Ocean Gliders: The New Storm Chasers
Unmanned ocean gliders go deep to help improve hurricane forecastsA fleet of 15 autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), or gliders, will be deployed to collect important ocean data in the Caribbean Sea and tropical Atlantic Ocean that could prove useful to forecasters this hurricane season.NOAA, the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System and university partners will begin deploying the torpedo-shaped, remotely-operated, battery-powered gliders from vessels off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in mid-July. Ten of the gliders will come from the U.S. Navy, and the others from NOAA.The gliders will
US Navy Testing New Anti-submarine Technology
LCS Anti-Submarine Warfare Mission Package Completes Two Testing MilestonesProgram Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) announced the successful completion of two Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Mission Package testing milestones, July 16.The first was a 10-day Dockside-1 test event on the Dual-mode ARray Transmitter (DART) Mission System Towed Body and associated launch-and-recovery assembly components in Fort Pierce, Fla. The second was a full-power, in-water test of the active array at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Seneca Lake Detachment's test facility in Dresden, N.Y.
Deepwater Survey Completed in Working Oilfield
Fairfield Geotechnologies completes Gulf of Mexico Ocean Bottom Node surveyFairfield Geotechnologies announces the successful completion in May 2018 of the Stampede deepwater ocean bottom node survey, located in the Green Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico. The field, operated by the Hess Corporation, is in approximately 3,500 ft. of water. The 238 km2 survey was the second successful deployment of Fairfield Geotechnologies’ ZXPLR system. ZXPLR is the newest generation of ocean bottom node technology and features a compact design, automated back deck systems, and powered and
German North Sea Wind Production on the Rise
Offshore wind power plants in Germany's North Sea produced 5.15 percent more electricity from January to June than in the same period in 2017 at 8.17 terawatt hours (TWh), TenneT, the grid operator for the region, said on Thursday.On the day of highest capacity use, TenneT said 4,431 megawatts (MW) were tapped. This is equivalent to four to five big nuclear plants, or 44.4 percent of Germany's existing nuclear reactor total.North Sea wind accounted for 15.1 percent of total German wind production in that period, although that is not a fixed number because it depends on weather patterns.If a
Defense Research and Development Canada Upgrades its AUV
when compared to other AUV magnetometer solutions that require towed bodies, long poles in front of the vehicle or de-gaussed hulls.Applications for the SCM cover a wide variety of AUV missions ranging from geological mapping, mine-countermeasures, and vessel signatures, to unexploded ordnance (UXO), and marine archaeology
Houlder Joins Sir David Attenborough Celebrations
Naval architect and marine engineering firm Houlder has played a key role in the development of the U.K.’s new polar research vessel, RRS Sir David Attenborough, since it was first conceived by the British Antarctic Survey.CEO Rupert Hare will join members of the project team as hull number 1390, comprising 10,000t of steel, is launched at Cammell Laird Shipyard on July 14.As experts in ship construction, and ice class design in particular, Houlder worked with the British Antarctic Survey and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) initially through the vessel’s concept design and
ABB Wins Order for World's Biggest Offshore Wind Farm
ABB has won orders worth more than $150 million from Danish energy company Ørsted to supply technology to transmit wind energy from the 1,400 megawatt (MW) Hornsea Project Two, slated to be the world's largest offshore wind farm.The orders were booked in the second quarter of 2018 and are the first tranche of a global five year frame agreement for the supply of electrical and automation equipment for offshore and onshore wind power connection and integration to the grid, ABB said.ABB will supply its Static Var Compensation (SVC) Light technology with ABB Ability MACH control systems, High
Ocean Infinity to Charter Island Pride
Ocean Infinity announced it has agreed to a seven-year contract with Island Offshore for the charter of vessel Island Pride.Ocean Infinity said the ship will expand its platform for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) data acquisition and analysis and support a variety of operations globally.Island Pride is a multi-functional subsea support and construction vessel of UT 737 design. The vessel is 103 meters in length with a beam of 21 meters and free deck space of 880m2. It is equipped with deep water crane and two work-class remotely operated vehicles (ROV).“Given our success in the market and
