Salvage & Recovery

Oceaneering Donates ROVs to Global Ocean

US-based ocean science nonprofit Global Oceans, has acquired, via a donation from Oceaneering, three deep-sea exploration vehicles rated to6000 meters of operational depth.The donation includes the Magellan 725 ROV, the Ocean Discovery ROV, and the Ocean Explorer 6000 Towed Sonar System, together with the infrastructure needed to deploy the vehicles including winches, cranes, power systems, operational modules, workshops, and supplies."These vehicles contributed to several historic projects, including the successful recovery of the lost Apollo “Liberty Bell 7” space capsule from the

Converted Patrol Boat Becomes a Research Vessel for USM

A refurbished 48-foot workboat has been delivered to The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) for its second life as a research vessel.The vessel, an Endeavor 45 cabin patrol vessel originally built by Silver Ships in 2008 for the State of Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR), returned to the Theodore, Ala. shipyard for the transformation. The vessel is now capable of supporting the USM School of Ocean Science and Engineering’s deep ocean underwater surveys using various uncrewed underwater vehicle systems. The new and improved vessel will conduct testing, maritime research and

Damen Completes Work on German Diving Bell Ship

Damen completes work on German Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) diving bell shipDamen Shipyards Group has completed construction and outfitting of a diving bell ship for client FMSW Koblenz (Department Machinery Southwest) / operator WSA Rhine (Waterways and Shipping Office) according to schedule. Following her completion, the vessel has recently undertaken successful river trials.The on-time completion of the ship comes despite the challenging conditions posed by the coronavirus outbreak. Putting in place robust safety measures, Damen was able to continue work on the project

Preston Joins Global Diving & Salvage as Director of Marine Technology

Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. has appointed Alisa Preston, P. Eng., as Director of Marine Technology to lead the growth of the marine services company’s underwater technology resources.Preston will be responsible for advancing the development of sustainable and innovative marine technology and remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) services as part of the overall business strategies for both Seattle-based Global and sister company MER Diving.Preston brings to the role a background in mechanical engineering, nuclear physics, project management and entrepreneurship. She holds a BME from

OSIL Piston Corers Go Global

sediment slump. The piston also reduces internal friction within the core liner and prevents clumping of the sample. This ensures that the OSIL Piston Corer systems deliver a more well-defined sediment sample to the operator.Piston Corers are one of the most important basic tools used in the study of marine sediments, and OSIL offers customisable systems (including Launch and Recovery Systems and Winches) from 4m to 60m in length. Recent shipments have been destined for West Africa, Korea, Spain, South America and the Philippine

RJE Supports U.S. Navy SURTASS Program

out to RJE International.The SURTASS system is a passive surveillance system that consists of long acoustic arrays towed by the T-AGOS class naval ships. In support the Navy’s ASW mission, SURTASS provides long-range detection, tracking and classification of both diesel and nuclear powered submarines.To ensure the recovery of these arrays, the U.S. Navy selected RJE International’s ATT-400 underwater acoustic transponder for subsea relocation in case of loss. At the end of each acoustic array, a RJE International ATT-400 is mounted to provide range and bearing for subsea recovery

Chile's Underdeep Solutions Adds Another Falcon ROV

Chile's Underdeep Solutions has expanded its ROV Fleet with a third Seaeye Falcon ROV, to support its aquaculture workUnderdeep’s latest Falcon is the second 1000m deep-rated version for the company, which specializes in fish farm inspection and support throughout Chile and the region.Underdeep's three Falcons are currently working at full capacity in the aquaculture facilities of the major aquaculture company, Salmones Camanchaca.In addition, Underdeep Solutions has been working for several years in the removal of structures from the Salmones Camanchaca concessions, as requested by

Seafarer Exploration Discovers Colonial-era Shipwreck Material Off Florida

Subsea salvage and exploration company Seafarer Exploration Corp. said Thursday it had discovered a large concentration of colonial-era shipwreck material in Area 2 off Melbourne Beach, Florida. "The historic period shipwreck material comprises a variety of artifacts situated within a concentrated area and includes standing rigging, ships fittings, rope and wood fragments," Seafarer Exploration said.According to the company, the historic artifact area is still under investigation and could either be part of the historic material previously found over the past few years or a second

