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ABS Calls for New Tech in Marine Fuels

ABS Chairman, President and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki, mapped out the future of marine fuels, indicating that the 2050 targets will require technology beyond today’s state-of-the-art.“Technology advances of the next decade may entirely change our view of the future, but based on what we see today we can identify three developmental pathways for future fuels distinguished by the onboard technologies they require. These are: the LNG or light gas pathway, the bio/synthetic pathway and the alcohol and heavy gas pathway,” he said.“Within each of these pathways are many variables

Cougar XT Chosen for Africa Subsea Ops

In a bid to boost its offshore deep water operations, RusselSmith, a Nigeria-based oilfield services provider, has chosen Saab Seaeye’s Cougar XT electric underwater robotic vehicle to boost its ROV fleet.“The Cougar is an ideal choice,” says RusselSmith CEO, Kayode Adeleke. “It is a powerful, highly maneuverable and capable ROV and we believe it will add a lot of value to our subsea operations.”RusselSmith sees the Cougar meeting its current and projected subsea undertakings which include inspection, repairs, maintenance, light construction work and drill support.For them

Complete Oil Spill Monitoring Solutions for Vulnerable Areas

Global environmental monitoring experts Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) produce oil spill monitoring solutions for remote areas for both aquatic and terrestrial applications where there is a concern over the potential for exposure to hydrocarbons.OSIL build and install systems including oil spill monitoring buoys that are capable of detecting and monitoring surface sheens, oil in water monitoring buoys that can identify and quantify crude oil and refined fuels present in the water column using submersible sensors, and land-based non-contact oil spill detection systems. These structures can

Aker Solutions Eyes Low Carbon Tech

Aker Solutions aims to adjust its portfolio of products and technologies to include more renewable energy and low-carbon technologies over the next decade, Norway's largest oilfield services firm said on Wednesday.While oil and gas will remain its biggest market, the company said it will aim to generate about half of its revenue from renewable energy and low carbon solutions, including 20% from renewables and 25% from technologies that either generate renewable energy or removes or substantially reduces CO2 emissions by 2030."The world will continue to see rising energy demand and the challenge

Searcher Completes Northern Basins Study

Searcher Seismic announced the expansion of its modern offshore data library with the completion of its Northern Basins Prospectivity Study in Papua New Guinea.The independent multi-client company providing seismic datasets and associated products to the global oil and gas industry, said that in conjunction with Discover Geoscience, it has compiled the Northern Basins Prospectivity Study following its successful acquisition of the Solomon Sea Broadband Non-Exclusive 2D seismic survey in 2017.The study offers the industry a detailed understanding of the basins and hydrocarbon potential of the region

Study: Sunlight Degrades Polystyrene Faster than Expected

exposed to sunlight, rather than thousands of years as previously thought.  The study published October 10, 2019, in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters.“Right now, policy makers generally assume that polystyrene lasts forever in the environment,” says Collin Ward, a marine chemist at WHOI and lead author of the study. “That’s part of justification for writing policy that bans it. One of our motivations for this study was to understand if polystyrene actually does last forever.  We’re not saying that plastic pollution isn’t bad, just that

Pioneering Ocean Energy Innovation in New England: Wind and Water

development. Synergies in offshore engineering, resource assessment, permitting, construction, and maintenance of ocean wind, wave and tidal energy are obvious but not fully articulated.Sharing lessons learned in “getting steel in the water” was the purpose of the May 23, 2019 2nd Annual Marine Renewable Energy conference. The one day conference was held at UMass Dartmouth’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a business incubator where many of marine renewable energy’s leading lights started – Resolute Marine, ORPC, and Littoral Power. They gravitated to the CIE

Blue Ocean Monitoring Orders AUV

Blue Ocean Monitoring Ltd. has recently purchased a new L3Harris Technologies Iver3 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to support their global survey operations.This innovative technology directly challenges traditional vessel-based, ROV and larger AUV survey techniques, delivering highly accurate survey data with significant reductions in project cost, time and risk.  The AUV has been robustly engineered, is capable of operations to 200m, and is one of the smallest and lightest on the market, allowing for single-user deployment from small work vessels or directly from shore.Keith Wallace