Alpha Offshore Bags Offshore Wind Blade Repair Contract
Alpha Offshore Service A/S has been awarded a contract with NoordzeeWind, a Joint Venture between utility company Nuon and Shell, for blade repair on the Offshore Windfarm Egmond aan Zee (OWEZ).The first large windfarm built in the Dutch sector of the North Sea, OWEZ consists of 36 3MW turbines and sits approximately six miles off the coast from the village of Egmond aan Zee.Alpha Offshore will be providing experienced personnel with specialist knowledge of the 44 meter Vestas V90 turbines to undertake independent blade repair of around 80 blades. The scope of work will depend on the requirement of
OSIL's Turbidity Monitoring for Aberdeen Harbor Expansion
to trigger an alarm if one or other of the buoys reports a rise in readings above the predetermined threshold, and will provide continuous sediment monitoring during dredging operations. The turbidity monitoring will run in conjunction with other planned mitigation strategies to monitor and protect the marine fauna in the area
TE Connectivity: AMP MCP 9.5 Connectors
TE Connectivity (TE) introduced its high-power AMP MCP 9.5 two position connectors designed for harsh environment wire-to-wire and wire-to-circuit board connections. AMP MCP 9.5 two position connectors are designed to withstand the extreme conditions of the trucking, agricultural, mining, construction and marine industries. The connectors utilize TE’s field-proven AMP MCP 9.5 contacts and have a current rating of 78 amps for 10 millimeter² wire.The AMP MCP 9.5 two position connectors are constructed of heavy-duty thermoplastic and withstand severe vibration and mechanical shock. They are IP 67
PLAT-I: Renewable Energy for Canada
Sustainable Marine Energy is preparing to ship the PLAT-I tidal energy platform from Connel in Western Scotland to Grand Passage in Nova Scotia. Sustainable Marine Energy’s (SME) PLAT-I tidal energy platform hosting four SCHOTTEL HYDRO SIT 250 turbines has completed the first phase of its testing program at Connel, on the West coast of Scotland. The Company is now preparing to ship the platform to Nova Scotia and install it for a second phase of testing. Having proven the installation, operation and performance aspects of the platform, this second phase of testing will concentrate on
Multifunctional Plough Completes First Job for Assodivers
Subsea equipment designer and manufacturer Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD) said its Multi-Mode Pre Lay Plough, delivered to Greek offshore contractors Assodivers Ltd in Spring this year, has completed its first offshore job in the Baltic sea.The Multi-Mode Pre Lay Plough is the newest addition to SMD's power cable installation and protection product range. This plough has configurations for boulder clearing, trenching and backfill. The boulder clearance pass clears a 13.0m wide route including surface and submerged boulders. The trenching pass creates an engineered ‘Y’ trench profile
Macron Approves Offshore Windpower Projects
Leading executives at French energy groups EDF and Engie said on Twitter that several offshore windpower projects had been "confirmed" by President Emmanuel Macron."Happy to see @EmmanuelMacron confirmed our three parks," EDF executive Bruno Bensasson said in a post on the Twitter messaging network.Engie executive Gwenaelle Huet also said that Macron had approved the windpower projects in a similar Twitter post.The future of the projects had been in some doubt after the French senate earlier this year rejected a government proposal to renegotiate and possibly cancel projects to
New Range of Underwater Connectors
Immersible connectors have to meet a variety of mechanical and chemical constraints. SOURIAU has been active in this market for a very long time, continuously adapting its product range to customer requirements in the field of military submarines, oceanography, geophysics and the oil industry. With SWIM, SOURIAU is launching a new range of connectors designed for new markets.The new SWIM range (Shallow Water IMmersion) is designed for marine applications in depths down to 300 m, which are considered shallow immersion. These connectors are designed for innovative applications like surface drones for
House Set to Debate Offshore Wind Energy Bills in US Waters
A U.S. House committee will kick off debate next week on three new bills aimed at boosting offshore wind energy leases in federal waters.The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a hearing on Tuesday on three bipartisan offshore wind proposals.One proposal would require the Interior Department to develop a leasing plan or schedule for federal offshore leases, a second would create a federal grant for educational or career programs for the offshore industry, and a third would give Interior the authority to manage the federal submerged lands off of territories such as Guam for
