Salvage & Recovery

Pharos Adds Jet-Trenching ROV

Pharos Offshore Group said it recently expanded its portfolio of trenching assets with the state-of-the-art Q1000 jet-trenching remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) from manufacturer SMD.The latest addition to Pharos Offshore’s rental fleet, the Q1000 features a high-tech control and measurement system, sea-state 6 launch and recovery system (LARS) and a modular design which enables the Q1000 to be rapidly shipped, set-up and ready to operate anywhere in the world.The Q1000 is optimal for pre-lay or post-lay trenching operations of subsea pipelines, cables and umbilicals, with the advantageo

Increasing Global Demand for OSIL Sediment Grabs

International oceanographic equipment manufacturers Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) are reporting a surge in global demand for specialist sediment grabs, particularly the spring-activated Smith McIntyre grab.The Smith McIntyre grab provides more predictable penetration than other grab designs and uses an uncomplicated method of operation combined with a straightforward handling system.OSIL offer a superior range of efficient and high-quality smaller capacity benthic grabs, including the ubiquitous Van Veen grab (available in various sizes and bucket configurations), with recent shipments

Navy: $2.3B Deal for 12 Mine Hunting Ships

The Belgium Naval & Robotics consortium, composed of Naval Group and ECA Group, won the contract to supply 12 minehunting vessels to the Belgian and Dutch navies. Equipped with around 100 drones, constituting approximately 10 drone systems (toolboxes), six ships are destined for the Belgian Navy, while the other six will be delivered to the Dutch Navy.The 10-year contract is worth nearly $2.3B. After a three-year design phase, Belgium Naval & Robotics will launch the production phase of the ships and drone systems with a first delivery expected in 2024.The Belgium Naval & Robotics consortium

MarineNav ROVs for Marine Inspections

MarineNav, located in Montague, Prince Edward Island, Canada, has been showcasing its latest technologies and equipment serving defense, aquaculture, law enforcement and first responder needs in marine operations. The company’s offerings include marine-grade navigation components such as computers and displays; advanced vessel monitoring (AVM) and fleet management systems; and customizable industrial underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).Interchangeable ROV componentsFor its ROVs, MarineNav has developed units that are designed to enable quick and easy exchange of interchangeable modular

Subsea 7 Raises Revenue Outlook

Subsea 7 posted first-quarter core profits below expectations on Thursday while adding that the offshore oilfield service provider's full-year revenue is no longer expected to decline."We are now guiding for 2019 Group revenue to be broadly in line with 2018," Chief Executive Jean Cahuzac said in a statement, adding that demand for equipment such as subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) was increasing."We continue to experience a gradual volume-led recovery in integrated and stand-alone SURF projects," Cahuzac said.Analysts in a Reuters poll had expected Subsea 7's

Survey Vessel Joins Hunt for Lost F-35

Japan expanded its search for a missing F-35 stealth fighter on  with a maritime survey vessel joining a navy ship and a U.S. Navy salvage team is expected in the area in coming days, a Japanese air force spokesman said.Only small pieces of the Japanese Air Self Defense Force aircraft's tail have been found since the advanced jet disappeared from radar screens during an exercise with three other F-35s over the Pacific, near northwest Japan, on April 9."The plane and the pilot are still missing," the air force spokesman said. Investigators have been unable to unravel the fate of the

Salvors Survey Grande America Wreck

subsea search, inspection and operations on the wreck of the MV Grande America, which sank in the Bay of Biscay on March 12.Grande America capsized and sunk last month after its cargo of containers and vehicles caught fire during a voyage from Hamburg to Casablanca.Having entered into an agreement with marine services and salvage company Ardent, Ocean Infinity deployed its fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) to locate the wreck. The firm then used its remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) to conduct a program of inspection and operations, in order to determine the state of the sunken container