Forum’s XLe Spirit ROV Completes Sea Trials

Forum Subsea Technologies’ latest remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the XLe Spirit, has completed sea trials in Norway, the manufacturer announced on Wednesday.The vehicle is the first of a new generation of electric observation class ROVs. It is the smallest in the new range, and powerful enough to perform subsea maintenance and repair work. It is suited to the aquaculture market and capable of tasks such as net and tank inspection.Working with its Norwegian partner, Innova AS, Forum tested the XLe Spirit at a fjord with a 500-meter water depth. The standard equipment function testing was

Subsea IMR Moves Robotic

to ROVsThe most obvious element of change in current practice is to remove the ship. A logical first move is to replace a large expensive crewed ship with an USV. This approach has been demonstrated by several players. In a defense-focused demonstration Teledyne Seabotix ROVs were operated from Marine Advanced Research WAM-V USVs. In commercial practice, SAAB ROVs have been supported by L3 ASV C-worker USVs. In these configurations the objective is primarily inspection. An operator ashore, connected via radio or satellite telemetry, can use the combined systems to examine structures or the seafloor

New Handheld Control Pendant for ROV Navigation

Operators of SEAMOR Marine remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) will be excited about the newest release by the British Columbia-based company. Starting this fall, an all new Handheld Control Pendant will be available to pair with SEAMOR ROVs.The SEAMOR pendant is ergonomic, lightweight, easy to use, and more comfortable for pilots who are undertaking long jobs. SEAMOR Marine wanted to give users the option to step away from the console when needed while still being able to control the vehicle, particularly during launch and retrieval of the ROV, or when using an alternate display when navigating via

Atlantic Shores Launches Ocean Survey Ops

when I began my career, and changes in the ocean environment have become increasingly rapid over the past decade,” said Kevin Wark.“It’s clear we need to strike a balance – for the environment, the fishing communities and renewable developers together. I understand the concerns of mariners because I share them, so I’m excited for this opportunity to listen to fishermen of all sectors, to help us collaborate and find the best solutions for all,” he added.Atlantic Shores intends to bid into the next New Jersey offshore wind solicitation. The lease area held by Atlantic

Blue Robotics Intros Ping360 Scanning Sonar

California-based Blue Robotics announced its newest product, the Ping360 Scanning Sonar, which offers small remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROVs) the ability to navigate in low visibility water conditions.The Ping360 is a mechanical scanning sonar – it uses a small acoustic transducer mounted on a motor that rotates it in one-degree increments.As it rotates, it transmits and receives acoustic pulses to build a 360-degree image of the surroundings. This is similar to laser scanners and LIDARs used for ground robotics and autonomous cars but using sound waves instead of light.When mounted on

New Acoustic Test Facility at COVE in Nova Scotia

SensorTech has announced the acquisition of an acoustic test tank that will serve as the primary test facility for prototype acoustic evaluation of underwater devices. The facility will be located at our hydrophone and transducer manufacturing facility at COVE, in Nova Scotia.Earlier this year SensorTech created the Atlantic Acoustics Collective (AAC) that brought together members of the ocean tech community to identify common obstacles in testing and calibrating our collective products.The SensorTech testing facility will be open to the Ocean Tech community year-round, to fill a gap that we identified

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

Lifeboat Converted Into Unsinkable Solar-Powered Arctic Excursion Boat

A new solar vessel that can theoretically be submerged and remain unharmed has been produced by repurposing a lifeboat that could originally accommodate 100 people.Two British architects, Guylee Simmonds and David Schnabel, recognized that the craft could be converted into an adventure vessel that could explore the Norwegian Artic while offering its occupants all the comforts of home.“We wanted to experience a range of different cultures, different approaches to living by the sea, different landscapes, different climates. And if you are creating an expedition boat that will take you 3100 miles

MTR100: Teledyne Marine

With 23 brands, and more than 400 marine products in its portfolio, Teledyne Marine collectively offers the largest breadth of technology in the industry.  From tiny connectors to 6000m rated AUVs – and virtually everything in between – Teledyne is well positioned to solve subsea’s biggest challenges.  Whether customers seek a single product, or a complex turnkey solution, Teledyne Marine has the vision and capability to deliver leading-edge technology to commercial, academic, and defense customers around the globe.As the organization continues to grow and mature, and