Newport News Begins Nuclear Sub Overhaul
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division has begun scheduled overhaul work on the nuclear-powered submarine USS Boise (SSN 764).The Los Angeles-class submarine arrived at Newport News on Monday and will undergo planned maintenance and repair activities pierside before it will be moved to a dry dock in January 2019. The extended engineering overhaul, which includes system upgrades, will take 25 months and is expected to be completed in 2021.“Submarine fleet support work represents a significant increase in our workload and provides a critical balance for
Forum is Building a Submarine Rescue Vehicle
Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. (FET) said it has received an order from Submarine Manufacturing and Products, Ltd. (SMP) to supply a submarine rescue vehicle (SRV), a work-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and associated launch and recovery systems. The ROV and SRV will be delivered in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and integrated by SMP with additional equipment for delivery to a navy in the Far East.The SRV, an onboard piloted rescue submarine, is similar to Perry’s design of rescue vessels, and will incorporate a unumber of high-tech subsea vehicle technologies. The SRV will be capable of
Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm Officially Opens
A new offshore wind farm officially opened this week that is capable of powering over half a million U.K. homes.The Race Bank wind farm located off the North Norfolk coast is capable of generating 573 megawatts (MW) of green electricity from its 91 Siemens Gamesa 6 MW wind turbines. Many of these turbines feature the first blades to be manufactured at the Siemens Gamesa blade factory in Hull.Race Bank is owned by Ørsted (50 percent), Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5 (25 percent), Sumitomo Corporation (12.5 percent) and funds advised by the Green Investment Group, Arjun Infrastructure
US Announces $18.5 Mln for Offshore Wind Research
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that $18.5 million has been made available for offshore wind research and development (R&D).The DOE selected the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to administer an $18.5 million cooperative innovation hub that will bring together industry, academia, government and other stakeholders to advance offshore wind plant technologies, develop innovative methods for wind resource and site characterization, and develop advanced technology solutions for installation, operation, maintenance and supply chain.The overall goal
Norway Wants to Build Floating Wind Farms
Norway's energy minister will meet with companies on Wednesday to discuss the potential construction of offshore floating wind farms, he told Reuters on Friday.The meeting is the first concrete step to spur development of offshore floating power generation, after the government said last December it would seek to accommodate such plans."Wednesday next week I will have a meeting with different stakeholders in offshore wind and discuss both the opening process and the regulatory framework," Terje Soeviknes said.Unlike offshore wind turbines that are fixed to the seabed, floating wind parks
Taking UUVs Faster, Further & Deeper
technology approach has ensured faster delivery of UUVs that can range further, while diving deeper, than ever before possible in compact vehicles. With nearly 100 Riptide vehicles delivered to date, the market has clearly indicated it is moving faster as well.(As published in the June 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
Kongsberg Wins Johan Sverdrup Phase 2 Contract
Equinor Energy AS has contracted Kongsberg Maritime to deliver the Safety and Automation Systems (SAS) for the recently announced phase 2 of the Johan Sverdrup development in the Norwegian North Sea.The phase 2 agreement includes delivery of SAS and digital technology for a new processing platform, which is due to start production in 2022. Kongsberg Maritime will also extend and modify already delivered systems for the field center, in addition to providing three Subsea Production System tie-backs and technology solutions for shore power at Haugsneset, near Haugesund.The core scope of supply for Johan
EU Grant Supports New Unmanned Survey Vessel