Support Vessel Delivered to Oceaneering

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

Subsea Mining: The Next Big Thing for UUVs

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

New Subsea Wireless IP Camera Technology

Next generation subsea technology deployed for the first time in the North Sea has helped to improve safety and reduce costcfor an offshore oil and gas project, said Scotland based WFS Technologies.The firms's new cutting-edge computing and subsea wireless IP camera technology deployed on a pipeline construction project enhanced diver safety and generated significant cost savings by avoiding the need for additional subsea vessels, it said.The work was undertaken for a new subsea pipeline which was recently installed and was necessary to bypass a platform being decommissioned. As part of the final

Falcon ROV Helps Endangered Rockfish

Scientists at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are undertaking an important conservation study into the threatened rockfish species using a Saab Seaeye Falcon underwater robotic vehicle.Senior Marine Fish Research Scientist, Dr. Dayv Lowry, explains that managing the conservation and recovery of rockfish populations in Washington’s Puget Sound, depends on the accurate monitoring of rockfish populations, depleted through overfishing and ecological degradation.“Of the tools we’ve tested, only the Falcon can find and measure the rockfish and other structure-associated

Falcon Helps Endangered Rockfish

in Washington’s Puget Sound were being fished to levels that threatened extinction.Now scientists at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are undertaking an important conservation study into the threatened rockfish species using a Saab Seaeye Falcon underwater robotic vehicle.Senior Marine Fish Research Scientist, Dr. Dayv Lowry, explains that managing the conservation and recovery of rockfish populations in Washington’s Puget Sound, depends on the accurate monitoring of rockfish populations, depleted through overfishing and ecological degradation.“Of the tools we&rsquo

Hydramec Delivers ROV LARS to NZ Navy

Hydramec Offshore has completed the supply, integration and operational testing of a fully active heave compensated (AHC) launch and Recovery system (LARS) for a Saab Seaeye Cougar XT remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to the New Zealand Navy.The New Zealand Navy having acquired Ostensjo’s EDDA FONN multipurpose vessel for conversion to a diving support vessel required an ROV to assist with Diving support and other operations.Ostensjo’s chose the Saab Seaeye Cougar XT ROV as it fulfilled all the requirements the NZ Navy were looking for.The Supply Brief for the LARS system was very

Unique Group Debuts New Survey USV

Unique Group, a provider of  services and solutions for the offshore, subsea and life support industries, has designed and developed its first Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) called Uni-Cat.With proven hydrographic survey capabilities, the Uni-Cat can be used effectively for bathymetry survey offshore and in shallow waters, claimed a press release from the integrated subsea and offshore solution provider."It is ideal to be used in locations where conventional survey methods are not feasible," the release said.The Uni-Cat USV is purpose built with a long-lasting battery and the endurance

Underwater Metal Detectors Get the Job Done

a vessel and falls to the murky bottom below? Most of the time, the operator does not have the necessary tools to find the missing equipment and must hire an outside diving company to aid in the search. These companies utilize a varying degree of equipment from sonar systems to underwater metal detectors.Marine Diving Service, which provides marine diving services to customers on the east coast of the United States, utilizes JW Fishers’ Pulse 8X in its daily operations. Marine Diving Service's salvage track record includes everything from small objects to big vessels, and even a historic tug boat

Ecosse IP Trials Subsea Lifting Tech

Subsea technology developer Ecosse IP (EIP) demonstrated the capabilities of its Ambient Lifter subsea and decommissioning solution during a two-day industry showcase event held in Fraserburgh, Scotland this week.EIP welcomed representatives from across the industry, including the Oil and Gas Technology Center (OGTC), which is jointly funding the field trial in order to develop new solutions that will reduce subsea installation and decommissioning costs.Ambient Lifter was designed for the offshore sector, providing a cost-effective and viable solution for lifting subsea assets, EIP said. The system