MTR100: Five "Ones to Watch"

For Marine Technology Reporter's (MTR) 14th Annual "MTR100" - a look at 100 innovators and technologies in the subsea space - MTR editor-at-large Elaine Maslin reports on five companies and technologies that are worth the watch for the remainder of 2019 and beyond. For the full edition, see https://magazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201907/Blue Logic: Entering a new eraCompletely new modes of operation are entering the underwater domain for oil and gas operations and the tools that are being used could also be used across the ocean space.It’s been called a

World’s First: LR Digital Type Approval to HHI

for its Integrated Smartship Solution (ISS).According to LR, digital type approval delivers an assurance system to provide confidence in the market for the supply of digital components and offers all the benefits of traditional type approval; reassurance on supply chain quality and robustness within the marine environment. Digital type approval can apply to both components within information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems.Type approval of HHI’s first line network security component confirms it complies with the latest LR type approval test specifications and the requirements

New Autonomous Vehicle for Offshore Wind Surveys

A new autonomous sailing platform aims make the collection of offshore wind energy data easier, faster, cleaner and more cost efficient.The 16-foot wind- and solar-powered Datamaran, launched recently by Norwegian energy company Equinor and US technology firm Autonomous Marine Systems Inc. (AMS), carries a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, a well-established technology used to record wind characteristics hundreds of feet above the surface) to gather data on wind and weather conditions at offshore lease areas for the development of wind energy projects.Typically, this data has been collected by a

#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

Mermaid Reports Subsea Contracts

Mermaid Maritime announced that its Middle East and Southeast Asian business units have recently been awarded subsea contracts with a combined total estimated potential contract value of $7.4 million.The first highlighted scope of work, commencing in the third quarter of 2019, involves carrying out air diving and a light work-class remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) services for a national upstream oil and gas company offshore in the Middle East GCC. The duration of the contract is for approximately nine months.The second highlighted work package, also commencing in the third quarter of 2019

Armstrong Marine Delivers R/V to University of AK

The 40’ x 13’ research vessel Nanuq recently entered service for the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. In a competitive solicitation process last year, the University selected Armstrong Marine’s proposal to design and build the vessel.Nanuq is customized for research and teaching operations. The monohull features 28 – 32 knot cruise speed, hydraulic A-frame, overnight accommodations for five, full-service galley, head, Northern Lights 5kW diesel generator, and a Garmin/NMEA electronics package supplemented with a Furuno SC70 satellite

New Tailrace Buoy Designed for NYPA

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) was contracted by the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to provide naval architecture and marine engineering services to review and analyze a Canadian Coast Guard buoy for required internal ballast and mooring in order to secure the buoy moorings in tailrace waters. NYPA’s fast water warning buoys had reached the end of their life cycle.BHGI conducted a site visit at the Moses-Saunders Power Dam in Massena, N.Y. The purpose of the visit was to inspect the tailrace buoys currently installed downstream of the dam and to discuss possible new designs developments with

AML MVP to Augment NSCC’s Seafloor Mapping

spatial coverage. Development of a method that would increase both efficiency and data density of seafloor imaging data through integration of these technologies into the MVP would benefit a wide range of ocean sector industries, such as offshore oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, subsea cable routes, marine conservation and spatial planning.NSCC’s MVP200 will be built down the road from their waterfront campus in Canadian manufacturer AML Oceanographic’s Atlantic office in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The solution is expected to be supplied in fall 2019 and includes the MVP200, CTD instrumentation

BHGI Completes Buoy Design for NYPA

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) was contracted by the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to provide naval architecture and marine engineering services to review and analyze a Canadian Coast Guard buoy for required internal ballast and mooring in order to secure the buoy moorings in tailrace waters.NYPA’s fast water warning buoys had reached the end of their life cycle. BHGI conducted a site visit at the Moses-Saunders Power Dam in Massena, NY. The purpose of the visit was to inspect the tailrace buoys currently installed downstream of the dam and to discuss possible new designs developments with

