Power Supply

Seabed Geosolutions Wins Brazil Survey Work

Fugro said its joint venture with CGG has secured a contract from Petrobras for a 3D ocean bottom node (OBN) survey in the Brazilian Santos Basin.   The seven month contract awarded to the survey firms’ joint venture Seabed Geosolutions is valued at around $90 million and is scheduled to commence at the end of the fourth quarter of 2017 or early 2018, Fugro said.   According to Seabed Geosolutions CEO, Stephan Midenet, the OBN survey is the “industry’s largest ever” and will span more than 1,600 square kilometers.    Midenet added that Seabed Geosolution

New Tide Gauge, Water Temperature Monitoring Network in UAE

A three year project to design, install and deliver a fully operational network of 34 water level and temperature monitoring stations for Bayanat LLC in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been completed by OceanWise working with its licensed partner, Seatronics, an Acteon company,   The stations are positioned at strategic locations within UAE from the Western Region to the border with Oman, a distance of over 400 km.   Water level is being measured using Valeport VRS-20 Radars with water temperature being measured using PT100 sensors from General Acoustics. All equipment is solar

Briggs Marine Strengthens Subsea Offering

U.K. marine contractor Briggs Marine said it has invested more than £1 million into its subsea services division over recent months.   The company has enhanced its subsea cable repair and installation capabilities with the addition of two new 15Te tracked cable tensioners to its existing cable handling equipment portfolio. The tensioners were employed immediately in the renewable energy sector to deliver power to cable installation operations for Briggs’ subsea services division.   Briggs has also invested in two cable storage tanks, extending its Burntisland-based cable depot

Aker Solutions to Supply Umbilicals for Coral South FLNG

Aker Solutions was awarded a contract to deliver three umbilicals and associated equipment at ENI's Coral South project, Mozambique's first offshore field development. The work scope includes three steel tube umbilicals that will total more than 19 kilometers in length and connect the Coral South floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility to the field's subsea production system. The umbilicals will be manufactured at Aker Solutions' plant in Moss, Norway, and are scheduled for delivery at the end of 2019. Discovered in 2012, the Coral South development is the first energy project offshore

Statoil Decision on Castberg Field in late 2017

Plans final investment decision regarding the Arctic Johan Castberg oilfield to be made towards end of 2017   * In January Statoil said Castberg decision would come during the second half of 2017   * Investment seen at NOK 49 billion ($5.78 billion) between 2017 and 2024   * Field size estimated at 450-650 mln barrels of oil equivalent   * Says Castberg operation will be supported by a supply and helicopter base in Hammerfest and an operations organisation in Harstad   * Says recruitment of offshore personnel from Finnmark county is also prioritised   *

New Heavyweight Torpedo Enters Final Development

A new torpedo design being developed under the Artémis program, which aims to equip all French Navy nuclear submarines with new high-performance heavyweight torpedoes, has propelled into its final development phase with the recent completion of a successful round of test firing off the Mediterranean coast.   The F21 torpedo is being developed by European naval defense and marine renewable energies technology company DCNS, who performed the qualification firing in a secured maritime area under the authority of program leader Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA)

Tech File: The Apium Data Diver

made possible by the motor technology developed and supplied by Blue Robotics. Additionally, the vehicles use a wireless inductive charging system provided by WiBotic that lets them charge at a rate of 50 watts. The advent of such inexpensive and capable technologies is fostering a revolution in low cost marine systems. As the company continues to refine its prototype for commercial usage, Apium said it is open to considering application ideas and associated requirements. Partnering for system use-case demonstrations is also possible. Additionally, Apium’s work on swarm control is available for licensing

Canyon Offshore Wins Wind Farm Trenching Work

Aberdeen based trenching solutions provider Canyon Offshore Limited said it has been awarded a contract by Siem Offshore Contractors to provide trenching services on DONG Energy’s Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm Project One.   In November 2016, and building further upon the recent establishment of its U.K. office in Aberdeen, Siem Offshore Contractors was awarded a contract for the installation of the inner-array grid cable system for the Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm Project One by DONG Energy Wind Power A/S.   Canyon Offshore’s award will require the trenching of approximately