A pioneering hydrographic survey company has been awaded grant funding from Marine-i, the EU funded program set up to boost the marine technology sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.The company, Ultrabeam Hydrographic, which provides ultra high resolution hydrographic surveys for clients with marine based assets, such as harbors, subsea pipelines and oil and gas platforms, has developed a new type of unmanned surface vessel believed to be the first of its kind.The Ultra-USV 3-meter catamaran carries a full suite of high-tech survey equipment and has been designed to gather fast, accurate and
New Hires Boost RCG US Team
The Renewables Consulting Group (RCG), has announced the appointment of several new hires in its New York office to support the accelerating offshore wind market in the United States and renewable energy projects worldwide. The experienced personnel include AJ Negrelli, Emily Kuhn, and Craig Hutchinson.Negrelli is a respected project manager and engineer with practical experience delivering offshore wind construction projects, working for the major wind turbine supplier Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Negrelli was deputy construction project manager of the recently completed 574 MW Race Bank project
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
TechnipFMC Awarded Pluto Contract
TechnipFMC said it has been awarded a contract by Woodside to upgrade the Pluto Platform Offshore for water treatment, located offshore Western Australia.The contract includes the engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) of the Pluto Water Handling Module. This module, to be installed on the existing Pluto Alpha Gas Production Platform, will consist of facilities for water separation and treatment, together with upgraded power generation units.Nello Uccelletti, President of TechnipFMC's Onshore/Offshore business, commented, "We are honored to be entrusted
Kasteleijn, Nijs Join Tocardo Managing Board
.”Tocardo has the exclusive rights for the development of five tidal projects in the United Kingdom (Fall of Warness and Wales) and in the Netherlands (Delta works). The Universal Foundation System (UFS) is the new standard product, ready for commercial rollout. In Orkney (Scotland) at the European Marine Energy Center (EMEC) Tocardo has a license to install the first offshore system with our UFS and to operate on a commercial basis for a period of 20 years.In The Netherlands Tocardo adjusted its installations to sluices, tidal inlets and flood barriers, as at the Afsluitdijk, but also at the Eastern
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
Hydro Group Helps Connect Carbon-free Island
Aberdeen-headquartered subsea cable and connector specialist Hydro Group plc has been awarded a contract with Korea Research of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO), worth in the region of £750,000 ($998,000). Under the contract, Hydro Group delivered subsea cable and connectors to the first phase of KRISO’s floating wind and wave hybrid energy platform, in November 2017. Installation of the first phase will be undertaken this year.Located at Jeju Island in South Korea, the floating platform will be equipped with four offshore wind turbines, one in each corner, and wave energy
NORBIT Establishes Oceans Business Unit
domain.NORBIT Oceans will include the following:•NORBIT Subsea AS, which provides wideband multibeam sonars for hydrographic applications and subsea leakage detection for the oil and gas and maritime industries.•NORBIT Aptomar AS, which provides integrated field monitoring services for the marine and offshore industries. NORBIT acquired the company from a group of venture investors last year.•NORBIT Aqua; a range of specialized solutions for the aquaculture industries, including high power submersible and dimmable multispectral lights for fisheries and cage-based farming.•NORBIT
Van Oord Wins Taiwanese Offshore Wind Contract
Dutch marine contractor Van Oord said on Wednesday it had won a 500 million euros ($579 million) contract to build a 640 megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm in Taiwan.Van Oord will design, manufacture and install the eighty foundations for the wind farm, to be constructed eight kilometres (5 miles) off the coast of Yunlin prefecture.Installation will begin in 2020, Van Oord said, with a capacity of 350 MW connected to the Taiwan power grid that year and the remaining part in 2021.The project is part of the Taiwanese government's plans to install offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 5,500 MW
China to take action against 'uncontrolled' hydro on Yangtze
China's has urged local governments along the Yangtze river to survey the environmental damage done by the "uncontrolled" development of small-scale hydropower, warning that some plants could be closed, according to a government notice on Wednesday.Local authorities have been instructed to conduct a survey into hydropower construction along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, which stretches from Yunnan in the far southwest to Jiangsu and Zhejiang on the eastern coast.Small plants that damage the environment, encroach upon protected areas or violate approval rules could eventually be