Researchers to Monitor Disruptive US Gulf Current

A major $2 million scientific study led by the University of Rhode Island (URI)’s Graduate School of Oceanography will monitor disruptive ocean currents in the US Gulf of Mexico, with a long term goal to improve forecasts for safer offshore operations in the region.The Loop Current System (LCS) is the dominant ocean circulation feature in the Gulf of Mexico, influencing all ocean processes in the Gulf with implications for a wide range of human and natural activities, from oil exploration to coastal eco-systems. To date, knowledge of its underlying dynamics is limited.URI’s initial study

MacArtney Equips North Sea Cable Layer

the ASN Ile de Class cable laying vessel will facilitate the laying of seismic cables on the seabed of the Johan Castberg oilfield in the Barents Sea for Equinor’s new permanent reservoir monitoring system.MacArtney’s MERMAC R40 active heave compensated (AHC) winch purchased by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), part of the Nokia Corporation, will be utilized aboard the vessel in the laying of seismic cabling and sensors that will be permanently deployed on the Barents’ seabed to enable more frequent and improved 4D seismic interpretation of the subsurface.The AHC works to reduce the

PSA Audits Xmas Tree for Snorre Expansion

Norway's offshore watchdog the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) said it has carried out an audit of Equinor and the fabrication of the subsea Christmas tree for the Snorre expansion project.The objective of the February audit was to ensure that fabrication of the subsea Christmas tree for the Snorre expansion project complied with the company’s own requirements and requirements in the regulations, PSA said. A sub-goal was to follow up how the project is undertaking its supervisory duty in respect of its supplier, TechnipFMC.PSA siad it did not identify any non-conformities during the audit

U.S. Navy Requests $205.6B in 2020

Fiscal Year 20 Budget request submitted to Congress is $205.6 billion, a 4.8% increase from the FY19 enacted budget. Specifics of the budget are focused on six specific dimensions:The FY20 budget requests funding for more ships – as the navy continues to progress toward a 355-ship fleet – submarines, aircraft and people, and highlights include: The budget provides for a deployable battle force of 301 ships in FY20 including 11 aircraft carriers and 10 big deck amphibious ships that serve as the foundation of our carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups. This year’s budget request

Chevron to Use Subsea Compression at Jansz-Io

Aker Solutions announced Tuesday it has been awarded a master contract to support the delivery of a subsea compression system for the Chevron Australia-operated Jansz-Io field offshore Australia, marking the first time the technology will be used outside of Norway.Compression helps to maintain plateau gas production rates as reservoir pressure drops over time, but such compressors have typically been installed on platforms over sea level. Placing this equipment on the seabed and near the wellheads improves recovery rates and reduces capital and operating costs, Aker Solutions said.The first

Trump Requests $200.5 Mln for BSEE, $193.4 for BOEM

U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget submitted to Congress on Monday includes $200.5 million for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and $193.4 million for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), up from the respective $199.9 million and $179.3 million requests for FY 2019.The requested BSEE budget includes $129.9 million of appropriated funds and $70.6 million in offsetting collections of revenue from rental receipts, and cost recovery and inspection fees. This $70.6 million of revenue accounts for 35 percent of the requested budget.

Salvors Lift Norwegian Frigate

Salvors used a unique lift method that combined two heavy lift vessels and four cranes to raise a Norwegian frigate that had become partially submerged following a collision with an oil tanker off the coast of Norway in November.On November 8, 2018, Norwegian heavy frigate KNM Helge Ingstad collided with the tanker Sola TS near Bergen, and sank on the inclined slope of a fjord. The accident injured eight people and caused the temporary closure of the Sture Oil Terminal near Bergen and the nearby Kollsness gas-and-condensate terminal, as well as several offshore fields.