DOE Introduces Phantom X8 ROV

US-based Deep Ocean Engineering (DOE) has unveiled a new electric, light work-class remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), the Phantom X8, designed for deep sea exploration and light intervention work.The vehicle is the largest and most heavy-duty ROV manufactured by DOE and packs a robust design for deep sea maneuverability and power. Configured with six vectored horizontal and two vertical 2.2 kW Tecnadyne brushless thrusters, the Phantom X8 has complete control and authority in any given direction, even in the toughest currents.For clarity underwater, the Phantom X8 boasts high definition

Sonsub Hydrone-R Launched in Water

On July 1, Saipem-Sonsub’s Hydrone-R underwater intervention drone was launched in water to start the endurance and qualification tests prior to its commercialization by year’s end.The Hydrone Program is the key workstream of Saipem’s Technology Development Plan within subsea robotics; a strategic move aimed at changing the paradigm of underwater inspections and interventions via a fleet of next-generation drones and advanced ancillary equipment.The Hydrone program, entirely executed by the Sonsub center, encompasses three vehicles, namely Hydrone-R, Hydrone-S and Hydrone-W (link)

Subsea 7 Scores North Sea Contract

Offshore services firm Subsea 7 announced it has won a contract from Equinor for installation and diving operations on the Europipe II, Heimdal and Statfjord (EHS) fields, located in the Danish and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea.The deal is worth between $50 million and $150 million, Subsea 7 said.The contract comprises engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of pipeline end manifolds (PLEM), bypass and tie-in spools for the Europipe II gas pipeline, Oseberg Gas Transport and Statpipe pipelines, operated by Gassco AS.Project management and engineering, including front end

​OSIL's Deep-Sea Mining Data Tools​

substrate for sub sampling.The OSIL Giant Piston corer can retrieve cores of up to 60m in length from soft sediments and muds, as the action of the internal piston reduced internal friction and reduces plugging, ultimately providing a less disturbed sample and making it an important tool in the study of marine sediments.OSIL’s range of seabed sampling equipment is also extended to ROV tools. OSIL offer an ROV mounted sediment sampler for collecting (multiple) samples of virtually undisturbed sediment, including the sediment/water interface, and overlying supernatent water, in addition to a programmable

Giant Squid Filmed in America's Backyard

out left and right, pictures were pointed to, opinions were tossed out. The two of us that knew squid the best were "70 percent sure" it was a juvenile giant squid, but we couldn't go any further. We needed one of the best squid experts in the world, Michael Vecchione at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Services - National Systematics Laboratory at the Smithsonian. Unfortunately, we were in the midst of a set of strong squalls, so the Internet was down and we had no way to reach him.What happened next was something that we truly never expected. About 30 minutes after Nathan first saw the

New Tech for Wind Blade Inspections

Drones and crawling robots outfitted with special scanning technology could help wind blades stay in service longer, which may help lower the cost of wind energy at a time when blades are getting bigger, pricier and harder to transport, Sandia National Laboratories researchers say.As part of the Department of Energy’s Blade Reliability Collaborative work, funded by the Wind Energy Technologies Office, Sandia researchers partnered with energy businesses to develop machines that noninvasively inspect wind blades for hidden damage while being faster and more detailed than traditional inspections

Poland Employs New Seismic Tech

The Polish state-controlled oil and gas company PGNiG said that its geophysical services provider Geofizyka Toruń SA became the first company in Europe to employ new seismic data acquisition technologies in searching for hydrocarbon deposits.The Polish oil and gas company said in a press release that the company is replacing the hitherto used cabled geophone networks with ultra-lightweight wireless nodal sensors. Their small size and low weight allow to conduct exploration with no harm to the natural environment and local communities.Seismic surveys are an important part of hydrocarbon exploration.