OSIL Delivers Ocean Observation Buoy in Chile

in the region of Los Lagos,” is intended to detect early warning signs of harmful environmental changes such as red tides, algae bloom, fish mortality, volcanic eruptions and extreme weather events, and the data gathered will also serve as a reference for all stakeholders in Los Lagos’ marine ecosystem. The system was supplied locally through Casco Antiguo

L3 to Equip Egyptian Minehunting Vssels

L3 Maritime Systems said it has received an $11 million contract from VSE Corporation to upgrade the Machinery Control Systems (MCS) on two minehunting ships for the Egyptian Navy. These ships were formerly U.S. Navy Osprey-class vessels, and L3 supplied the legacy control systems.   L3 Maritime Systems’ MCS solutions provide advanced automation and control of the ships’ propulsion, electrical, ventilation and other systems. They will be implemented using ruggedized industrial control system equipment to enhance supportability by the Egyptian Navy.   Robert Gaylord, president

L3 Acquires Open Water Power, Inc.

L3 Technologies has acquired Open Water Power, Inc., the Somerville, Mass. based developer of high-energy-density undersea power generation technologies for use by unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) and other maritime platforms.   The business will be renamed L3 Open Water Power and will be integrated into L3’s Sensor Systems business segment.   “The acquisition of Open Water Power aligns with L3’s disciplined growth strategy by adding an important new technology to our portfolio in the growing UUV market,” said Michael T. Strianese, L3’s chairman and chief

US Awards $12 Mln for Wave Energy Projects

Up to $12 million has been awarded by the U.S. Energy Department for four West Coast projects that will aim to develop new technologies for harnessing marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) energy from the nation's oceans and rivers as a means to generate reliable and cost-effective electricity.   Two of the projects will test and validate wave energy converter (WEC) prototypes in open water, demonstrating wave energy's potential to compete with other forms of energy in the longer term, while the other two projects will address early-stage MHK technology development challenges.     “Rese

Aquaterra Wins North Sea Contract

Aquaterra Energy won a  contract to supply subsea high pressure riser (HPR) equipment and services for a subsea abandonment project in the central North Sea.   The multi-million dollar deal will see Aquaterra facilitate the abandonment of ten subsea wells via deployment of a subsea HPR system from a jack-up rig. The scope of work could be extended to include two further subsea wells bringing the total number of abandonments to 12.   Riser analysis was completed in-house by Aquaterra and validated by Bureau Veritas. It has confirmed a 50-year return storm operating envelope after HPR

BIRNS Grows Its Sales Team

Manufacturer of ISO 9001:2008, NAVSEA PRO-020-certifed lighting and connector systems BIRNS, Inc. has expanded its sales team with the appointments of Alan Whitebook and Jenny Ong.   As sales Applications Engineer, Whitebook will be responsible for the active sale of the company’s advanced deep submergence connectors and cable assemblies (electrical, coaxial, optical, electro-optical and electro-opto-mechanical) to worldwide users, comprising a combination of new prospects and existing customers. Whitebook brings more than 20 years of sales and design of military, aerospace and commercial

Calibration Innovation: New Tensioner Test Rig

HTL Group informs it has designed a new tensioner test rig which allows bolt tensioners to be pressure tested in a manner that saves test time and money.   The new design allows the load cell only to be tested quickly and safely avoiding the necessity to fit the bridge and screw on the puller, reducing test time. Titled as the Premier Plus Range, and finished in a durable blue powder coating with lockable castors ensures the range further promotes operator safety by guaranteeing easy mobility. In addition, the OEM has also designed each rig to come supplied with all the features necessary to

Virginia-Class Submarine Indiana Launched

The Virginia-class submarine Indiana (SSN 789) was launched into the James River at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division, the shipbuilder announced. The boat was moved to the shipyard’s submarine pier for final outfitting, testing and crew certification.   “Launch is a true testament to our shipbuilders’ roughly four years of hard work,” said Matt Needy, Newport News’ vice president of submarines and fleet support. “Over the next several months, we will work closely with the Indiana crew to bring this great ship to life.