Kraken Receives $2.3 Mln from Ocean Infinity

Kraken Robotics Inc. announced Tuesday it has received $2.3 million from Ocean Infinity from the exercise of 5,760,000 warrants that had been issued in connection with the company’s private placement of units to Ocean Infinity in June 2018. The warrants expire in June 2021 and had an exercise price of $0.40.Karl Kenny, Kraken's President & CEO said, "We are pleased with the exercise of these warrants by Ocean Infinity and the confidence they are showing in our strategic direction. We recently completed factory acceptance tests (FAT) at our German facility on the first battery units

BP Partners with Enpro on FAM Technology

BP and Enpro Subsea have executed a Global Frame Agreement aimed at providing an enhanced subsea architecture and smart standardization using Flow Access Module (FAM) technology to enable fast track, capital efficient subsea tiebacks.Enpro said its patented FAM technology supplied to BP on the Kepler K3 project in the Gulf of Mexico to enable project specific technologies to be seamlessly added to BP’s standard subsea trees and manifolds. According to Enpro, this helped to reduce project costs and schedule, to support BP in achieving sanction to first oil in less than 12 months.The FAM technology

Planet Ocean, EOM Offshore Sign Agreement

EOM Offshore’s specialized mooring equipment to its portfolio will strengthen the company’s capabilities.EOM Offshore is a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) spin-off that was established to commercialize its patented Stretch EM Cable, along with its Electromechanical Chain and its Marine Recovery Systems.   The Stretch EM Cable solves many problems commonly associated with traditional catenary mooring systems, and it provides an ideal platform for real-time acoustic monitoring, due to its ability to isolate ambient noise from acoustic sensors that are on the mooring.  

R/V Bob and Betty Beyster: New CAT For Scripps

The Research Vessel Bob and Betty Beyster is a purpose-built coastal research vessel designed for efficient operations offshore Southern California and throughout the Channel Islands.  Based at the Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility and operated as a shared-use facility, Bob and Betty Beyster provides scientists, students and engineers a capable, safe and economical platform for research and teaching.R/V Bob and Betty Beyster is a 42-foot scientific workboat with a range of 500 nautical miles, a cruising speed better than 25 knots, and a capacity for six scientists and a boat operator. The vessel has

Subsea 7 Profit Beats Forecast

Subsea 7 posted higher-than-expected fourth-quarter profits on Thursday and announced a special dividend payment as well as an extension of its share buybacks.The Oslo-listed offshore services provider's adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization fell 7.4 percent year-on-year to $163 million, while analysts in a Reuters poll on average predicted a $146 million profit."A new two-year $200 million share repurchase program has been announced, enabled by our strong financial and liquidity position and improving market outlook," Subsea 7 said in a statement.Pending

Enhanced Seismic Monitoring at Johan Sverdrup

through the water column from the seabed to the sea surface as well as the pressure (depth) at the seabed. This data is then used to calculate a continuous time history of average water velocity and tidal variation throughout the whole water column.While PIES instruments are already very widely used in marine seismic survey operations, this will be only the second time where PIES units are hardwired into topside power and communication infrastructure, which means Equinor will have instant and continuous access to its data. Conventionally, PIES data is collected acoustically by a passing surface vessel

Fugro Sees Margin Improvement in 2019

Dutch deep-sea prospector Fugro reported on Monday a 19.2 percent rise in full-year 2018 revenue to 1.65 billion euros ($1.87 billion), helped by growth across all divisions.The company met its 2018 revenue and EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) margin targets, however it failed to deliver positive cash flow from operating activities after investments."Excluding the impact of increased working capital, cash flow was break-even, a significant improvement compared to 2017," the company said in a statement."We have benefited from the gradual recovery of the oil and gas market and the

N-Sea Scores North Sea Contracts

UK and Netherlands-based subsea provider N-Sea said it has been awarded two multimillion dollar contracts for a pair of unnamed operators in the North Sea.Managed and supported by N-Sea’s Aberdeen base, the first is a three-year contract, awarded by an international operator. According to N-Sea, the workscope will take place across a number of the operator’s UK North Sea assets and includes air diving inspection, repair and maintenance, in addition to light construction requirements from its diving support vessels and dive daughter craft.  Additionally, and following an initial