JW Fishers Pipe Tracking Made Easy
What do modern day people and ancient Egyptians have in common? You guessed it; underground piping! It has been discovered that the very first metal piping can be traced back thousands of years to copper pipes buried and used by Egyptians to carry wastewater. The first manufactures of modern metal pipes, however, first appeared well over a century ago in Great Britain. No matter what material is used to manufacture buried or undersea piping, keeping track of these complex systems has been a challenge from the very beginning. The Global Positioning System constellation of satellites revolutionized
OSIL Debits Deep Sea Camera System
Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) launched its new expandable Deep Sea Camera System, a pressure activated self-contained system which allows for the integration of additional instrumentation. The system is activated by a pressure switch in the intelligent battery pack which can be programed at the surface to turn the camera on and off at specific depths, preventing users from having to record and review hours of wasted footage, and can also independently or concurrently activate any instrumentation that is connected to it. Data is recorded onto a standard Micro SD memory card. Several hours
F21 Torpedo Launch Test from Nuclear Attack Sub
Naval Group performed a new launch of the F21 torpedo in the frame of the Artémis program led by the French Defence Procurement Agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement -DGA). In the medium term, the DGA aims to equip all the French Navy's submarines with this heavy torpedo. This launch was performed early May from a nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN). The F21 was launched under the authority of the DGA in a DGA Missiles Testing’s underwater acoustic range off the Hyères coast. "This new successful test from a nuclear submarine is part of the F21
Resen Waves Raises $1.3 Mln Capital
Danish renewable energy technology company Resen Waves said it has raised £1 million (roughly $1.3 million) capital through West Hill Capital.The company, which has developed a standalone small-scale wave energy device called the Resen Waves Power Buoy, said the new capital will be used to establish sales and marketing operations in Aberdeen focused on the offshore oil and gas sector as well as to further research and product development in Denmark.Resen Waves founder and CEO, Per Resen Steenstrup, said, “Our initial target market is the $6 billion offshore oil and gas decommissioning
Marine Technology Reporter - May 2018
The May 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter is now available in print and online.This edition includes features on:Subsea residency: robotic systems move closer to living on the seafloorResearch facilities: MTR goes inside Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, where the U.S. Navy tests scale models in big facilities Subsea engineering: powering up the seafloor in an effort to boost oil and gas productionNew tech: the latest from gliders to USBLsResearch vessels...and moreRead more at https://magazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201805/.
Valeport Unveils New Probe
A new probe that combines the power of the SWiFT SVP and a turbidity sensor has been launched by British oceanographic and hydrographic instrument specialist Valeport. The new SWiFTplus uses Valeport’s high accuracy sensor technology which incorporates turbidity observations with sound speed, temperature and pressure sensor technology to also provide computed conductivity, salinity and density. This is coupled with Bluetooth connectivity and a rechargeable battery.The handheld profiler, constructed from Titanium, has been designed from the outset with the intention of a seamless workflow and has
Peruvian Submarines Set to Receive New Static Converters
ECA Group said it has been awarded a contract under the Peruvian Navy’s submarine modernization program.ECA Group signed a contract with the shipyard SIMA and the Peruvian Navy for the replacement of the 16 units of static converters 115V / 400Hz and 115V / 60Hz aboard four type-U209 v.1200 submarines: BAP Angamos (SS 31), BAP Antofagasta (SS 32), BAP Pisagua (SS 33) and BAP Chipana (SS 34).Peru decided to upgrade four of its Type 209 submarines in 2015 and commenced the nearly seven years long modernization program in 2017.The modernization work, which includes hull separation and modernizing
Shipbuilding: Keppel Bags Order for Van Oord Dredgers
