GTI to Supply Low Frequency Sources to Scripps
GeoSpectrum Technologies (GTI) announces it will supply the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of California San Diego) with two “C-BASS” low frequency sources.This new technology will allow researchers to conduct low frequency acoustic experiments more efficiently and less expensively than previously possible, GTI said. A successful field trial at Seneca Lake last December caught the attention of Scripps, resulting in the purchase.The fully coherent C-BASS are tuned to operate at 34 Hz and are capable of continuous operation. The energy efficient sources are physically
Kongsberg to Equip New Heavy Lift Crane Vessel
Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract worth approximately $13 million to equip a new heavy lift crane vessel for Offshore Heavy Transport (OHT) with an innovative technology suite. The vessel, a customized Ulstein Design & Solutions BV design, marks the entry of the Norway-based Offshore Heavy Transport (OHT) into the offshore renewables and installation market. Options exist for a further three vessels, but the first is currently under construction by China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) and is scheduled to enter service in 2021.The 216.3m, 48,000 dwt vessel has been designed with
Marine Survey Work Starts for Greenlink Interconnector
the launch of the first of MMT’s survey vessels, MV Franklin.The offshore and nearshore surveying along the proposed route of the electricity link between the UK and Ireland is expected to take approximately 40 days, depending on weather conditions. MMT were awarded the contract for the Greenlink Marine Survey (GMS) by Greenlink Interconnector Ltd in August.Further survey work along the 170km marine route will be undertaken by vessels MV Seabeam, MV Edda Fonn and RED7 Jack-up rig Seariser 2. The survey area is between Freshwater West, Pembroke, Wales and Baginbun, Co Wexford, Ireland. A Notice
Wave and Tidal Challenges and Opportunities
opportunities the sectors present. “I welcome this report which further highlights the enormous potential of our wave and tidal energy industries,” he said.“With our supportive policy environment, skilled supply chain and expertise in energy innovation, Scotland is the natural home for marine energy development and well placed to benefit from the enormous global market for wave and tidal energy.“The Scottish Government continues to support the research, development, innovation and demonstration that will maintain Scotland's competitive advantage, and is committed to working
Arkona Offshore Wind Farm Comes Online
and safe transformer platform. This is another important step for the development of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea", said Frank Golletz CTO of 50Hertz.Equinor has contributed actively in the development of the project through secondees and the company’s competence especially within marine operations and structures, including corrosion protection.60 turbines of the six-megawatt class by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will be installed. Arkona is a 50/50 joint venture between German utility E.ON and the Norwegian energy company Equinor.Equinor’s current offshore wind portfolio
Damen Floats Out Australian Icebreaker
Shipbuilder Damen said it has floated out the Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) RSV Nuyina currently under construction at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania.The carefully executed procedure was achieved by raising the water level in the yard’s dry dock by six meters; a process taking two days to complete. Once afloat, the vessel was maneuvered 250 meters to a quayside berth where the ongoing construction and outfitting process will take place.Damen is building the 160-meter-long icebreaking vessel for Serco subsidiary DMS Maritime on behalf of the Australian Department of the Environment
NRCAN Grant Triggers Major Investment in the Bay of Fundy
, Simon De Pietro commenting on the award said that he is “thrilled that NRCAN has recognized the value and potential of the tidal sector as well as the merits of the project proposed. In 2008 DP Energy added Ocean Energy to its Wind and Solar Energy projects and has been actively involved in the marine energy sector, developing projects in the UK, Northern Ireland and Canada since then. Uisce Tapa represents an opportunity to realize a project of meaningful scale in one of the most energetic tidal sites in the world”. Mr. De Pietro was also keen to acknowledge the backing which the industry
MacArtney Supplies Moog Focal LVEOS Swivel to FPSO
MacArtney said it has supplied a Low Voltage Electrical Optical Swivel (LVEOS) to Norwegian turret and loading systems provider for intended inclusion into a swivel stack for a floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO).OneSubsea, a Schlumberger company, will supply the Moog Focal LVEOS to the FPSO operating in Block SK10 of the Helang gas field located off the coast of Sarawak, Malaysia.Due for delivery in the mid-fourth quarter of 2018, the Moog Focal model 430 provides a rotating connection for low voltage power, electrical signal and optical cables in a single package. The shaft is
Forum Tackles Decom Challenges