Offshore ROV Market: $330m by 2025

ROV in the regions of North America and Europe that is expected to drive the market for more advanced offshore ROV, said a report from QY Research. Increasing of underwater fields expenditures, recovery of oil & gas industry, launches in introducing new products, increasing of spending on marine work, retrofitting and renovation of old technology, increasing adoption of offshore ROV will drive global market growth.The consumption volume of offshore ROV is related to downstream industries and global economy. As there will always be some uncertain in the global economy in the following years

ArgoX90: Rocket Recovery Boat

Parker Shinn and Morrelli & Melvin introduce the ArgoX90, a unique concept designed to significantly reduce space launch and rocket component recovery costs.Rocket reusability has become the space industry’s focus to reduce cost. While SpaceX has landed boosters on drone ships hundreds of miles out to sea, expensive parts of a rocket have still proven unrecoverable. The ArgoX90 may change that.“A boat like this could lower launch costs by 10% in some cases,” said Shinn, who conceived of the original concept. “Not only could it catch fairings (the top of a rocket that houses

Aker Solutions Revenues Up 8%

Aker Solutions reports Q4 2018 revenue of $813 million, an 8% rise compared to Q4 2017 powered by “significant international awards in a competitive, but improving market.” In total, order intake for the quarter was $615.6 million, leaving the company with an order backlog of more than $4 billion. Better still, looking forward the company sees “continued signs of a recovery in the global market” with approximately $5.2 billion worth of contracts currently in the bid phase.In analyzing the results, executives credit an improving market in step with its own “investments in

Nuclear-enabled ROV for Sellafield

Sellafield selected a Saab Seaeye Tiger robotic vehicle to work in one of the most hazardous environments on the planet.The announcement came after the Tiger had worked consistently in the highly-corrosive conditions for nine months, during which time it only needed to pause for routine maintenance. Sellafield has now ordered four Tigers for this extremely challenging role.Specially adapted for the role by Saab Seaeye engineers in collaboration with Sellafield engineers, when applied to nuclear waste, the Tiger’s durability means that there is limited need for intervention by operators for

Enpro Testing New FIS Technology

Aberdeen-based production optimization specialist Enpro Subsea announced that the £1.5 million investment project in its Flow Intervention Services (FIS) technology, which included a £755,000 research and development grant from Scottish Enterprise, has started onshore testing ahead of planned subsea field trials later this year.The company had previously developed a lower pressure (10kpsi) version of their tool and this investment has allowed them to develop the higher rated (15kpsi) version, extending its operating capabilities to support high pressure wells, common in Gulf of Mexico.

New Tech Simulates Methane Hydrate Recovery

New technology developed in Japan aims to help engineers design equipment for lifting shallow methane hydrate from the seabed, and to ensure the success of subsea lifting operations and gas production above the ocean surface.The new equipment jointly developed by Mitsui E&S Holdings Co., Ltd. (MES-HD) and Fukuoka University has been designed to simulate the recovery of shallow methane hydrate from the seabed of Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where there are high expectations for future development and harvesting resources such as shallow methane hydrate, sandy layer type methane hydrate

JW Fishers’ Pulse 8X Continues to Outperform

, and I look forward to comparing it alongside my other brand of detector when in Australia this coming August. One thing noted right away was the ability to hold threshold much better than the competitor.”Police and Dive Teams also utilize the Pulse 8X for their day-to-day jobs. The King County Marine Rescue Dive Unit (MRDU) in Kirkland WA purchased a detector earlier this year. The MRDU deploys specially trained and equipped divers that are responsible for water-related law enforcement, investigations, rescue, and recovery work. Duties include victim recovery and investigation, evidence search