Statoil Eyes Japan, US for Floating Wind Projects

Norwegian oil company Statoil is targeting Japan and the U.S. states of California and Hawaii to expand its floating offshore wind turbine business, the head of its New Energy Solutions business told Reuters.   Statoil will later this year open the world's first floating wind turbine park off the coast of Scotland, a technology that allows wind energy to be harnessed further out at sea where wind speeds are typically higher.   Statoil's floating wind turbines are anchored in place, unlike other offshore turbines which need to be tethered to a permanent foundation on the seabed that is

Drilling Rig in Norway Gets All its Power from Land to Cut Emissions

An offshore drilling rig hired by Norwegian oil and gas producer Aker BP is getting all its power from electricity produced onshore, the firm said on Thursday, in a move that cuts carbon emissions and could be a world first. The Maersk Invincible rig, which is operating at the Valhall field in the North Sea, is connected with a 500-metre long cable to the field's Valhall platform which is in turn powered by a 294-kilometre long subsea cable linked to Norway's shore. "To our knowledge, this is the first one," said a company spokesman, citing data provided by the rig's owner, Denmark's

Kraken Wins Repeat AquaPix Contract

Kraken Sonar Inc. said its wholly-owned subsidiary Kraken Sonar Systems Inc. has been awarded a repeat contract valued at over C$400,000 (US$296,000) by a leading European defense contractor. Kraken will supply and integrate its AquaPix Miniature Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar and Real-Time SAS Signal Processor on the customer’s autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Delivery is expected in Q3, 2017.   AquaPix is designed for operation on AUVs, manned and unmanned surface vessels and towed platforms. The modular system uses the latest electronics, transducer arrays and signal

Sea Swift: New Platform Operational in Egypt

Global offshore engineering solutions provider Aquaterra Energy has designed, fabricated and installed a new Sea Swift platform for PICO Petroleum Integrated Services, the lead contractor for Amal Petroleum Company’s (AMAPETCO) Amal field in the Gulf of Suez, offshore Egypt. The Sea Swift is a Conductor Supported Platform (CSP) and is installed in 23 meters water depth. It included a 385 metric ton topside featuring a helideck and emergency accommodation with provision for six wells. The new topsides facility for the Amal-C platform involved designing process, piping, electrical

Proserv Opening New Subsea Tech Center

Energy services company Proserv informs it is investing in a new purpose-built technology center for subsea controls and communications in Great Yarmouth.   The move will see around 190 employees consolidate from two sites in the area into the new 65,000 sq ft Beacon Park site in Gorleston-on-Sea which will feature modern office, manufacturing and yard space and provides the flexibility to add a further 20,000 sq ft of workshop capacity.    Construction will commence next month with the building expected to be completed during March 2018.   David Lamont, Proserv CEO, said

Submersible, Magnetic Robot Performs Hull Inspections

, designed and built by Deep Trekker, is submersible to 50 meters, and houses its own onboard batteries, making deployment easy and quick for tasks such as contraband inspections and testing hull integrity or thickness. Magnetic wheels and various add-ons permit diverse applications such as scraping away marine growth or power washing the hull or examining for invasive species while in port. The Utility Crawler has both military and municipality applications as well.     Hull Inspection With magnetic wheels, the DT640 Utility MagCrawler can crawl along vertical angles to inspect the integrity

First Steel Cut for Australia's New Polar Research Ship

Marking the commencement of construction of the Damen Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV), a steel cutting ceremony has been held at Damen Shipyards Galati, Romania. Damen is constructing the ASRV for Serco Defence, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serco Australia who, in turn, signed a contract with the Australian Government last year for the delivery, operation and maintenance of the vessel.   “Cutting the first steel for any vessel is always significant. However, the fact that the ASRV is such a ground-breaker makes this a very exciting moment,” said Damen Project Director Joop

