsystems.com/en/underwater-vehicles/bluefin-roboticsGeneral Dynamics Mission Systems is an innovator of open architecture and mission integration to meet the most demanding operational requirements on any platform in the multi-domain operational arenas – from the outer reaches of space to the sea floor. In 2016 General Dynamics acquired the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) provider, Bluefin Robotics, to extend the integration of high consequence solutions to the unmanned undersea

MTR100: Sonardyne International Ltd.

underwater acoustic, inertial, sonar and optical technologies that are enabling users to position, monitor, measure, detect, image, log, analyze and communicate data, when and where they want in the ocean space.The company is at the forefront of the drive towards safe, efficient and cost effective marine operations including: the latest in over-the-horizon, unmanned and remote autonomous navigation and data harvesting systems; centimeter-level seabed monitoring for hydrocarbon and geoscience applications; intruder detection systems able to detect and track next generation asymmetric threats in the

Cable Solutions Manufactures 50km of Bespoke Subsea Cable

UK-based oil field equipment suppliers, Cable Solutions Worldwide has manufactured in excess of 50km of bespoke subsea cable of various configurations and sizes for a variety of clients throughout the world during the last quarter.The oil and gas, marine, shipbuilding and renewable energy industries have specific bespoke cabling and connectivity requirements to ensure high levels of productivity and durability in harsh offshore environments."The last quarter was especially busy for Cable Solutions, we undertook bespoke cable design and manufacture for a variety of subsea projects, with production

#Oi2020 History

, pilots “flying” the ROV (while sitting in E/V Nautilus control room) can then aim the video cameras toward Hercules and other areas of interest. Measuring 11 feet long and 4 feet high, and weighing 4,000 pounds, Argus (when working individually) can dive to depths of to 3.7 miles. Marine Technology Reporter has been commissioned to publish the Official “Oceanology International 50th Anniversary Edition” which will distribute with the MARCH 2020 edition of MTR. For information on advertising in this edition, contact Rob Howard @ howard@marinelink.com, t: +1 561-732-4368

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