Downed Fighter Jet Recovered off Hawaii

plane was sent crashing into the ocean.The aicraft hit the water about 1 mile south of Honolulu in an area with many small boats. The number of boats in the area meant there were many cellphone videos, making the general location of the plane easier to pinpoint.Working to find the sunken aircraft, Parker Marine Salvage contacted Steve Van Meter of Van Meter Consulting to help pinpoint the exact location.An extensive sidescan sonar mission, lasting several days, had identified 75 potential targets on a seabed littered with old debris from years of dumping. Van Meter studied these targets and identified the

Meet PoBo: Floating Platform for Disaster Relief

GD European Land Systems develops floating platform for civil protection and disaster reliefGeneral Dynamics European Land Systems-Bridge Systems won a contract to develop a multi-functional, modular floating platform known as Pontoon Boat (PoBo). The project was awarded under the Innovation Program for the Support of Diversification Strategies of Defense Companies in Civil Security Technologies, or DIVERS. DIVERS is a program launched by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWI), with VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH as the responsible project executing agency."The PoBo is a

JFD Wins DSRV Contract from Republic of Korea Navy

The subsea operations and manufacturing company JFD, a part of James Fisher and Sons, has received a multi-million dollar contract for the design and build of an advanced Deep Search and Rescue Vehicle (DSRV).The DSRV will be delivered as a part of a submarine rescue capability being provided to the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN).The contract, awarded by South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), will ensure the provision of an advanced and highly capable submarine rescue vehicle to the South Korean Navy that will ensure the highest standards in safety for submariners.

Schlumberger Sees International Growth in 2019

Schlumberger NV on Friday reported quarterly revenue that topped estimates and forecast single-digit growth in international markets this year even as crude prices have tumbled roughly 30 percent since October.With the drop in oil prices many producers were evaluating spending budgets for 2019, stoking concerns that a slowdown in activity would hurt oilfield service companies that have struggled to boost prices since the 2014 downturn.Schlumberger, a bellwether for the oilfield services sector, said recent volatility in crude prices has led to more uncertainty in the spending outlook for oil and gas

EdgeTech Delivers ERB for Deewater Acoustic Release Mooring Recovery

EdgeTech, a provider of high resolution sonar imaging systems, acoustic release systems and underwater technology, said it recently delivered an innovative solution for deepwater acoustic release mooring recovery.The Emergency Recovery Beacon (ERB) is a self-contained, programable acoustic command transmitter and transponder in a 6,000 meter rated nickel aluminium bronze alloy housing that can be lowered from the side of a vessel below any surface noise, shipboard noise or thermoclines.The ERB is programmed through a serial port using a computer running a terminal program and can transmit EdgeTech LF

Swire Seabed Orders a HUGIN AUV

, magnetometer and turbidity sensor.The vehicle will also make use of Kongsberg’s automatic pipeline tracking solution, which utilizes the SAS or multibeam echo sounder to track alongside or above a pipeline, to conduct survey and inspection tasks.Atle Gran, Kongsberg Maritime Area Sales Manager for Marine Robotics, said, “This HUGIN has a wide array of sensors and capabilities making it suitable for many different types of commercial applications including pipeline inspection, geophysical survey and hydrography.”Flexible and self-contained, the AUV will measure approximately 5.2 meters

Gardline Names Vermeijden CEO

Marine survey company Gardline has appointed Christiaan Vermeijden as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Vermeijden will replace Gardline's current interim CEO, Gerben Eggink.Vermeijden joins the U.K. based Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. subsidiary after leaving his position as CEO at Norway-based Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS). Prior to his role with EMGS, he was part of the Executive Management Team and Global Offshore Geotechnical Director at Fugro N.V.He holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Physical Geography from the University of Amsterdam and a Master of Business

iXblue Partners with Forssea

iXblue, a designer and manufacturer of advanced navigation, imagery and subsea positioning solutions, said it has joined forces with Forssea, a robotics startup that develops autonomous docking underwater technologies, to bring more agile and cost-effective subsea operations.Combining Forssea’s Atoll, an observation-class remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) that offers autonomous docking capabilities, with iXblue’s DriX offshore going unmanned surface vessel (USV) and its Gaps ultra-short baseline (USBL) embedded gondola, both companies are now offering a new method of long baseline