New Rescue Vessel Decked out with High-tech Equipment

 Complete multibeam echo-sounder system and high-speed winch supplied, installed and set to work by MacArtney’s French subsidiary.   A newly built state-of-the-art rescue vessel Sirius operated by VLOOT dab is 45 m long, almost 11 m wide and can reach a speed of 13 knots. Sirius, which has been designed for combating disasters at sea, required a range of high-tech equipment.    The scope of supply for Sirius includes a multibeam echo sounder system comprising a high-resolution multibeam echo sounder, Kongsberg EM 2040 Dual RX, which is a wide band HD shallow water multi-bea

Valeport: Tide Gauge Sales on the Rise

Valeport has reported a surge in sales of tide gauge equipment in its most recent quarter.   The U.K. manufacturer of oceanographic, hydrographic and hydrometric instrumentation said that sales of tide gauge equipment rose 22 percent over the same period in 2016, reporting that sales across its portfolio of tide gauge instrumentation including TideMasters, Radar sensors and the TideStation are significantly ahead of forecast.   Valeport’s tidal observation hub, TideStation, optimizes performance of instrumentation and is designed to be flexible in its configuration and has Valeport&r

Collaborators Aim to Optimize ROV Operations

Two Norwegian companies have embarked on development and testing of a new underwater power and data connection system that will reduce cost and improve efficiency of vessel-based offshore remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations.   Integrated subsea services provider DOF Subsea and subsea solutions company WiSub have begun cooperation on the development and testing of WiSub’s pinless connection systems in an international initiative to set a new standard in subsea connection.   WiSub patented pinless connection systems deliver power and data electromagnetically across a seawater

USV Deployed for 22 Days in South China Sea

sailed with just over 6,000 liters of diesel and returned to its Singapore home port with 2,800 liters remaining.   The endurance test validated the fuel efficiency of the vessel which is built using Arovex, giving it a hull that is strong but lightweight. Powered by twin Yanmar 480-horsepower marine diesel engines, the test also validated the robustness of the vessel’s mechanical and electronic systems.    “This endurance test is a major capability demonstration of the IUSV,” said James Soon, president of Zycraft. “It showed that the IUSV can be effectively

RRS Sir David Attenborough: Construction Progressing

30 crew and 60 research staff.    When the ship sets sail in 2019, the RRS Sir David Attenborough will provide a research base to help scientists tackle some of the most important issues facing humanity, including climate change, future sea level rise and the impact of environmental change on marine life.   With state-of-the-art facilities on board, the new ship will enable more ambitious expeditions and deploy advanced marine robotics to explore inaccessible areas.    At £200 million this is the biggest Government investment in Antarctic and Arctic science infrastructure

Tech File: Kongsberg’s Compact Survey Vessel

GeoSwath 4R system is pre-calibrated so that the survey operation can commence immediately on arrival, and no time is wasted running additional survey lines.    Its shallow draft, high top speed and maneuverability combined with the stability of a catamaran hull make it ideal for use in both marine surveys and on canals, river and lakes. The ability to steer tight survey grids makes it a fast and accurate addition to the surveyor’s portfolio.   The new GeoSwath 4R system offers unsurpassed productivity in shallow waters with at least 12x water depth coverage right up to the waterline

Noble Drillship Gets a DP Upgrade

Offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation plc has selected acoustically-aided inertial navigation technology from Sonardyne Inc., Houston, for its ultra-deep water drillship Noble Globetrotter I. The Marksman DP-INS system is being used to provide a high integrity, independent subsea position reference for the vessel’s GE DP3 dynamic positioning (DP) system as it drills exploration wells in water depths up to 10,000 feet.   Built in 2011, the Noble Globetrotter I is significantly smaller than a conventional drillship but has the same operational capacity. The reduction in size has