At its inaugural Collaboration and Innovation in Decommissioning event earlier this month, Decom North Sea brought together more than 110 delegates – from operator and supply chain companies – to focus upon finding solutions to current and future decommissioning challenges.Working with the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), Decom North Sea constructed a highly interactive day comprising presentations, open forum sessions, networking and one-to-one sessions to maximize delegate engagement resulting in the generation of over 120 potential solutions.Setting the scene, the Oil & Gas Technology
Subsea Defense: Extending Unmanned Capabilities
The defense sector is looking for ways to extend its reach and capabilities, with underwater robotic and autonomous systems and sensors.Extending the capabilities of submarine warfare systems without the need for humans is a key focus in the marine defense space. Navies feel under threat; they have limited budgets and worries about resurgent maritime forces from Russia and China, while new technologies – robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems – are increasingly available to an ever-wider range of players, creating what are termed asymmetric threats in an ever-wider
UKHO Names Armour Director of Customer Division
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has announced the appointment of Cathrine Armour as the new Director of its Customer Division.Armour brings experience in leading data, science and technology-centric organizations, and will be instrumental in developing the UKHO as a leading marine geospatial information agency and hydrographic office.Armour joins the UKHO from Catapult’s South West Center of Excellence in Satellite Applications, a partnership led by the University of Exeter to stimulate the data economy; helping UK businesses develop new products and solutions using satellite technology.
A System of Systems Approach to Mine Countermeasures
A team of underwater, surface and aerial unmanned vehicles was recently deployed Newport, R.I. to demonstrate a “System of Systems” approach to expeditionary mine-countermeasures (MCM).The multi domain unmanned assets were deployed by Teledyne Marine and its industry partners at The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport during the 2018 Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) August 29-31.The multi-vehicle, multi-company demonstration began with a Power Docks Blue Isles Autonomous Power Microgrid platform simulating providing power to all vehicles. A Teledyne Oceanscience
Damen Supplies Submersible Dredge Pump in Brazil
and when completed it will extend 600 meters out into the sea. Over the course of the project the DOP150 is expected to remove around 30,000 cubic meters of material.The Damen DOP150 is being used to extract sand in the surf zone, varying in density from loose to medium fine. Working in such a dynamic marine environment presents challenges when it comes to delivering the flat, even surface required for the pipeline. Cables and other obstructions in the area also need to be worked around. The dredge pump is mounted on the boom of a 30-metric-ton excavator, itself mounted on tracks running along a pier
California Offshore Wind Project Progresing
Northern California energy authority RCEA and a consortium of private companies, including Aker Solutions and Principle Power, have submitted a lease application to advance the first commercial scale project for floating offshore wind in the United States.The application for the offshore wind energy development off the coast of Humboldt county in Northern California has been submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).In April this year, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) selected a consortium which includes Aker Solutions, Principle Power and EDPR Offshore to enter into a public-pr
Engineering Better Propulsion
of how much time is spent at a different operating mode and the multiple operating modes that a vehicle might have,” MacPherson explained. “Now we’re trying to find the best compromise solution for overall system performance.”(As published in the September 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
Platform Mooring Connectors Supplied for Windfloat Atlantic Project
A U.K. based subsea mooring and cable protection specialist has been called on to help connect wind turbine generator platforms to mooring lines at a floating wind farm under development offshore northern Portugal.First Subsea said it is supplying platform mooring connectors (PMC) to Windplus SA, developer of the 25MW WindFloat Atlantic Project located about 20 km off the coast from Viana do Castelo.The WindFloat Atlantic Project comprises three WindFloat 8MW WTG platforms, each with a mooring system made up of three catenary mooring lines, connected to drag embedded anchors. In all, First Subsea will
Swire Seabed Awarded Wintershall Framework Agreement
Swire Seabed announced it has secured a framework agreement with Wintershall Norge AS for the provision of marine subsea services (MSS) in the North Sea.The agreement will commence this year and has a duration of three years plus four yearly options, the subsea services firm said.The work scope includes the supply of vessel and services which encompasses survey, IMR and light construction.The agreement is call-off based, meaning that during the course of the frame agreement, Wintershall can award MSS contracts on an as-needed basis.