Sonardyne's Sensors for Ocean Infinity's Armada USV Fleet

Ocean Infinity, a U.S. based marine survey firm developing the world's largest fleet of unmanned surface vessels - Armada - has ordered Sonardyne sensors for its robotic vessels.As reported previously, Ocean Infinity in February launched Armada, a marine technology and data company boasting the industry's largest fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USV).Sonardyne said Wednesday it would provide the first wave of Ocean Infinity’s new Armada fleet with key sensor technologies for underwater platform navigation, tracking, control, and communications, as well as ensuring uninterrupted

Enhanced Drilling Tech for Vår Energi's Ops Offshore Norway

Norwegian oil and gas company Vår Energi has signed a framework agreement with drilling equipment firm Enhanced Drilling.Under the agreement, Enhanced Drilling will provide Vår Energi with its Cutting Transportation System (CTS) and Riserless Mud Recovery (RMR) services on Vår Energi operated fields.According to Enhanced Drilling, headquartered in Straume just outside of Bergen, Norway, the RMR system ensures all mud and cuttings are returned to the rig, with zero discharge to the sea. "The result is a safer and more stable top-hole, drilled with minimal environmental impact.

SASEMAR, ASCM Recover Wreckage of Aircraft Crashed Off Spanish Coast

The Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Society in cooperation with ACSM, the Spanish provider of subsea services, have this week recovered the wreckage of a light aircraft Piper PA-34 Seneca, which fell into the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of delta de l'Ebre, close to Tarragona in Spain, at a water depth of 113 meters.Together with the aircraft, the SASEMAR/ACSM recovered the body of one of the pilots and return it to the family.The light aircraft disappeared from the radar on the November 3rd, 2020 during a standard route between the Ibiza Island and Reus, the capital of Baix Camp, in

Saab Seaeye Falcon Tapped for Swedish Survey

Peab Marin chose a Saab Seaeye Falcon as a multi-functional resource in support of the company’s marine survey, salvage and civil construction operations.The Swedish marine services company says the Falcon will secure a safer working environment for its divers and will be an “excellent tool” for surveying.Robert Hedin at Peab describes the important role the Falcon will play in diver safety. “Some work can offer serious risk for a commercial diver, especially Delta-P situations when the differential pressure between two water columns attempts to equalize, creating tremendous

Forum Bags Trenching System Contract for Cable Maintenance Project in SE Asia

Forum Energy Technologies won an order to supply subsea equipment for a major cable maintenance project in South East Asia, specifically a Perry XT500 trenching system and Dynacon Launch and Recovery System as well as associated surface power and control installations. The XT500 trenching system has a 3,000m depth rating and three meter ROV burial capability on the ocean floor. It uses Forum’s Integrated Control Engine (ICE) and has 500 HP power.The vehicle will be manufactured at Forum’s facility at Kirkbymoorside, Yorkshire and installed onboard the client’s vessel in early

Elakha: The Repowering of OSU's Valued Research Vessel

. Showing design influences of a typical forward house west coast style fishing boat, the Elakha’s after deck is set up for retrieving data from the ocean, although some fish research is also possible. The university works with a variety of organization to pursue research. The boat has enabled marine studies. Work has ranged widely including benthic ecology, oceanography, marine mammal studies, ornithology, climatology, fluid dynamics, marine ecology, and estuary ecology. Some of the most common types of work for the Elakha include dive operations, acoustic studies, glider deployment and recovery

Kraken Robotics Wraps Third OceanVision Survey Campaign

;This marks the 8th different vessel type that Kraken’s KATFISH has operated from, demonstrating the flexibility and robustness of operation on vessels ranging in length from 39 feet to 262 feet," Kraken said Friday.During the campaign, Kraken collected data in a variety of areas focusing on marine habitats, iceberg scours and other objects of interest, operating the KATFISH and ALARS in up to Sea State 6 conditions. KATFISH & ALARS in Very Heavy Seas - Credit: Kraken Robotics"In addition to capturing large amounts of ultra-high-definition seafloor data, Kraken was very pleased