'Above-normal' Hurricane Season Forecasted

U.S. weather forecasters on Thursday predicted more tropical storms in 2017 than normal for the Atlantic hurricane season, which last year brought one of the deadliest recorded storm systems that killed several hundred people.   Meteorologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center said there was a 70 percent chance of seeing between 11 and 17 named tropical storms this season, which begins on June 1 and runs for six months.   "There is a potential for a lot of storm activity this year," Ben Friedman, acting NOAA administrator

2G Robotics to Aid Mine Countermeasure Ops

2G Robotics said it has been selected to supply AUV-based laser scanning, stills imaging and illumination solutions for HUGIN AUVs to be delivered to the Royal Norwegian Navy as part of a mine countermeasure project.   The dynamic underwater laser scanning solution will be integrated into four HUGIN AUV systems to be delved by Kongsberg Maritime to the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency (NDMA), and will assist with the detection, classification and assessment of mines by combining industry-leading accuracy with real-time data acquisition.   2G Robotics will supply the following:

ACE Winch Solution for DolWin Topside Float-over

CEO Alfie Cheyne said, “ACE Winches was delighted to secure a six-figure contract for the DolWin jacket installation and float-over, and having an opportunity to supply a complex winch solution for this large project.  With over 25 years-experience designing and manufacturing specialized marine deck machinery, the company was able to supply the exact solution to the project.”   The specialized equipment was supplied directly from the company’s rental fleet, all of which is designed, engineered and manufactured at the company’s global headquarters in Scotland

Deep-sea LED Strobe Uses High-potential Driver

The Dragonfish deep-sea LED strobe light was designed by Arctic Rays, LLC for imaging applications on AUVs and other underwater vehicles or platforms. Currently in use o AUVs such as the Remus 100, 600 and 6000, Dragonfish LED strobe lights offer compact size, high brightness (30,000 lumens at 5ms, 42,000 lumens at 200µs) and low current draw (550 mA at 24Vdc), suited for AUV-based still photography, where payload size and power budget are critical. Drive electronics, thermal protection and intelligent microprocessor control are integral in the Dragonfish’s small 1ATM, 6,000m-rated

New Split Hoist System from Bosch Rexroth

 A new ‘split hoist’ heave compensation system from Bosch Rexroth combines active and passive heave compensation (AHC and PHC) elements with a sophisticated control system to enable AHC functionality to be added to new and existing hoisting installations. Using a modular and mobile design, the new split hoist system is especially interesting for use with existing multi-part reeved hoisting equipment.   The new split hoist heave compensation system supports a much higher working load, while also improving system efficiency by as much as 80 percent, according to the manufacturer.

Innovative Subsea Crane Ordered for RSV Conversion

 Brazilian ship owning company CBO’s vessel CBO Manoella is currently being retrofitted from an offshore platform supply vessel (PSV) into a ROV Support Vessel (RSV).   As part of the conversion project, CBO has assigned Rolls-Royce to equip the vessel with a new patented hybrid dual draglink (DDC) subsea crane, marking the first installation of a subsea crane designed to be able to use either fiber or steel wire rope.   Marcelo Martins, CBO, Technical Director said, “This is one of two vessels CBO is now retrofitting from PSVs to RSVs, and we are very satisfied about

RV Sally Ride Enters Dry Dock for Maintenance

The Sally Ride, a Neil Armstrong Class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessel, dry docked at Bay Ship and Yacht on April 15, 2017, to carry out modifications to superstructure and to perform general vessel maintenance. Named for the late astronaut Sally Ride, the ship is 238 feet long and incorporates the latest technologies, including high-efficiency diesel engines, emissions controls for stack gases, and new information technology tools both for monitoring shipboard systems and for communicating with the world. It will serve to provide scientists with the tools and capabilities

Kraken Invests in German Subsea Components Firm

Kraken Sonar Inc. said it has acquired a minority interest in ENITECH Subsea GmbH, renamed Kraken Power GmbH, a provider of specialized deep sea components for underwater robotics based in Rostock, Germany.   Kraken Power GmbH, led by Dr. Carl Thiede, has been working on pressure tolerant technology and products for the subsea market for the past 10 years and is a specialist in deep-sea components for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Pressure tolerant components are electronic components or assemblies that can operate satisfactorily under high pressure