Norway’s Largest Oil Pipeline Now in Place
Late last week, Norway’s largest and longest pipeline reached the Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea.The last pipe of what is now Norway’s longest and largest oil pipeline was installed by the vessel Saipem Castorone, right next to the riser platform at the Johan Sverdrup field. The 36-inch pipeline extends 283 km from the Mongstad oil terminal outside Bergen to the giant field in the North Sea.“We have together with our supplier Saipem succeeded in laying the oil pipeline to Johan Sverdrup without any serious incidents. It has been a significant operation, involving more than 600
Okeanus Delivers Magnetometer Winch Systems
Marine equipment and engineering services provider Okeanus Science & Technology (Okeanus) delivered of two Okeanus Model DT3030EHLWR winch systems to the Colombian Navy for magnetometer deployments.The Model DT3030EHLWR winch is a general purpose, highly transportable winch designed for a wide variety of oceanographic applications such as sub-bottom profiling, side scan sonar, CTD or other similar operations. Each of the two fully integrated systems features a gearbox-hydraulic motor drive, primary automatic fail safe brake, secondary manual band brake, automatic bi-directional level wind
World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm Opens
The world's largest offshore wind farm will open on Thursday off the northwest coast of England when Danish energy group Orsted unveils the Walney Extension project.The wind farm has a capacity of 659 megawatts (MW), enough to power almost 600,000 homes, and overtakes the London Array off England's east coast which has a capacity of 630 MW.Walney Extension is made up of 87 turbines built by Siemens Gamesa and MHI Vestas, and covers 145 square kilometers (55 square miles), which is equivalent to around 20,000 football pitches.The 40 eight-megawatt MHI Vestas turbines being used stand 195 meters
Trelleborg, Ørsted Ink Subsea Cable Protection Deal
Ørsted recently signed a six-year framework agreement with Trelleborg for the supply of NjordGuard, a cable protection system, for use on upcoming wind farm projects.Andy Smith, Business Manager for Global Developing Markets with Trelleborg’s offshore operation said the contract “will ensure open collaboration between both parties in order to identify, develop, implement and progress initiatives within the agreement’s key focus areas.”NjordGuard is a protection system designed and developed to protect offshore wind farm power cables. Manufactured from API 17L certified
Mexican Wave Energy Project Moving Forward
Energy from the ocean breakers that pound Mexico’s Pacific Coast could soon be turned into electricity as an Israeli joint venture finalizes permits and financing for the country’s first wave energy plant.Wave power development has long lagged renewable rivals such as solar, but Eco Wave Power says it could prove an effective way to deliver power to coastal communities in countries such as Ghana or Kenya that have little access to electricity.“The ocean is the biggest renewable resource that we have and it’s completely untapped, and it has to change,” said Inna Braverman
Exocetus Delivers Glider to Johns Hopkins APL
Connecticut-based Exocetus Autonomous Systems said it has delivered its first MOD2 Glider to Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The vehicle was purchased as part of an internal research and development project which intends to explore a diverse set of applications for the vehicle.“Johns Hopkins APL was looking for a vehicle that could provide endurance and easy modification, and the MOD2 Glider was the only vehicle out there that provided those capabilities,” said Joe Turner, Exocetus COO & General Manager. The delivery took place at the end of July
Unique Group Acquires Water Weights
Offshore solutions provider Unique Group said it has completed the acquisition of the Aberdeen-headquartered, load-testing equipment provider Water Weights. The newly acquired specialist will be an addition to Unique Group’s Buoyancy & Ballast division.Unique Group’s manufacturing and global supply chain capability, along with Water Weights’ distribution capabilities, will provide significant synergy potential to reach clients globally, the company said. Both firms will share their extensive network of partnerships and distribution agreements at regional bases around the globe
MultiBeam EchoSounder Enables First-of-its-kind Research
, there is a concern that rising ocean temperatures could lead seafloor methane hydrate deposits to dissociate, which would result in a greater volume of methane released in the ocean, and potentially reaching the atmosphere, and therefore causing a high risk for humanity.Scholars at the MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Germany, and the University of Washington in Seattle are working on a project initiated in 2017 called M3, funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) that monitors the natural release of methane at the Southern Hydrate Ridge (SHR)
Aker Solutions CEO Expects Brazil Revenue to Double Within 5 yrs
The chief executive of Norwegian oil services firm Aker Solutions said on Tuesday he sees big growth potential from its Brazilian business and from scaling up its exposure to floating offshore windfarms."I expect Brazil in five years to be at least twice where it is today for us ... in terms of revenues," Luis Araujo told Reuters in an interview."We believe that floating wind is where we can use our capabilities," he said, adding this would be through scaling up operations of Californian company Principle Power, in which Aker Solutions owns 10 percent with an option to increase.