Norway: USV LARS System Passes Test

Norwegian davit systems specialist Vestdavit has informed that its engineers, together with engineers from H. Henriksen have recently provided proof of concept for SOLUSV – a new launch and recovery system that simplifies and enhances Unmanned Surface Vehicle handling. The tests took place on board a Vestland Offshore vessel, whose existing boat and davit system were modified to accommodate SOLUSV equipment before the team oversaw repeated Launch and Recovery cycles.“We were very pleased that the testing proved that SOLUSV is an excellent method for the Launch and Recover of USVs

DriX USV Scores Contract with OECI

The Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI), funded by NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) recently signed a purchase contract to acquire a DriX Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) from iXblue.The contract consists of one DriX USV along with a novel custom-designed Universal Deployment System able to launch and recover the USV as well as other AUVs. The autonomous solution is expected to be put to sea by mid-2021.“The ability to launch and recover unmanned surface vessels as well as other autonomous systems like AUV’s from the same launch and recovery system allows

UK: Subsea Expo Delayed Due to Covid-19 Restrictions

Subsea Expo - a UK-based event focused on subsea engineering - has been postponed due to the current coronavirus-imposed restrictions.Subsea UK, the organizer of the event said Wednesday that the three-day conference and exhibition, along with the annual Subsea Awards dinner, would now take place on 25-27 May 2021 and not from 23-25 February 2021, as previously expected.Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “Unfortunately we have been forced to take the decision to postpone Subsea Expo. At the time of setting the February dates, we were confident that the worst of the global pandemic

Forum to Deliver Trenching ROV for Subsea Cable Project in Asia

Forum Energy Technologies has won an order to deliver specialist subsea equipment for what it said was a major cable maintenance project in South East Asia.The contract won through Forum’s local representatives, will see the company deploy a Perry XT500 trenching system and Dynacon Launch and Recovery System as well as associated surface power and control installations. The XT500 trenching system is suited for cable maintenance projects with a 3,000m depth rating and has three meter ROV burial capability on the ocean floor.The vehicle will be manufactured at Forum’s facility at

MacArtney LARS for Fifth Asia Pacific Research Vessel

MacArtney completed its order of a launch and recovery (LARS) system for Taiwan National University, the fifth Ocean Research Vessel (ORV) in the Asia Pacific region to date. MacArtney Asia Pacific provided the full launch and recovery system solution for the new vessel R/V New Ocean Researcher 1 (ORV 1), including slip rings, cables and docking heads. The 1,000 GT RV was completed on July 21, 2020.Behind ORV 1 is the CSBC Corporation, which built the ship for end-user Taiwan National University. CSBC, owning two shipyards, is the largest shipbuilding company in Taiwan. Now that ORV 1 has passed

'Attic' Oil Removed from Shell Bravo Concrete Storage Cell

legs.'Only' field-proven systemAccording to Enpro, its F-Decom system is the only field-proven system for securely accessing fluids within gravity-based structures (GBS) concrete cells "assisting operators to safely meet their decommissioning regulatory obligations to protect Europe’s marine environment."The project involved Enpro’s offshore engineers and onshore support teams working alongside DeepOcean’s operations and subsea teams onboard the construction vessel, the Maersk Forza. Enpro Subsea’s solution centers around its patented 'anchor hub'

Hydramec's LARS for Fugro's Uncrewed Surface Vessels

Offshore surveyor Fugro has ordered a Hydramec launch and recovery system for its new uncrewed surface vessels recently ordered from Sea-Kit.Fugro, based in the Netherlands, in August ordered two 12-meter SEA-KIT X class uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), with one bound for their Asia-Pacific region and the other for North Sea operations.The first of the 12-meter SEA-KIT X class USVs is expected to be delivered to Fugro in Perth, Australia, in the fourth quarter of 2020 and will feature remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) launch-and-recovery systems and station-keeping