SubseaPartner Tallies FPSO Work in the UK

Norwegian diving contractor SubseaPartner announced it has secured a contract from floating production, storage and offloading unit owner and operator Teekay Offshore for dive work offshore the UK.The contract includes ongoing subsea work on the FPSOs Petrojarl Foinaven and Hummingbird.Detailed planning and engineering have been completed, and SubseaPartner has chartered the vessel Olympic Zeus as support for the offshore diving campaign, SubseaPartner said. The mobilization has been executed in Haugesund, Norway, and a team of UK divers has went through a proper familiarization on the vessel prior

BIRNS Celebrates 65 Years

were introduced in the 1950s. Fast forward to today, and depth ratings for subsea systems have exponentially changed, and connectivity solutions for today's subsea systems are extremely advanced and complex.BIRNS was born in Los Angeles and quickly became known for contributing key technology to the marine and nuclear industries. Early marine market contributions included building specialty lights for the Sea Lab projects and illuminating the excavation of the Titanic.Throughout its 65-year history, the company has helped advance technology in these markets, and its products have allowed faster communicatio

CGG, Shearwater Partner

Marine geoscience companies CGG and Shearwater GeoServices earlier this month signed a binding term-sheet for a strategic partnership for marine seismic acquisition services and creation of a new streamer technology company.Under the agreement, Shearwater will purchase five streamer vessels jointly owned by CGG Marine Resources Norge AS and Eidesvik Offshore, and the firms will mutually secure CGG access to strategic vessel capacity for future multi-client projects while securing Shearwater a commitment of cash flow and activity for multiple years.CGG said it will continue to operate the vessels and

Offshore Survey Vessels: Ready for Faster Sensors

context of military applications where value is quantified in the effectiveness with which the mission is executed: you locate an explosive mine over the course of several hours searching without risk to humans and with less margin for human error. Fast forward 10 years, now in the role as CEO of LeeWay Marine, I am again evaluating robots, but from the perspective of finding a commercial solution that offers a competitive edge.LeeWay owns and operates survey vessels from the Center for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. COVE is one of several ocean technology

C-Innovation to Perform RLWI for BP

US-based marine services firm C-Innovation (C-I) said it has been awarded a contract to perform riserless light well intervention (RLWI) activities for oil major BP in the Gulf of Mexico.C-I, an affiliate of Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) and its family of companies, said the initial contract calls for both mechanical as well as hydraulic acid stimulations, which will be executed from its flagship Gulf of Mexico assets, the offshore construction and light well intervention vessels Island Venture and Island Performer.Work is expected to begin as early as July 2019 and will be performed in water depths of

GOT: Comes to Life Using Teledyne Lidar

Imaging hardware and software from Teledyne Optech helped enable 3D spatial data acquisition and visual effects for HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones.  A team, led by Vektra d.o.o. of Croatia, utilized Teledyne’s lidar (light detection and ranging) technology to create a detailed 3D representation of the old city of Dubrovnik, the model for the fictional city of King’s Landing.Lidar is becoming increasingly popular for creating realistic computer-generated imagery (CGI) and visual special effects. Traditionally, lidar has been used for mapping and in construction, civil

Jedstone Starts RLWI Work at Montara

Asia Pacific focused Jadestone Energy announced Monday it has begun a riserless light well intervention (RLWI) campaign at the Montara complex, offshore Australia.The Sapura Constructor light well intervention vessel was mobilized to the field on May 30, 2019 and, after conducting pre-work safety checks, is now operating at the Skua-11 well, as planned, the independent oil and gas company company said.The RLWI program, which is said to be a first-of-its-kind project in Australia, is intended to restore gas lift to the Skua-11 and Swift-2 wells, perforate additional sands in the Swallow-1 well, and

Rapid Reaction: Emergency Training Saves Lives

How to get out of an upturned helicopter in the sea – fast!Based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, RelyOn Nutec Canada supplies a large number of services to the maritime sector ranging from strategic planning to the delivery of effective training programs. The company’s products and services include training delivery and management, competence management and crisis management, providing support not only to individuals in building their career skills but also to national and multinational companies in organizing their training, competence and crisis management procedures.Accident simulationRelyOn

Oceaneering Lines Up Deepwater GoM Survey

Oceaneering International said it has secured a contract to perform the first-ever deepwater autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) survey in Mexican waters.The geophysical survey will be performed for BHP at its Trion development. Oceaneering will use the DP-2 Ocean Investigator, equipped with their OS-VI AUV and light geotechnical capabilities. Water depth is in the range of 1,000-3,000 meters.Work is currently underway and will continue for approximately 45 days. Oceaneering will also provide light geotechnical services by acquiring 6 m piston core soil samples.