Equinor Explores Floating Wind Turbines to Power N.Sea Oilfields
Norway's Equinor said on Tuesday it is considering whether to build a pioneering offshore wind farm with floating turbines to supply electricity to two North Sea oilfields as part of a strategy to curb greenhouse gas emissions.The project at the Gullfaks and Snorre oilfields would cost around 5 billion Norwegian crowns ($592 million) and could reduce Norway's emissions of carbon dioxide by more than 200,000 tonnes per year, Equinor said."This could be the first time an offshore wind farm is directly connected to oil and gas platforms," state-controlled Equinor said in a statement.
Subsea’s Future is Blowin’ in the Wind
is a key driver, Bringsvaerd said. Batwind’s power management system becomes smarter as its fed more data, he explained, adding that the value in storage is not necessarily in the amount of energy stored, but how its optimized and better controlled.(As published in the July/August 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
Kongsberg's Operational Advisory Solution for Harsh Environment Semi-Submersible
Odfjell Drilling has awarded Kongsberg Maritime the contract to deliver a real-time monitoring and advisory solution to provide operational safety and non-productive time (NPT) improvements for the 6th generation semi-submersible, Deepsea Stavanger. The contract is in specific relation to an upcoming offshore South Africa campaign awarded to Odfjell Drilling.Kongsberg Maritime’s integrated services and systems delivery for Deepsea Stavanger is designed to provide high operational safety and availability in deepwater harsh environments, strong currents and high waves. The scope of supply includes
Saipem Wins $700 Mln Worth of Offshore Contracts
Saipem has been awarded contracts for the second phase of the ExxonMobil led Liza development offshore Guyana.These contracts, assigned by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), an affiliate of ExxonMobil, as the project operator, are in addition to those awarded to Saipem in 2017 for Liza Phase 1.Following engineering and subject to requisite government approvals, project sanction from the joint venture and an authorization to proceed with the next phase, Saipem will then perform detailed engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the risers, flowlines, and associated
Riptide Selects Teledyne RD Instruments DVL
to provide precision navigation capability for a recent Micro-UUV order for the U.S. Navy.The Pathfinder delivers a small form factor, advanced features and Teledyne’s extensive track-record for delivering proven navigation solutions. Riptide’s Micro-UUV has quickly gained favor within the marine industry for its highly flexible, open source design, which provides users with an affordable platform well suited for new autonomy, power system, subsea sensor and payload development.Bill Key, Sales Director for Riptide, said, “Our team selected Teledyne RDI’s Pathfinder DVL because
Castrol Unveils New Control Fluid for Subsea Systems
;s research and development team, and has undergone over 130,000 hours of screening. Additionally, Transaqua SP has been designed to meet the most stringent environmental legislation. It is fully OSPAR compliant and categorized in the U.K. as posing the least potential environmental hazard to the marine environment with an OCNS group E classification and no substitution warning, along with a “Yellow” rating in Norway. Transaqua SP has API 17F (3rd Edition)/ISO13628-6 Annex C, API 17E/ISO13628-5 industry standards and has also qualified with major industry equipment manufacturers (TRL
Autonomous Vehicle Completes Survey Mission off Alaska
An autonomous surface vessel recently went the distance for a hydrographic survey mission along a remote stretch of Alaskan coastline.ASV Global and TerraSond said they recently completed a hydrographic survey for charting off the coast of Alaska. The 10,649km survey was carried out by an ASV Global C-Worker 5 unmanned vessel alongside the Q105 survey ship acting as the mother vessel. Fitted with a multibeam echosounder, the C-Worker 5 carried out 53 percent of the survey.Throughout the operation the C-Worker 5 was remotely monitored using ASV Global’s ASView control system from a station on
ABS Issues Subsea Processing Advisory