Sulzer: Total Supply Service for ROV Manufacturer

Manufacturing a hydraulic power unit (HPU) that is destined to operate on the ocean floor up to depths of 2,500 meters requires considerable expertise and design excellence in order to deliver reliable and sustained performance. Having provided the build and test service for some time, Sulzer has now taken on the procurement phase of the process to release the client from this time intensive task.   The design and construction of remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) is a specialist field and the components used to create the HPUs need to be carefully selected in order to produce a

Sonardyne Navigation Chosen for Thai AUV Program

A new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) being developed by a joint-research program between PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) and Kasetsart University (KU), Bangkok, Thailand will feature marine robotics navigation technology supplied by Sonardyne Asia Pte. Ltd, of Singapore.   The order for Sonardyne’s SPRINT inertial navigation system (INS) and Syrinx Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) was placed by the PTTEP-KU and will be integrated on a 4,000 meter rated, long endurance AUV being built for applications including pipeline maintenance and oil-spill detection.

Topaz Resolve Goes to Work in the Mediterranean

International offshore support vessel company Topaz Energy and Marine said its multipurpose supply vessel (MPSV) Topaz Resolve has commenced a charter in support of geophysical and geotechnical survey operations in the Mediterranean Sea for a European oil major.  Topaz Resolve is operating from Limassol, Cyprus for an initial period of one month. The vessel is a multi-functional ROV, dive and survey vessel and is equipped for deep and shallow water operations, in DP2 or by 4-point mooring. The 50m vessel, which was built in late 2015, is equipped with a 25 metric ton offshore subsea crane.

Eoltech Wins Repeat Contracts

Wind energy consulting firm Eoltech announced that it won contracts from major French customers to deploy IREC-Index. With this advanced multi-source wind energy index, Eoltech will aim to refine the monitoring of 24 wind farms in France, representing a total output of 500MW. IREC-Index will enable Eoltech’s clients to check the consistency of their fleet’s output against the available wind resource to detect potential turbine performance discrepancies.   The specificity of IREC-Index is to be based on the selection and combination of several data sources that are both

Shepherd Joins Bibby Offshore's Renewables Team

and supporting infrastructure.   In her new role, Shepherd will be instrumental in the delivery of new business in the renewables sector. The position includes supporting existing business development and tendering efforts, while collaborating with Bibby Offshore’s sister companies Bibby Marine Services, which offer SOV and Walk to Work vessels and Bibby HydroMap, which offer a range of seabed survey services. The appointment follows the formation of Bibby Offshore’s new business optimization team, led by Graeme Wood, as part of the company’s strategic growth strategy. The

Nautisk, MarineMTS to Provide ENC Auto-Updates

 Global maritime software solutions provider Nautisk has announced that it is working with MarineMTS to provide automatic ENC updates to vessels sailing with ECDIS.   Nautisk’s new Head of Innovation and Product Development Kjetil Bentsen said: “We approached MarineMTS to work with us to develop a service that would facilitate automatic updates of ENCs onboard vessels sailing global routes.”   “The solution that we are launching is revolutionary as it is non type-specific, meaning that it will work with ANY existing ECDIS and through any communication channel.

Engineers Aid UK Subsea Diversification Drive

Two engineers from Wood Group have supported the National Subsea Research Initiative (NSRI) in its drive to speed up the development and implementation of near to market technologies in the subsea sector.   Jamie McCallum and Christer Fjellroth, who are both working toward becoming Chartered Engineers, beat off competition from a number of hopefuls who applied to join NSRI on a one year secondment last year.   Over the past 12 months, McCallum and Fjellroth have carried out a number of engineering studies in a bid to widen the remit of NSRI’s initial oil and gas focus. McCallum was