Keppel Singmarine Pte won contracts from Van Oord to build two Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (with an option for a third), the shipbuilder announced, scheduled for completion in 4Q 2020 and 2Q 2021 respectively. Built to the standards of Bureau Veritas, Each TSHDs will have a hopper capacity of 10,500 cubic meters, and more importantly for environmental concerts, both will be equipped with dual-fuel systems capable of running on LNG. "We are pleased to work with Keppel on these modern and environmentally-friendly dredgers which will strengthen our mid-class dredger fleet as
Submarine Excursions Now Available in the Maldives
Relax by the pool, sip a cocktail on the beach, explore the marine environment in a submarine . . .Guests at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru are able to go beyond the typical vacation experience with an underwater flight excursion aboard the three-person DeepFlight Super Falcon 3S, a submarine designed specifically for underwater tourism.For $1,500.00 (+12% GST) per flight, a trained submarine pilot will take up to two guests below the surface to explore the beautiful Maldivian waters in DeepFlight Adventures’ newest 8-meter sub. Over the course of an hourlong dive, passengers
Damen Shows New Class of Fish Farm Vessels
Damen has held the first viewing of its UV 4312 Fish Farm Support Vessel. The new class is the result of extensive discussions with the global fish farming industry and the result is a versatile vessel specifically designed to undertake the maintenance and support tasks particular to saltwater fish farms. The open day took place at the group’s headquarters at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem and was held for the benefit of operators from across the global sector. The 43-meter, 499 metric ton GT Utility Vessel (UV) 4312 builds on the development work that went into its smaller predecessor; the
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
McDermott Closing CB&I Deal
;s chief executive officer who this week met with Saudi Aramco executives in Houston, said on Tuesday the kingdom "is going to be a big part of our future. It always will be, for both McDermott and CB&I."Last year, McDermott signed a memorandum of understanding with Aramco for a marine fabrication complex at Ras Al Khair. With the exception of an existing fabrication facility, McDermott's dealings with Aramco are focused so far on offshore, upstream partnerships.The offshore sector was hard hit by the 2014 downturn in global oil prices, and while prices this year have recovered
ROV Roundup: Recent Tech Innovations
stable but maneuverable mini ROV on the market. Since this kit has been in the works since before the BlueROV2 was launched, every ROV in the wild already has the necessary mounting holes for the upgrade. Kits are $599 and are shipping with a two week lead time.(As published in the April 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
Taiwan: The Next Battleground for Offshore Wind
Taiwan is becoming the next battleground for the world's top offshore wind developers as they seek a foothold in Asia for a technology that has been expanding fast in Europe.Taiwan announced results on Monday of its first major offshore wind farm auction that aims to add 3.8 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to its existing network of just 8 megawatts (MW).The island's offshore wind market is expected to expand to 5.5 GW by 2025, and the government aims to invest $23 billion on onshore and offshore wind projects by 2025, law firm Jones Day says.Taiwan is making a big push to attract investments in
Sound Metrics Expands ARIS Product Line
High-resolution, multi-beam imaging sonar manufacturer Sound Metrics launched its latest addition to the ARIS (Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar) product line at Oceanology International in London earlier this year.The new model, known as the ARIS Voyager 3000, is depth rated to 4,000 meters and is currently available with 3.0 MHz and 1.8 MHz operating frequencies.Sound Metrics said the ARIS Voyager 3000 offers a sleek titanium design and delivers on what many customers have been asking for: the same high-resolution sonar imagery of an ARIS, but in a deep rated system.“We actually sold two
First Johan Sverdrup Topside Installed
set sail towards Norway. Three weeks later, the third and final main module followed suit on the Dockwise Mighty Servant 3. Once the vessels had safely arrived at the destination in the North Sea, all the pieces of the platform puzzle were lifted in place by the heavy-lift vessel Thialf of Heerema Marine Contractors. Ståle Nordal, Statoil’s project manager for the riser platform, is very pleased to see the platform fully assembled at the Johan Sverdrup field. The construction has been a success in terms of time, cost and quality, but also in terms of safety. All in all, the construction
Why Do Some Hurricanes Rapidly Intensify?