Surprising Enzymes Found in Giant Ocean Viruses

, European Regional Development Fund and Welsh Government Project and by National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation grants to the Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health.The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education

JW Fishers’ Dropped Video Systems for Aquaculture

is a clear example of a video system that can be mounted in a frame and set on the floor of the ocean for fish observations in their natural habitat. The DV-2 comes standard with two 1200 lumen LED lights, 150’ of Kevlar reinforced cable and a 500’ depth rated housing.Sweeney International Marine Corp. and SIMCorp Marine Environmental Inc., operating under the umbrella of SIMCorp, are professional companies with extensive experience in the field of aquaculture. SIMCorp operates out of two locations; New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The company provides a full range of aquaculture

First Ex-certified Portable Infrared and HD Camera

A new peripheral device provides HD digital and thermal imaging technology for inspections and maintenance in potentially hazardous areas.With the Cube 800, the Pepperl+Fuchs brand ecom is launching the first portable and explosion-proof infrared and HD video camera for Zone 1/21 and Div. 1. ecom developed and distributes the Cube 800 in cooperation with Librestream.In combination with the intrinsically safe ecom smartphone series Smart-Ex or tablet series Tab-Ex, workers can remotely control the camera, view HD video and thermal imaging, or capture and annotate pictures or recordings from a safe

DOLPHIN: Enabling Technology for Acoustic Systems

by the other sidescan (B or A) to improve the resolution in the area that both sides overlap.  In addition to the obvious benefit of improved coverage, DOLPHIN processing can provide other advantages to sonar systems including increased resolution and adaptability to environmental concerns such as marine mammal safety.Figure 4: Typical Side-scan displays a gap in coverage. Image: QinetiQ North AmericaLab and Field TestingDOLPHIN Comms and Sonar proof-of-concept (POC) demonstrations have been successfully completed. In tank and harbor trials, previously reported upon, DOLPHIN Comms delivered successful

TGS, Schlumberger Partner for Ocean-bottom Node Project

TGS and Schlumberger’s geophysical services product line WesternGeco will work together to develop opportunities to co-invest in additional multiclient ocean-bottom node projects in the deepwater  U.S. Gulf of Mexico under a new collaboration agreement announced Wednesday.This collaboration includes the previously-announced 2,350 square kilometer Amendment Phase 1 project in the Mississippi Canyon and Atwater Valley protraction areas. Supported by industry prefunding, Amendment Phase 1 commenced in early 2019 and data acquisition is expected to complete in the third quarter of 2019.Both TGS

Unheard Underwater: Covert Communications

it knows where to find us in the first place. Even when operating closer to the surface, the limited range of the BlueComm 200 UV, when seen from space, is very much like a needle in a haystack. This means we can now communicate subsea and remain covert. This is great news for a new generation of submariners and new unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) concepts.Unmanned vehicles as a force multiplier for submarines are not a new idea. In 1997, the National Research Council published Volume 6 of the “Technology for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, 2000-2035”. In this document, the authors

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

Tappan Zee Constructors ‘See’ Below the Hudson

With Trimble Marine Construction Systems and Teledyne Marine Imaging, bridge deconstruction projects can now have pinpoint accuracy.The Project @ a GlanceCustomer Profile: Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC is a consortium – including Fluor Enterprises, Inc., American Bridge Company, Granite Construction Northeast, Inc., and Traylor Bros., Inc. – that was hired to design and build the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, one of the largest single design-build contracts for a bridge project in the United States. The project was started in January of 2013 and, after a phased opening that

Support Vessel Delivered to Oceaneering

Oceaneering International announced Monday that it has taken delivery of a newbuild subsea construction support vessel, Ocean Evolution, built by BAE Systems in the US.The US-flagged, Jones Act-compliant multi-service vessel (MSV) has completed sea trials and received all necessary ABS and U.S. Coast Guard certifications and is currently in Port Fourchon, La., completing final outfitting and preparing for project work scheduled to begin in June.Oceaneering said the vessel is designed to serve deepwater stimulation and intervention needs with its ABS Well Stimulation and Well Intervention (WS/WI) ready