Ocean Startup Challenge Awards 14 Companies $25K Each

airboats for inland and coastal water monitoring and surveying applications. Their boats are built to be simple and straightforward to operate, easy for users to customize with add-on equipment, and reliable in operation.Kavacha.ca (Canoe Cove, PE) uses fish waste to provide active protection to marine industries through direct-to-metal coatings in harsh environments. Their solution saves users more than 30% on material and labor, while increasing or maintaining asset lifetime, reducing toxin exposure/imprint, and providing a high-volume value add for a fishery waste stream.Marecomms Inc. (Halifax

MIND Tech, Klein Complete Naval Exercise

MIND Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIND) and its Klein Marine Systems subsidiary completed a live Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) in a collaborative effort with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD); Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC) and in coordination with the Naval Oceanographic Office's Fleet Survey Team (FST), at NSWC PCD.Klein and a group from NSWC Panama City partnered to integrate the Klein UUV 600 and µMAX technologies into its Iver3 vehicle.  In addition, Klein partnered with Seafloor Systems, Inc. to integrate the

Four HUGIN AUVs for the Indian Navy

Kongsberg Maritime sold four HUGIN AUV systems to the Indian Defense Public Sector shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), located in Kolkata, India. This sale was  conducted in collaboration with Kongsberg Maritime India, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime.The purchase, which also includes HiPAP 502 high-accuracy acoustic positioning and communication systems to support AUV operations, will be installed on the four Large Survey vessels currently in build for the Indian Navy. GRSE Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Vipin Saxena said: “We are

“CHASMAI” aims to Accelerate Subsea Tech Commercialization

Strathclyde University has endorsed a methodology developed by NSRI (National Subsea Research Institute) to accelerate the commercializaton of technology in support of the green recovery.NSRI developed a way of measuring commercial viability of a technical innovation to help fast-track getting it to market. Dubbed CHASMAI, the tool is designed to provide a clear indication of the potential commercial viability of early stage technology in the subsea industry that enables both innovators and investors.By measuring the viability of a technical concept through analysis of various factors including market

Huntington Ingalls Industries Building Unmanned Systems Hub

in Hampton will support America’s national security and play a key role in strengthening our economic recovery as we continue working to rebound from this health crisis.”“The new campus complements our current facilities in Massachusetts, Florida and Washington that have been delivering marine robotics to the Navy for nearly 20 years,” said Duane Fotheringham, president, Technical Solutions’ Unmanned Systems business group. “In order to manufacture and support large and extra-large UUVs, the size of the manufacturing operation needs to increase significantly. This new

Kraken Robotics: SeaScout System Tests Successful

Canadian marine tech company Kraken Robotics has said it has successfully completed over 3 weeks of sea trials in Nova Scotia with our SeaScout system installed on the company’s research and survey vessel, Ocean Seeker.The SeaScout system consists of the Kraken’s Autonomous Launch and Recovery System (ALARS), Tentacle Winch, and the KATFISH towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar underwater vehicle.According to Kraken, both the Tentacle Winch and the ALARS are constructed of non-welded aluminum for high strength, low weight, and low magnetic signature. "These properties are important for

Ocean Startup Challenge Shortlists 31 Companies for Prize

the shortlisted companies having ocean technologies in the earliest stages of development,” said Don Grant, Executive Director, Ocean Startup Project. “Another 19 shortlisted companies applied with working prototypes.”The shortlisted solutions involve environmental monitoring, reducing marine mammal entanglement in fishing gear, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, technologies to reduce corrosion and biofouling, networks of sensors and analysis tools, sustainable bait alternatives, vision systems, underwater communications and IoT networks, value-added by-products, fish health

Kraken Wins Pair of Navy Contracts

Canada-based marine technology company Kraken Robotics Inc. announced Tuesday it has won a pair of contracts to supply mine-hunting equipment to the navies in Denmark and Poland.The firm said it signed a $27.3 million (CAD 36 million) contract with Danish Ministry of Defense, Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) to supply mine-hunting sonar equipment to the Royal Danish Navy, and on September 1 it inked a deal to supply mine-hunting systems to the Polish Navy.The winner of a competitive bid process, Kraken will deliver its KATFISH towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar, Tentacle Winch and Autonomous