Oil Spill Cleanup Device Tailored for the Arctic

A new oil spill response device capable of cleaning up spills in arctic conditions has been launched in an effort to bolster Norway’s spill preparedness.The new device, dubbed Arctic FoxTail, is a winterized version of H. Henriksen’s standard Foxtail vertical adhesion band (VAB) skimmer, which filters out oil spills from the seawater using its sorbent mops. The system is capable of salvaging large quantities of oil after a spill, without much unnecessary water.Tonsberg-based H. Henriksen began to develop the arctic ready system through the Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating

OSIL Unveils Microplastics Sampler

Oceanic microplastic pollution is a growing concern across the globe as new and existing marine litter continues to degrade and fragment through physical and chemical processes.Global environmental monitoring experts Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) has developed a new Microplastics Sampler for the collection of water samples for the analysis of plastic particles smaller than 5 mm including fragments, films, pellets/nurdles, granules/beads, filaments and foams.The unique device is a large volume water sampler that allows researchers to collect and characterize suspended and sinking particles

Aqueos Supports South Texas-Tuxpan Gas Pipeline

Aqueos Corporation said it has completed a major diving scope for the installation and commissioning of the South Texas-Tuxpan Gas Pipeline. The South Texas-Tuxpan Gas Pipeline is being constructed by a joint venture between TransCanada (60%) and Sempra Energy’s Mexican unit IEnova (40%), also known as Infraestructura Marina del Golfo (IMG). The $3.1 billion project is being sponsored by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) of Mexico.Carrying U.S. natural gas to Mexico from west Texas, this 42-in. pipeline is ~800km in length and runs offshore from Brownsville, Texas to a shore-end

Schlumberger Bags Equinor Contract for Subsea Boosting System

Norwegian oil and gas firm Equinor has awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to OneSubsea, a Schlumberger company.The contract is for the supply of the industry’s first all-electric actuated subsea boosting system for the Vigdis Field in the Norwegian North Sea.The scope of the contract includes a pump station, with a manifold foundation and protective structure; and a pump module, topside equipment, umbilical, and all-electric controls with electric actuation.“We are delighted to be working with Equinor on the successful long-term development of the Vigdis

NATO Uses IoT to Study the Oceans

of Oldenburg’s work monitoring plastic debris in the North Sea and Spain’s coastal authority, Salvamento Maritimo, using SPOT Trace to devise oil spill disaster recovery procedures. The National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics and the “Istituto di Scienze Marine” of the Italian National Research Council use SPOT Trace to study surface currents in the Mediterranean and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science has used large quantities of SPOT Trace satellite trackers also for oceanographic and oil spill research

Seatools Unveils New Deepwater Excavator

Subsea technology company Seatools has introduced the Carrera E 3D motion-controlled precision flow excavation spread. The 630+ kW, all-electric deepwater excavator features Seatools’ advanced ROV DP technology and sets the stage for better accuracy, production and workability in the mass flow excavation (MFE).Seatools developed the Carrera E mass flow excavation spread leveraging its capabilities in heave compensation and ROV control technologies. The patent-pending spread features 3D motion control, which enables precision excavation operations at a minimum of seabed disturbance. Thanks to the

Vigdis Gets a Boost

company’s plant at Horsøy near Bergen. OneSubsea will use several subcontractors, including Framo Flatøy fabricating the pump and Luster Mekaniske Industri fabricating piping.“A contract for the work to be performed on the Snorre A and B platforms will be awarded later, whereas marine operations will be performed under Equinor’s framework contracts,” Rød said.Jez Averty, Equinor’s senior vice president for Operations South, said Equinor has continuously developed the Vigdis field through several phases of further development. When the field came on