ABS has developed the Subsea Processing System (SPRS) Advisory that provides an overview of the SPRS and associated sub-systems that are currently available and addresses its technology maturity level.The advisory also describes the role of ABS as an independent classification society in the verification and validation of subsea processing technologies including new/unproven technologies through the ABS New Technology Qualification services.The advisory is the first in a series of publications planned by ABS over the next few years. Future publications will include guidance notes, advisories and white
MTR100: The Ones to Watch
is able to transfer 24v DC 1,000 Watt of power across a 0-10mm seawater gap, alongside 100 Mbps Ethernet and serial data transfer. Developed for the subsea market in general, one of its initial goals, in collaboration with NOV, was to increase connection reliability between a blowout preventer and lower marine riser package during subsea well intervention operations. The firm is also gaining traction for its Maelstrom and Fonn connectors. Maelstrom is suitable for data-only or low-power applications, with 24v DC, 50 Watt power transfer and 100 Mbps Ethernet plus serial data transfer, while Fonn offers
Kraken Bags AquaPix Sonar Contract
Kraken Robotics Inc. wholly-owned subsidiary, Kraken Robotic Systems Inc. has been awarded a contract valued at over C$450,000 by a leading military customer for its AquaPix Miniature Synthetic Aperture Sonar system.Kraken said the customer's name could not be disclosed due to the confidential nature of the application. Delivery is expected in the fourth quarter of 2018.Karl Kenny, Kraken President and CEO, said, “This is the third AquaPix contract from this customer. The reason this customer has once again selected AquaPix is because it is the industry leading sonar system, which provides
Maersk Signs on to Help Clean up Ocean Plastic
Offshore services provider Maersk Supply Service has signed onto a project that aims to collect tons of plastic waste littering the world's oceans.In the comping months, the Denmark based firm will provide marine support to the Dutch nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup, which will install its first cleanup system in the North Pacific as part of the planet’s first large-scale initiative for collection of floating ocean-plastic debris.Global plastic production has risen steadily since the 1950s. It is estimated that more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic waste now litter all major ocean basins. The
Aker Solutions to Supply Umbilicals for Liuhua FPSO
Aker Solutions said it has been contracted to deliver power umbilical systems to China National Offshore Oil Corporation's (CNOOC) Liuhua oil fields in the South China Sea, off Hong Kong.The order, which is said to be worth more than NOK 350 million ($36.6 million), was booked in the third quarter of 2018. The work scope includes more than 35 kilometers of dynamic and static power umbilicals for the Liuhua 16-2, 20-2 and 21-2 fields, linking the subsea development to a new floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit.Power umbilical systems are bundled cable and fiber optic systems
Bay State Wind Revises Turbine Layout
Bay State Wind, an offshore wind joint venture between developer Ørsted and New England electric transmission company Eversource, announced a significant change to its proposed wind farm layout in response to feedback from fishermen and community members.The revised turbine layout pattern accommodates historical fishing patterns and helps to provide greater ease of fishing within, and transiting through, the wind farm, located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.Bay State Wind said its engineering and layouts team incorporated as many suggestions as possible from fishermen
Unique Group Adds Diving & Industrial Gas Supply Service
Offshore solutions provider Unique Group said it has extended its offering to include diving and industrial gas supply for the African offshore market from its base in Cape Town, South Africa.Rodney McKechnie, Group Director at Unique Group, said, “After a rigorous study of the diving industry and the current requirements of customers in the region, it was imperative for our diving division to offer a complete turnkey package inclusive of diving and industrial gas.”The extension of capabilities now includes the full range of diving, welding, industrial, laboratory, test and calibration
Sea Level Rise Could Speed Erosion in Southern California
By the year 2100, coastal cliffs from Santa Barbara to San Diego might crumble at more than twice the historical rate. Why?U.S. Geological Survey scientists combined several computer models for the first time to forecast cliff erosion along the Southern California coast. Their peer-reviewed study published in a recent issue of the American Geophysical Union’s Journal of Geophysical Research - Earth Surface showed that for sea-level rise scenarios ranging from about 1.5 feet to 6.6 feet by 2100, bluff tops along nearly 300 miles of Southern California coasts could lose an average of 62 to 135