Why do some hurricanes rapidly intensify while others don’t? A recent study modeled a 2014 hurricane to find out.To understand what fuels the rapid intensification of hurricanes, researchers from NOAA and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) based at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science used the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecast (HWRF) model, a predictive hurricane model that lets them use different measurements to run diverse storm scenarios, known as an ensemble, to get an idea of the different forecasts that are
PDI to Supply Centerboard for OSU's New Research Vessel
(NSF).These state-of-the-art 193-foot ships will be highly flexible, multimission platforms that maximize energy efficient design concepts. The first vessel will be built in Houma, La., and will be delivered to OSU in the fourth quarter of 2020. This vessel will be ABS Ice-Class C0 and DPS-1, Green-Marine Certified, acoustically quiet, and carry up to 29 crew and embarked scientists.The first RCRV will be operated by OSU on the West Coast as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS).The RCRV will feature a deployable centerboard, designed and manufactured by PDI that
GE to Trial World’s Largest Wind Turbine in UK
U.S. conglomerate General Electric will test the world's largest wind turbine in a facility in northeast England, it said on Tuesday. GE Renewable Energy, the renewable arm of the U.S. firm, and the British government-funded Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult signed a five-year agreement to test GE's Haliade-X 12 megawatt (MW) turbine in Blyth, Northumberland. "This is an important agreement because it will enable us to prove Haliade-X in a faster way by putting it under controlled and extreme conditions," John Lavelle, president & CEO of GE's Offshore Wind business
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
All Turbines Linked to Grid at Rampion Offshore Wind Farm
All 116 turbines at top German utility E.ON's Rampion offshore wind farm in Britain are now able to generate electricity and are delivering power to the grid, the company said on Tuesday.The 400-megawatt project is being built off the coast of Sussex in southeast England by E.ON, UK Green Investment Rampion Ltd and Canadian energy infrastructure company Enbridge."Over the coming months work will continue both on and offshore, to prepare the site for full operation later this year," E.ON said in a statement.The farm will generate electricity to supply 347,000 homes, equivalent to around
Partners Aim to Improve Riser Performance and Efficiency
Trelleborg said its offshore operation has signed a supply and license agreement with Reel Power Oil and Gas to collaboratively develop and market a new Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) suppression system aimed at improving riser performance and efficiency in demanding offshore environments.“We strive to push the limits of the oil and gas industry to improve the performance and competitiveness of our customers. This new solution provides us with the opportunity to work with Reel Power to help them commercialize this technology and allows us to add this superior solution to our portfolio,”
SMD to Supply Work Class ROV to China
Subsea equipment design and manufacturer Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD) has signed a contract to supply its Atom Mk1 1000m 100hp Work Class Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) system to Chinese power specialist China Southern Power Extra High Voltage Power Transmission Company (EHV, CSG), a subsidiary of the state-owned China Southern Power Grid (CSG). The ROV will be used for inspection of the 31km physical power cable connections in the Qiongzhou Strait between Hainan Island and mainland China. The Qiongzhou strait often experiences high currents so it was essential that CSG chose
Maersk Establishes Decomissioning Company
executing the full scope of decommissioning services for the Janice, James and Leadon subsea fields in the UK North Sea for the operator - former Maersk Oil, now Total. While Maersk Drilling did the plug and abandonment (P&A) for the James and Leadon wells, Maersk Supply Service provided the marine asset coverage on all three subsea fields and took on the responsibility for the engineering, subcontractor management, offshore planning, interface management and associated logistics, as well as the disposal of recovered facilities from the seabed through management of waste disposal contractors
Aquaterra Energy Installs First CSP Platform for Offshore Trinidad and Tobago
Aquaterra Energy, a global offshore engineering solutions provider, has announced it has completed the delivery of a Sea Swift conductor supported platform (CSP) for DeNovo Energy in the Gulf of Paria, offshore Trinidad and Tobago. This is the first platform of its kind to be installed in the country, and was completed in just ten months. Located in the Iguana field, the Sea Swift was installed from a jack-up rig in 27 meters water depth, accommodating up to four wells and includes local power generation, manifolds and a control system. To meet the tight delivery timetable, the design phase
Riptide Displays Deep-rated UUV at Sea-Air-Space
During Sea-Air-Space in National Harbor, Md., Riptide Autonomous Solutions displayed a new variant of its unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) product line. This particular vehicle is a deep-rated version to support acoustic telemetry research programs. The deep UUV is rated for 1,500 meters depth but still only 7.5 inches in diameter. Its payloads include CTD, acoustic modem and a custom towed acoustic receiver array. With industry leading low power hotel load this system can still deliver over 48 hours of endurance for field testing. Dan Lawrence, leading the effort for Riptide, noted, “The