SMD Wins Subsea Plow Order

UK-based subsea vehicle manufacturer Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) has secured a new contract to deliver a subsea plow to a subsea cabling company.SMD said Thursday that, as part of the contract, it would supply its MD3-XT plow, capable of trenching up to 3.3 meters with jetting, at depths of up to 1,600 meters. As for the client, SMD didn't say who it was, just describing it as "a leading global subsea cabling company."The contract includes the installation and commissioning of the complete turnkey system including launch and recovery systems (LARS). The MD3‐XT plow is used in telecoms

How Coral, Mangroves and Seagrass Could be Affected by the Mauritius Oil Spill

bad things happen in the worst possible places – like the MV Wakashio running aground on shallow reefs off the south-east coast of Mauritius on July 25. The wreck of the bulk carrier ship began leaking oil in front of a nature reserve island (Ile aux Aigrettes), a couple of kilometres from a marine park (Blue Bay), and close to an internationally important wetland area (Pointe d’Esny Ramsar Site).The MV Wakashio was carrying 4,000 tonnes of oil, which hardly compares to the 400,000 tonnes spilled in the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. But it was the vessel’s proximity to the

USS Delivers Unmanned Surface Vessel to Tetra Tech

UK-based Unmanned Survey Solutions has delivered an Inception Class MKII semi-autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) to consulting and engineering company Tetra Tech.According to USS, the Inception Class MKII USV is a sensor agnostic, semi-autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) composed of tough aluminum hulls, weed cutting power propellers, and a versatile modular payload pod system.  It has been designed to conduct survey operations in areas such as harbours, ports, lakes, lagoons, mining ponds and other shallow water zones.  It can be operated by Remote-Control (RC) or as a semi-autonom

Film-Ocean Launches Compact ROV LARS

Film-Ocean, a provider of ROV solutions for the offshore energy sector, has recently built what it says is a compact ROV launch and recovery system (LARS).  "The LARS system is a versatile deployment solution for platform-based ROV operations. Film-Ocean’s compact LARS system has a smaller footprint than the more traditional A-frame systems, an overall weight reduction, and its built-in foldable knuckle boom crane allows for operations where height restrictions may present a challenge," the company said.According to Film-Ocean, depending on the requirements of the project, the

Petronas, FASTsubsea Working on 'Low-cost' Subsea Multiphase Pump

Petronas Research, a subsidiary of the Malaysian oil and gas giant Petronas, has joined a joint industry project to develop and test a low-cost, topside-less subsea multiphase pump.The company has signed a contract with FASTsubsea, a joint venture between Aker Solutions and FSubsea, to take part in the project.According to the agreement, Petronas Research will support the development and testing program while FASTsubsea is bringing the product to the market in 2022."Getting this participation from a large operator such as PETRONAS is a significant achievement, not least given current industry

OSIL Reports Export Milestone

UK-based marine monitoring systems manufacturer Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) says it has achieved an export milestone for global sales. Now exporting to more than 100 countries, OSIL’s global customer base is expanding despite a challenging climate, the company says.The 105th export country was Georgia with an order for Niskin Bottles and a Marine Nutrient Standards Kit shipped to an oceanographic laboratory for water quality monitoring. Other recent export sales include a 30m Giant Piston Corer system to Korean Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST) for its ongoing

Fugro Orders Two SEA-KIT USVs

.Ivar de Josselin de Jong, Director Remote Inspection at Fugro, said, “This order cements Fugro’s strategy to lead the development of remote and autonomous solutions, which is key to delivering a safer, more sustainable and more efficient approach to the construction and maintenance of marine assets. Integration of the new USVs into our global network of remote operation centers (ROC) will allow us to provide our clients with an entirely remote-controlled inspection solution for the first time in history. In addition to applications in the oil and gas industry, we specifically foresee

Salvors Outline Plan to Recover Titanic's Telegraph System

Marine salvors on Wednesday outlined plans to recover the Marconi wireless telegraph from inside the RMS Titanic after being cleared by a U.S. judge in May to retrieve a piece of history from the world's most famous shipwreck.Originally scheduled to embark on the mission to recover the system this summer, the private company with exclusive rights to salvage artifacts from the ship announced it has shifted its expedition to spring/early summer of 2021 to abide by ongoing travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic."The safety of our crew, ports where we conduct business and foremost the