McLane IFCB Helps in Rust Tide Study

McLane Research Laboratories, Inc. said that its Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) is part of a NOAA Fisheries Saltonstall-Kennedy funded program to study rust tides of Cochlodinium polykrikoides and protect aquaculture from its impacts.This project will allow researchers to build upon IFCB’s proven capability as a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) monitoring tool. The IFCB will enable automated protection of juvenile shellfish that are especially vulnerable while growing within nursery systems. Moreover, the team seeks to develop C. polykrikoides bloom forecasting ability through image-based assessment of

Subsea Mining: The Next Big Thing for UUVs

Maritime after doing pipeline inspection work for oil company Equinor. In a press release, the Singapore-based outfit said it was now ready to “go beyond current industry needs”. In fact, early in 2018, Swire Seabed had begun the Norwegian government’s first commercial cruise to map marine mineral resources of copper, lead and silver on the Norwegian continental shelf (by AUV survey and ROV rock sampling).  “This can become a new market for them (Swire Seabed) and possibly for the entire subsea industry,” a Norwegian taxpayer-funded incubator outfit said on its Web

EvoLogics Presents 'Tiny' Modems

EvoLogics has introduced the latest addition to its range of underwater acoustic modems, the new generation S2C T modems, at Ocean Business 2019 in Southampton, UK.Dubbed “tiny”, this light and ultra-compact design represents a size reduction of almost 20% compared to EvoLogics M-series mini-modems at only 25 cm standard height and 1200 g weight, the manufacturer said.The S2C T series form factor will be available for EvoLogics’ high frequency models, catering to modern size- and weight-sensitive applications with four frequency range/directivity options.The new model features a

Meredith Joins BIRNS Sales Team

Marine lighting and connector systems manufacturer BIRNS, Inc. announced that Bruce Meredith has joined its sales team as Technical Sales Manager, responsible for leading the company’s sales team, overseeing its global distributor and dealer networks and managing accounts for advanced deep submergence connectors and cable assemblies and high performance marine and nuclear lighting systems sales.Meredith brings decades of sales and marketing experience to his new role. Prior to his position at BIRNS, he served in a range of sales management leadership roles, including Western Regional Vice

Birns Hires Meredith

has joined its sales team as Technical Sales Manager. In his new role, Meredith will be responsible for leading the company’s sales team, overseeing its global distributor and dealer networks, and managing accounts for advanced deep submergence connectors and cable assemblies and high performance marine and nuclear lighting systems sales.Meredith brings decades of sales and marketing experience to his new role. Prior to joining the team at BIRNS, he served in a range of sales management leadership roles, including Western Regional Vice President for Custom Bilt Metals, General Manager/Vice President

Australia Searching for Lost WWII Destroyer

A joint effort between the Royal Australian Navy and the Sri Lankan Navy will set out to solve one of the remaining maritime mysteries of World War II, after new information has come to light regarding the whereabouts of a sunken warship.Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire sank on April 9, 1942 as the result of an intensive Japanese air attack off the Sri Lankan coast. The destroyer was broken in half by several bombs and went down in less than 10 minutes, killing nine sailors while hundreds more were rescued by the hospital ship Vita and local fishing vessels. A few men were even able to swim ashore.

IDEX: Demo of Aquabotix SwarmDiver EDGE

Aquabotix demonstrated its recently launched SwarmDiver EDGE system at a special event coinciding with the International Defense Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, UAE last week. This was the first such public demonstration of the EDGE system, and the company showcased the product’s distinguishing features, including its capabilities to be used as a visual boundary and first line deterrent for various waterborne threats.The SwarmDiver EDGE system has been designed to alert for threats of manned and unmanned vehicles, including militarized vehicles and hobby drones with explosive

Subsea 7 Wins BP Work Offshore UK

Subsea 7 S.A. announced Wednesday it has been awarded a contract by BP Exploration for the provision of subsea construction, inspection, repair and maintenance services covering BP’s North Sea region portfolio of assets West of Shetland and Northern North Sea.Under the terms of the five year agreement, i-Tech Services will provide a life of field support vessel complete with work class and observation class remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV), capable of performing inspection, survey, intervention, light subsea construction and emergency response services.Subsea 7 said the work scope is

Oi: Tracking 50 Years of Ocean Innovation

As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.More crucially, to the