Vestdavit to Equip Nexans Cable Layer

Bergen-based Vestdavit said has secured a contract to equip the Nexans flag ship cable layer Nexans Aurora with its MissionEase multi-boat handling system for mission bays.The cable laying vessel (CLV) has been designed by Skipsteknisk in Ålesund and will be constructed by Norwegian yard Ulstein Verft. At 149.9m in length, 31m width and with capacity to accommodate 90 personnel, she will perform power cable laying, cable system protection and trenching, and be capable of high maneuverability and DP3 station-keeping capabilities.Rather than using overhead cranes within the mission bay, MissionEase

ROV Innovation Saves Millions for Woodside

An innovative use of remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) technology for subsea jacket inspections at Australia’s largest oil and gas development has demonstrated substantial cost reductions and operational improvements.In March this year Fugro began a nine-month inspection campaign of Woodside’s offshore facilities on the Australian North West Shelf. Fugro said its novel platform deployed ROV (PDROV) for subsea jacket inspections was able to help Woodside reduce costs by around AUD 10 million per inspection cycle.“Very early in the project we identified an alternative to

Thailand Raises Shipwreck That Killed 47 Tourists

Thailand on Saturday raised the shipwreck that killed 47 Chinese tourists in July, part of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the boat capsizing, officials said."The Phoenix is an important piece of evidence to determine the cause of the accident," Tourist Police Bureau Deputy Chief, Major General Surachate Hakparn, told reporters."When the case is final, it will be able to restore Chinese tourist confidence," he said separately in a statement.The Phoenix went down in high seas in July off Thailand's west-coast island of Phuket with 101 people on board, made up of 12

Subsea ‘Smart Standardization’

Enpro Subsea & Kosmos Energy commit to subsea ‘smart standardization’ in Gulf of MexicoEnpro Subsea reached a Master Services Agreement (MSA) with Kosmos Energy (formerly Deep Gulf Energy) aimed at providing enhanced subsea architecture and smart standardization via Enpro’s patented Flow Access Module (FAM) technology.FAM essentially creates an enhanced production ‘USB port’ within the jumper envelope. This enables the operator to use standard subsea Xmas Trees and Manifolds, with FAM providing life of field flexibility within the system design, delivering ‘Smart

Oil Removed from WWII Era Shipwreck

A U.S. Navy led team has removed 229,000 gallons of oil from a sunken World War II era German heavy cruiser that has been resting on the seafloor near the Marshall Islands for more than 70 years.After being transferred to the U.S. as a war prize, the cruiser Prinz Eugen was loaded with oil and cargo and used to assess survivability of warships during the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests in the Pacific. The ship survived two atomic blasts before being towed to Kwajalein Atoll, where it capsized and sunk in December 1946.Now, 72 years later, a project team led by Stephanie Bocek of the Navy's

ROVs to Investigate Lost Shipping Containers

Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) will be deployed to investigate containers lost from a cargo ship in heavy seas off Australia.The YM Efficiency, operated by Taiwan shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, was sailing from Taiwan to Sydney in early June when it lost dozens of containers overboard amid five-meter swells in the Tasman Sea, about 30 kilometers off Australia's east coast.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), citing serious potential impacts to local fishing and the environment, said it has been "extremely concerned at the lack of progress in

N-Sea Expands Its Middle East Capabilities

Inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) subsea services provider N-Sea said it has reinforced its commitment to the Middle East with expanded its service capabilities in the region.N-Sea, which opened its regional office in Dubai in 2016, said its TUP (transfer under pressure) Diving System has recently arrived in the Middle East for refurbishment and work in the regionDesigned and built in-house by N-Sea, the TUP Diving System is a mobile, surface-oriented closed bell diving system comprising a three-man bell, launch and recovery system, triple lock decompression chamber and gas diver control