ABB Power System for World’s Largest Diamond Recovery Vessel

The world's largest, and first custom-built, diamond recovery vessel, to be owned by Debmarine Namibia, will feature an advanced power system by the Swiss company ABB.The vessel is being built by Damen at Damen Shipyards Mangalia on the Black Sea in Romania. The newbuild will be delivered to Debmarine Namibia, a joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Group in 2022. De Beers Group is the world's leading diamond company.Namibia has the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world, with Debmarine Namibia extracting some of the highest quality

OVI: 103 Tons of Garbage Removed From North Pacific Gyre

Ocean Voyages Institute’s marine plastic recovery vessel, S/V KWAI, docked at the port of Honolulu at the end of June after a 48-day expedition successfully removing 103 tons (206,000 lbs.) of fishing nets and consumer plastics from the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone (more commonly known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or Gyre).The Pacific Gyre, located halfway between Hawaii and California, is the largest area with the most plastic, of the five major open ocean plastic accumulation regions, or Gyres, in the world’s oceans.This expedition sets a record for the largest at sea

Kraken Moves Closer to Finalizing Danish Minehunting Deal

Canadian marine technology company Kraken Robotics Inc. said its its wholly owned subsidiary, Kraken Robotic Systems Inc., has received notification that the complaint process regarding the Royal Danish Navy’s mine hunting upgrade program has been finalized. The Board of Complaints which oversaw the complaint process has ruled in favor of the Royal Danish Navy’s position on all points.Kraken originally announced in October 2019, that it was chosen as the successful bidder on a program for the acquisition of new sonar systems for an unnamed international navy. The delay since then was the

Geo Plus Takes Delivery of New Survey Vessel

Dutch shipbuilder Royal Niestern Sander has delivered the hydrographic survey vessel ‘Geo Ranger’ to Geo Plus, after 14 months of constructing, installing, commissioning and testing.The vessel last month successfully passed its sea trials on the river Ems.The ship was designed together with Conoship International BV and will be rented out by Geo Plus to parties that perform research, such as dredging companies and companies that build and maintain offshore wind farms. The 41 meters long, 8.7 meters wide  DP2 Geo Ranger is equipped with two high-class Azimuth stern thrusters and

Video: New Robotic LARS Put to the Test

monohull classic design, autonomous vehicle. Sea conditions during trials were as high as sea state 4, with gusting winds.The deployment of unmanned vessels across the maritime domain is escalating at a rapid pace. Unmanned vessels conduct a range of activities including research and surveys, secure marine assets, and supporting oil and gas drilling. However, the launches and recoveries of the unmanned vessels can be complicated, dangerous and limited in rough seas. This significantly degrades the effectiveness of the use of unmanned vessels as it involves considerable risk to the crews and potential

Poland's Ministry of Defense Orders Gavia AUVs

Teledyne Marine – Vehicles announced the Ministry of Defense of Poland has procured, through Remontowa Shipbuilding two additional Gavia autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) for its second and third Kormoran Class new MCMV. The anticipated delivery of two systems will be added to the current Gavia AUV fleet, which has been operated by the Polish Navy for Naval Mine CounterMeasures (NMCM).To complement the Gavia AUVs previously procured, the acquisition will include all required topside equipment, as well as the AUV operation and maintenance training.In 2014, Teledyne Gavia completed a competitive

ORE Catapult's Floating Wind Center Attracts Leading Offshore Energy Players

UK-based Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult said Monday that ten of the world’s leading offshore energy organizations have joined it  Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence (FOWCoE) to drive forward the development of next-generation offshore wind technologies.Offshore wind developers EDF Renewables, EDP Renewables, Equinor, ESB, Mainstream Renewable Power, ScottishPower Renewables, SSE Renewables, and Offshore Wind Power Ltd (OWPL), a Joint Venture between the Green Investment Group and RIDG, are joined by energy companies Total and Shell in the Centre of Excellence.ORE's