Energy Island: Europeans Mull North Sea Hub

A plan set in motion by three European transmission system operators (TSO) aims to develop mammoth offshore wind farm infrastructure in the North Sea supported by at least one manmade island.   First unveiled in June 2016, plans for the North Sea Wind Power Hub project will now press ahead to develop a large offshore renewable European electricity system following the signing of a trilateral agreement by TenneT TSO B.V. (Netherlands), Energinet.dk (Denmark) and TenneT TSO GmbH (Germany) in Brussels on March 23, 2017.   Central to the plan is the construction of one or more islands in the

IKM Reports Progress at Snorre B and Visund

IKM Subsea was awarded a ROV services contract for the fields Visund and Snorre B in the North Sea last August.    The contract provides for the testing and installation of an electrical, permanently seabed installed RROV (Residential - ROV). The system will interface with IKMS’s Onshore Control Center via Tampnet, a dedicated fiber-based network system for the platforms in question. The systems are equally design to operate on the 4G mobile broadband system.   “We are proud that Statoil has given IKM the thrust and opportunity to deliver ROV service in the form of an

Open-source Software for Environmental Science Community

Innovative data visualization software developed by Cohort company SEA is available as open-source for the environmental data science community.   The software, developed by SEA’s Research and Technical Support (RTS) division, enables users to easily access environmental data from servers over the Internet and view it in a variety of different ways.  The highly interactive data viewing enables rapid analysis and understanding of the features of complex, high dimensionality data.   RTS has used it for analyzing oceanographic data variability in order to better understand

NKT Names New Cable-laying Vessel NKT Victoria

The new NKT cable-laying vessel was named NKT Victoria at a ceremony at the power cable plant in Karlskrona, Sweden. The act was carried out by the regional Governor of Blekinge and marks the starting point of a new era of NKT turnkey high-voltage offshore cable system capabilities.   NKT took delivery of the new vessel on April 10, 2017. NKT Victoria lays high-voltage offshore cables with high precision based on e.g. DP3 (Dynamic Positioning) capability and a remotely operated vehicle using cameras and sonar. If not incorporated in the power cable itself, fiber optic cables for monitoring

Germany Chooses Kongsberg Research Ship Concept

the first newbuild to use Kongsberg’s Integrated Vessel Concept for research vessels, Atair II will become one of the most sophisticated ships in the world. In parallel to the high levels of integration, Atair II features DNV-GL SILENT class notation – SILENT R, ensuring minimal impact on the marine environment and optimum conditions for scientific work aboard. Atair II also meets the strictest standards for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions according to International Maritime Organisation (IMO Tier III) requirements and US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA Tier IV) soot particle emissions

New Slocum Glider Delivered to UC Davis

 Teledyne Webb Research said it has recently sold and delivered a Slocum Glider to The University of California, Davis.   After its maiden flight in Antarctica, where the vehicle was initially used to examine physical processes of ice shelves in the Western Ross Sea, the glider has now been delivered to Davis where plans are underway for its new deployment in Lake Tahoe.   The glider shipped to UC Davis is equipped with a Seabird SBE pumped CTD, Wetlabs FLBBCD sensor and two customer supplied sensors including an Aanderraa oxygen optode and a sonotronics fish pinger.   The

TE Debuts New Wet-mate Connector

construction with 4, 7 or 12 electrical circuits enables many configurations for use in electrical, signal and distribution networks in subsea control systems.    TE’s HydraElectric connector supports upcoming industry standards for subsea control system power distribution. Rugged marine systems require connectors with high speed communication capabilities and the ability to manage a range of operating currents. Qualified for both 1500 VDC and 1000 VAC pin to pin, the HydraElectric connector enables copper-based high speed Ethernet and supports the industry standards for Ethernet

BMT Takes New Approach to Big Data Management

BMT Group subsidiary BMT Scientific Marine Services has launched an initiative driven by over 20 years’ experience of measuring and modeling data for the global oil and gas industry.   The solution, Data Exploration and Analytics Platform for Actionable Insights (DEAP-AI), is an intelligent studio capable of processing large and small datasets using a rich set of processing libraries, developed with support from IT company Capgemini and hosted by an cloud service provider Amazon Web Services (AWS).   “Our goal with this platform is to unify data acquisition, transmission