Cougar ROV Helps Cut Costs of Anode Repairs
An advanced anode repair concept is said to save up to 75 percent in costs compared to hydraulic delivered anode repair systems.The new concept, created by SubC Partner, has been launched with the help of Saab Seaeye’s Cougar XT electric e-robotic underwater vehicle as a development platform. It can be adapted for any size and shape of sacrificial anode, whether surface mounted or welded, and offers a very fast anode exchange procedure that avoids diver intervention and can be undertaken in extreme weather conditions.The system comes as a skid, and is a resource targeted at offshore wind installat
Siemens Gamesa, Van Oord win $580 mln Dutch wind farm contract
Wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa and Dutch marine contractor Van Oord said on Friday they have won a contract worth more than 500 million euros ($580 million) to build a large wind farm in the Netherlands.The 380 megawatt (MW) wind farm on IJsselmeer lake is expected to provide enough energy to power around 380,000 households from mid 2021.Spain's Siemens Gamesa will design and supply 89 wind turbines and service the wind farm for at least 16 years. Van Oord will deliver foundations and cables for the project, with construction set to start next year.The Netherlands is looking to increase renewable
Hull Cleaning Robot Aids Oil Spill Response
After the recent oil spill disaster of the Bow Jubail in the Port of Rotterdam, Fleet Cleaner has stepped up to help the authorities with cleaning ship’s hulls which were fouled by the heavy fuel oil, in order to minimize the environmental impact. Within record time, Fleet Cleaner has transformed its installation to an oil spill response vessel; by installing specialized heating equipment, the high pressure water cleaning robot was made ready for high pressure steam cleaning. Using the 1 MW installed power, a special oil skimmer as well as the necessary oil booms and PPM’s, the Fleet
Kraken Scoops $9 Mln Deep-Sea Battery Contract
Canadian headquartered marine technology company Kraken Robotics Inc. said it has reached a deal with Ocean Infinity to supply $9 million worth of deep-sea batteries for the U.S. based ocean survey and exploration company for delivery from Q4 2018 to Q4 2019.Kraken will arrange for these batteries to be built by Kraken Power GmbH, an entity in which Kraken currently holds a 19.9 percent interest. The first purchase order has been issued for $2.5 million and the subsequent purchase order of $6.5 million is expected in early Q1 2019.Karl Kenny, Kraken’s President and CEO, said, “We are very
NERC Purchase NORBIT WBMS Systems for AUV Project
WBMS Deep Water multibeam systems, NORBIT’s systems will ensure high data quality and ease of operation for the team at NOC often operating in challenging environmental conditions, the manufacturer said.This will support future under-ice and deepsea science, including a number of upcoming major marine research programs
European Commission Okays French Backing of Tidal Energy Test Site
The European Commission has found a French project promoting electricity generation from tidal energy to be in line with EU State aid rules. The measure will contribute to the EU's energy and climate goals without unduly distorting market competition, the Commission said.The Normandie Hydro plant is a demonstration plant for producing electricity from tidal energy. It will be developed by OpenHydro and operated by EDF EN and will be located at Raz Blanchard, west of the Cotentin peninsula, on the English Channel. The demonstration plant will comprise seven turbines with a power generation capacity
OSIL Supply US Antarctic Program with Multi Corer
Global seabed sampling experts Ocean Scientific International Ltd delivered a 12-station Multiple Corer to Colorado-based ASC, the support contractor to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), for use in Antarctic waters.The corer will be deployed by upcoming projects in the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, a joint project of the U.K.’s Natural Environment Research Council and NSF’s Office of Polar Programs, which manages the U.S. Antarctic Program.The corer will be used to investigate the role of the Southern Ocean biological pump in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide
Tidal Stream Marches on in Europe
On July 26, Naval Energies announced the cessation of its investments in tidal stream, forcing the liquidation of its tidal stream subsidiary, OpenHydro.“The liquidation of OpenHydro is disappointing news, yet closures are part of pioneering and innovating in a brand new industrial sector, on the road to commercialization,” said Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe.“Today, numerous tidal stream projects are consistently producing power around Europe. Costs are coming down fast with every new project, and the EU has set targets for tidal to reach 10€c/kWh by 2030, well
Mooring Installation Highlights Thordon's Range
The bearing installations to two Calm Buoys operating offshore Libya are indicative of the wide-range of applications Thordon’s environmentally-safe bearing systems have outside the company’s traditional maritime market.A total of 48 bearings and bushings were supplied in 2014 for installation to the chain stoppers of Monobuoy’s 400t turntable Calm Buoys, a single point mooring system designed to allow oil tankers to load and offload cargoes offshore, without having to berth alongside the refinery. However, the ensuing Libyan conflict resulted in the project being postponed until
French Tidal Energy Project Clears another Hurdle
EU competition regulators approved on Thursday French support for an EDF-operated tidal energy project, saying the scheme was in line with the bloc's energy and climate goals.The Normandie Hydro plant, located at Raz Blanchard on the English channel and to be developed by OpenHydro, will be made up of seven turbines with a power generation capacity of 14 megawatts.French authorities will provide operating and investment aid, part of which will be repayable advances that will be reimbursed if the technology is successful."The Commission found that the project promotes market penetration of a
New Long-range RTsys Recorder Launched
, flat or geometric) equipped with 16 omnidirectional hydrophones. The system is less than 20m long and can be launched by two people from a light boat. The multiple hydrophones, in combination with digital processing, reduce noise and therefore improve signal quality. The equipment can record below the marine background noise over a frequency range up to 100 kHz.The success of this challenge essentially rests on a modification of the SDA (Synchronous Data Acquisition) circuit board which is at the heart of all RTsys products. While maintaining an identical format and a power consumption that is still
Remote Monitoring System Delivered for The Ocean Cleanup
Subsea technology company Seatools said it has completed the development, manufacturing and testing of a remote offshore monitoring system on behalf of The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit organization dedicated to removing plastic from the world’s oceans.The monitoring system is currently integrated into the first-ever ocean cleanup system at The Ocean Cleanup’s assembly yard in Alameda, Calif.In the third quarter of 2018, The Ocean Cleanup’s system will be deployed into the waters between Hawaii and San Francisco. The primary goal of the Pacific trials is to confirm the performance of
Schlumberger Revenue Misses Estimates
Schlumberger Inc missed analysts' quarterly revenue estimates on Friday, as weakness in its international business overshadowed another strong performance in North America.The Houston-based company, a bellwether for the oilfield services industry, said revenue from its international business dipped 1.4 percent to $5.07 billion. Meanwhile, revenue from North America jumped about 43 percent to $3.14 billion."Despite OPEC's recent decision to increase production, the global supply base continues to weaken," Chief Executive Officer Paal Kibsgaard said, pointing to uncertainty for producers
Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm Produces First Power
Beatrice wind farm off the Caithness coast in Scotland has generated power for the first time, operator SSE said on Thursday.Following installation of the first 7-megawatt (MW) turbine, the wind farm exported power to the National Grid, the firm added.The 2.6 billion pound ($3.4 billion) wind farm will be completed in spring 2019. It will have capacity of nearly 600 MW and be capable of supplying around 450,000 homes with power.Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd is a joint venture between SSE, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Red Rock Power Ltd.($1 = 0.7693 pounds)(Reporting by Nina Chestney;
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