Aker Solutions Develops Faster Offshore Well Workover System

Norwegian engineering company Aker Solutions has said it has developed a modified workover system that enables faster and more cost-effective planned interventions. The concept will first be applied on Equinor’s Visund field in the North Sea, offshore Norway.Workover systems enable well access for subsea installation and completion, diagnostics, maintenance, repairs, enhanced production and finally plugging and abandonment.The operational concept entails delivering Aker Solutions’ multiWOS system by vessel and landing the system on either a subsea platform or a well. The vessel then

Sonardyne’s Sonar on SubSea Craft's New Diver Delivery System

charts in real-time, providing operators with a detailed topographical image of their route ahead.Vigilant FLS provides this easy to interpret 3D bathymetry out to 600 m over a 90° field of view, as well as automated warnings of unseen collision hazards out to 1.5 km, supporting safe navigation for mariners, underwater vehicle pilots and unmanned surface and subsea systems.SubSea Craft’s VICTA Class DDU offers the speed and endurance of a long-range insertion craft with the stealth and capacity of a swimmer delivery vehicle. It can travel up to 250 nautical miles (nm) at speeds of up to 40 knots

Scotland Unveils $78 Mln Fund to Support Energy Sector

The Scottish government said on Friday it has set up a 62 million pound ($78 million) fund to help the energy industry recover from the impacts of the coronavirus crisis and the collapse in oil and gas prices.The energy transition fund will support businesses in the sector over the next five years and help to attract private sector investment, focusing on Scotland's north east.Projects under consideration for funding include an underwater hub in Aberdeen to help the subsea and underwater sector to grow, an energy transition zone business park, and hydrogen projects."It is vital we move

Kongsberg's LARS for Ocean Infinity's Armada Robotic Ships

designed to handle remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from unmanned vessels.The contract has been signed with Ocean Infinity, who will install the system on their Armada fleet of robotic ships.To remind, US-based seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity in February launched Armada, a new marine technology and data company boasting the industry's largest fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USV).Armada, with a focus on combining technology and environmental sustainability, will initially add 15 bespoke designed marine robots to Ocean Infinity’s current fleet of autonomous underwater

US' Marine Economy Growth Outpacing the Nation's

America’s marine economy, including goods and services, contributed about $373 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2018 and grew faster than the nation’s economy as a whole, according to the marine economy statistics released today by two Department of Commerce agencies.“These statistics are the first-of-its-kind estimate of the U.S. marine economy, a primary driver of jobs, innovation and economic growth,” said retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator. “Data

Forum ROV Completes Trials for Vietnam Navy

completed harbor trials for the Vietnam Navy. The vehicle is the compact derivative of the XLX work class ROV, and is a heavy-duty work class hydraulic ROV with a depth rating of 4000m, outfitted with cameras, lights, altimeters and sonars.The Perry XLX-C will be used to support the Vietnamese’ submarine rescue vehicle in its operations during assessment and preparation of a site for a submersible rescue. The XLX-C is fitted with Forum’s latest technology and can deliver specialized equipment, including an Emergency Life Support System, to a distressed submarine. It was supplied with an Emergency

One-on-One with Duane Fotheringham, President, Unmanned Systems, HII

to Boeing on the Orca program, which broadens our portfolio and allows us to offer the full range of UUVs, from small class to extra large class.”HII is not simply a larger corporate entity, but one with a treasure trove of experience serving the U.S. Navy with both surface craft and nuclear submarines. “We are also able to leverage HII’s expertise in submarine and ship design to provide increased capability in platform integration,” said Fotheringham.With the move under the HII banner the Hydroid brand is transitioning into Huntington Ingalls Industries. According to Fotheringham

Australia Pressing Yang Ming to Pay for Container Cleanup

Dozens of containers lost from a ship at sea have been recovered off the coast of Australia as the country's maritime authority continues to press the vessel's owner to pay the $11 million cleanup costs.The 63 boxes plucked from the bottom of the Tasman Sea are among more than 80 lost from Yang Ming's containership YM Efficiency about 20 miles from shore in June 2018. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says it stepped in to handle the cleanup operations after the Taiwanese shipowner and its insurer Britannia P&I refused to take responsibility for retrieving the