Voices: Sean Halpin

Bay, Maine with an old EG&G 272 sidescan sonar. The weather was awful, the boat stunk, and I ran the towfish into the seabed, but I absolutely loved it! I knew then that I wanted to work on, in, or near the ocean for the rest of my life. I went to sea for about eight years as a hydrographer and a marine geoscientist for a defense contractor and oil and gas companies. During this time, I was exposed to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) as a tool for deep-water mapping. Just prior to joining the Liquid Robotics, I was the Global AUV Manager for DOF Subsea and was responsible for spear heading

Cable Repair Restores Power Scilly to Islanders

CWind’s specialist cable installation vessel, the C.S. Sovereign, has completed a power cable repair to reconnect the Isles of Scilly to mainland electricity.   The power cable was damaged late February by an anchor, a common occurrence with telecommunications and power cables. The C.S. Sovereign, along with her crew of cable engineers and specialist cable equipment and machinery, was contracted for the repair and rapidly mobilized.   Using remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) deployed from the back deck of the C.S. Sovereign, the vessel and technical team onboard surveyed

CS Unitec Introduces Portable Hydraulic Magnetic Drill

CS Unitec has introduced a new portable hydraulic magnetic drill ideal for use in subsea applications and Ex Zones. With its 3.4 HP reversible motor, Model 2 1345 0010 produces an infinitely variable speed of 40-250 RPM. This machine has a 12” stroke and can drill holes up to 4” diameter in structural steel and other metals. The drill has a Morse Taper 3 (MT3) chuck, allowing twist drilling up to 1-1/4” dia., tapping up to 1” dia., countersinking up to 2” dia. and reaming up to 1-1/8” dia.  Model 2 1345 0010 is ATEX Classified Ex II 2Gc IIB T5 for use in

BOURBON to Install Mooring for Floating Wind Turbine

French offshore marine services company BOURBON said it has been awarded a contract for the mooring installation of the first floating wind turbine in France at the experimental test site of SEM-REV managed by Ecole Centrale de Nantes (ECN), in the context of European project FLOATGEN.   The mooring installation will take place during summer 2017 based on a method jointly established by BOURBON and Ideol’s engineering teams in collaboration with the Ecole Centrale de Nantes. The wind turbine will be installed at the SEM-REV site near Le Croisic, France, by the end of the year. BOURBON&rsquo

SensorTech Debuts New Piezoelectric Material

Sensor Technology Ltd. (SensorTech) has recently released BM402, a new Navy Type I (PZT-4) piezoelectric material specifically formulated as a replacement for Channelite-5400, an industry leading material for more than 50 years that has become difficult to obtain in recent months.   “Being able to provide a material that so closely matches the legendary Channelite-5400 is something that we’re quite proud of,” said Niru Somayajula, company President and CEO. “Channelite-5400 is a high quality Navy Type I ceramic with outstanding performance. The bar was set very high.

Firmware Updates for NOVATECH iBCN (Iridium Beacon)

MetOcean Telematics has released a new firmware update adding new capabilities to the iBCN (Iridium Beacon).   The firmware updates build upon the iBCN’s power efficiency and ability to be reconfigured via over the air commands. The update contains numerous improvements based on suggestions and feedback received from iBCN users. These include GPS status check, power up quick reports, transmission of current GPS location, LiNC integration and message format.   GPS Status Check — Allows the beacon to use GPS satellites as a method to recognize it has surfaced. With this feature

Ocean Power Technologies Relocates HQ

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (OPT) has announced plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and manufacturing center to support increased operational needs and allow for projected growth over the next several years.   OPT’s new, larger facility in Monroe, N.J. will offer approximately 56,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space, nearly doubling the size of its current facility in Pennington, N.J.    OPT manufactures the PowerBuoy, which uses ocean waves to provide electric power and communications for offshore applications.   “Our ability to deliver