USS Nevada Shipwreck Located

beneath the surface about 65 nautical miles southwest of Pearl Harbor, researchers said Monday.The USS Nevada (BB-36), which served in two world wars over the course of a career that spanned more than three and a half decades, was discovered by underwater and terrestrial archaeology firm SEARCH, Inc. and marine robotics company Ocean Infinity at the bottom of the Pacific.The mission was jointly coordinated between SEARCH's operations center and one of Ocean Infinity's vessels, Pacific Constructor. Pacific Constructor set sail for a range of commercial tasks in the Pacific in early 2020, ahead of

Unique Group Develops UXO Recovery System

its expertise in survey and buoyancy technology with Dutch UXO experts, Bodac, to develop an Unexploded Ordnance Lifting & Safe Disposal System (UXO-LSDS), which paves the way for contactless mine recovery.Bodac’s experience in UXO risk mitigation and explosive engineering services in the marine environment has been integrated with Unique Group’s technical expertise to develop the UXO-LSDS, which consists of a housing for two 9l, 300 bar composite cylinders and a Sonardyne Acoustic Lightweight Release Transponder (LRT).Working with known UXO weights and water depths, the UXO-LSDS can

Logan Builds ROV A-Frame for Gulf of Mexico Use

Hydraulic repair, manufacturing and rental company Logan Industries delivered a custom A-frame to TechnipFMC for one of the services company's new state-of-the-art remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV), which will deploy later this year.The Logan A-frame is a heavy weather, work class ROV launching system, designed to move some of the largest, work class ROVs in the market. The A-frame is designed for the ROV and a tether management system (TMS) on top, and can handle 17 MT overboard at a 5.3 m overboard reach. It has enough room to fully separate the ROV and TMS and stage them

ASL Environmental Sciences Aids Sea Ice Study

In a collaborative effort with the Nunatsiavut Government and Dalhousie University to measure ice, water current and other physical and biological properties of the marine environment, ASL Environmental Sciences Inc. contributed a prototype Log Ice Profiling Sonar (LogIPS), and on February 15, 2020, the sonar was deployed on a taut-line mooring in the waters off Nain, Nunatsiavut, Labrador.  The mooring also contained an acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) as well as data loggers for chlorophyll, turbidity, temperature-salinity and dissolved oxygen. The mooring was deployed through a hole

EvoLogics Modems Authorized for US Navy Use

ANU listing granted after favorable USBL accuracy testsEvoLogics underwater acoustic modems were recently listed as Authorized for Navy Use (ANU), following a lengthy period of testing and technical evaluation by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and The Emergency Ship Salvage Material (ESSM) System.  The ANU Program provides a list of selected diving equipment, tools and accessories which have undergone design safety reviews, testing and evaluation to ensure diver safety and acceptability.Engineers at ESSM who conducted the testing of the EvoLogics 18/34 kHz USBL modem system concluded “the

Early Works Start for First Taiwan-built Offshore Installation Vessel

CDWE, a joint venture company between Taiwanese company CSBC and Belgian offshore contractor DEME, has initiated the early works contract for the very first floating heavy lift and installation vessel to be built in Taiwan.To be named ‘Green Jade’, the vessel will be built at CSBC in Taiwan for delivery in 2022 for deployment in the growing local offshore wind market.CDWE, Taiwan’s first offshore wind EPCI contractor, was established in February 2019  by CSBC, the largest shipbuilder in Taiwan, and DEME Offshore.According to a statement on Thursday, the partners have agreed to

MacArtney Puts First All-Electric eLARS into Production

Manufacturing has now begun and the first eLARS system, expected to come out of production in summer 2020, is well underway.In line with customer demands, to meet the green agenda for more eco-friendly products, the all-electric eLARS, developed in collaboration with MacArtney customers, features a number of eco-friendly benefits. Zero pressurized oil over water significantly reduces the risk of oil spillage, and energy efficiency is improved by more than 30% compared to hydraulic systems.The new eLARS aims to provide a low cost of ownership with Plug-and-Play mobilization, maintenance work reduced by