RWE Brings Online Its First Floating Solar Plant
RWE has commissioned its first floating photovoltaic (PV) project. The project consists of around 13,400 solar panels that float on a lake near the Amer power plant in Geertruidenberg, in the Netherlands’ province of Noord- Brabant. The floating solar field has an installed capacity of 6.1 megawatts peak (MWp). The floating project was the latest of three solar installations at the Amer power plant.Roger Miesen, CEO of RWE Generation and Country Chair for the Netherlands: ”With Solar Park Amer we demonstrate that it is possible to turn conventional asset sites into landmark projects
Portugal's EDP to Scale Up Offshore Solar Plants in Southeast Asia
Portugal's main utility EDP will scale up its offshore floating solar farms in Southeast Asia, hoping to get a big slice of 16 gigawatt of photovoltaic power the region is expected to install over rivers and seas by 2030.EDP Chief Executive Officer Miguel Stilwell said on Friday the first of these farms, with a capacity of 5 megawatts, launched last year in Singapore by its unit Sunseap - Southeast Asia's fourth-largest solar operator - showed "positive and encouraging results"."EDP sees this new technology as a good trigger for its expansion in Southeast Asia, and is already
Rovco Nets UXO, Seabed Survey Deal at Dutch Offshore Wind Farm
Subsea and hydrographic survey services firm Rovco has signed a contract with the Dutch marine services contractor Van Oord to carry out subsea investigation works on Dutch offshore wind farm Hollandse Kust Noord. Rovco will perform an unexploded ordnance (UXO) investigation and identification campaign, as well as survey work across nominated locations on the wind farm with the removal of any potential debris objects at the site which may impede foundation and cable installation works.A high-definition 3D reconstruction of a surrogate UXO target using SubSLAM X2 technology. The surrogate target
VIDEO: Ørsted, DSV Test Cargo Drone Use in Offshore Wind Operations
Offshore wind developer Ørsted and logistics firm DSV are partnering up to test the use of cargo drones on offshore wind farms, with the aim to bring the spare parts warehouse closer to the service technicians.Ørsted said: "Offshore wind farms are usually located far from shore, and the service technicians and necessary spare parts are usually transported by ship. "Technicians bring their tools and the components most often needed for the wind turbines, but if special spare parts are needed, they must go back onshore to get them. This is both costly and time-consuming
MANTAS USV Enters the SES Rental Pool
; of MANTAS T12 USVs, as synchronized unmanned platforms can survey an area of the seafloor many times faster than a single manned platform. “Speed is a key factor in optimising marine surveys and providing more value to the end-customer,” said Daniel Esser, Managing Director of Nicola Offshore, which will be one of the first survey companies to augment its provision of survey services with the MANTAS T12. “As an offshore specialist with our own high-speed survey vessels, we are very keen to see how this new USV can help us deliver more value for our clients and potentially offer
TSC Subsea Deploys 'Industry's First' Acoustic Deepwater Hydrate Detection Solution
Norway-based subsea inspection solutions provider TSC Subsea said Thursday it had launched an industry first in acoustic deepwater hydrate detection solution, first deployed at a project offshore Angola.According to the company, the solutions. called the ART vPush, provides efficient, cost-effective, hydrate detection at a level that has not been previously available.The tool uses TSC Subsea’s ART technology on a moving platform to rapidly assess pipeline contents over complete pipe runs. Data is collected in real-time and processed with several algorithms to monitor signals from the far side of
Havfram Bags Senegalese Mooring Pre-Lay Contract from MODEC
Offshore services company Havfram announced it has been awarded a contract from MODEC Offshore Production Systems (Singapore) Pte Ltd. (MODEC) for the pre-installation of the subsea mooring system for a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) in 2022.MODEC’s parent company, MODEC, Inc., will supply this facility to Woodside, for deployment in Senegal as part of the Sangomar Field Development Phase 1 project. This phase will target approximately 230 million barrels of crude oil.“The Sangomar Field Development Phase 1 FPSO Mooring Pre-Lay project is another significant mooring
Digitalization: Leveraging Digital Innovation in Offshore Energy
There is an increasing expectation that oil and gas firms can demonstrate their value and efficiency through more data-centric processes, managing costs and reacting more quickly to changing market conditions. While the sector has typically been slow to adopt digital innovations, today’s offshore energy markets are fluid and fast-changing, and the ‘business as usual’ model will not necessarily yield the best future results.AI, automation and data-driven solutions are helping companies across industries to reduce costs, improve efficiency and cut emissions. Implementing digital
TechnipFMC to Deliver Subsea Production Systems for TotalEnergies' CLOV3 Project Offshore Angola
Oilfield services company TechnipFMC has won a contract with TotalEnergies EP Angola to supply subsea production systems for the CLOV3 development in Block 17, offshore Angola. TechnipFMC said the contract was a “significant” one, which for TechnipFMC means it is worth between $75 million and $250 million.This is the first contract under the companies’ new framework agreement covering subsea trees for brownfield developments in Block 17 in Angola. The CLOV3 contract includes what TechnipFMC calls Subsea 2.0 trees and associated controls, umbilical termination assemblies, jumpers
Rovco Returns to Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm
For the third year running, Rovco, a provider of offshore subsea and survey solutions, has been awarded a contract to carry out work on the Beatrice offshore wind farm.Commencing this month, the project will be delivered by Rovco’s UK-based team, and will involve survey work on all inter array cable and subsea jacket locations across Beatrice. The survey work provides a focused approach to the monitoring and reporting of asset and critical infrastructure conditions year-on-year, delivering vital insights that enable the planning of potential preventative maintenance and remedial works.Operated
James Fisher Wraps IRM Project for NEO Energy
;s continued operational capability and high performance to preserve safety and stability around the GPIII’s turret mooring system during ongoing production activities.Following the fast-tracked development of project specific procedures by the project delivery team, JF Subtech chartered the offshore construction vessel Olympic Challenger and mobilized a team of 35 offshore personnel to safely execute the scope of work.The scope of work included the removal of an existing thruster by lowering it through the GPIII hull, followed by subsea transfer and recovery to the deck of the diving support
Alcatel Submarine Network’s DC/FO Tech together with Equinor ASA wins the 2022 UTC Award
An innovative new subsea controls architecture designed to simplify how new fields and carbon capture and storage (CCS) sites can be developed and expanded has been announced as the winner of this year’s Underwater Technology Conference (UTC) Award.Alcatel Submarine Networks’ (ASN) DC/FO subsea power and communications solution combines subsea controls and power in a single, open-standard and standardised high voltage DC and fibre optic cable, reducing the cost and complexities involved in traditional and often more bespoke umbilical cable solutions.The same standard cross section can be
Subsea Compression: A Step Change at Ormen Lange
Shell and OneSubsea are on track to realizing a vision for subsea compression that will set new standards for delivering gas. When it comes onstream in late 2025, the Ormen Lange Phase 3 subsea multiphase compression project will expand the limits of this technology through one of the lowest carbon footprint developments globally, supporting the roadmap to net zero.How this step change in subsea technology is being achieved in the Norwegian Sea was the focus of an Underwater Technology Conference plenary session on subsea compression, led by Mads Hjelmeland – Managing Director, OneSubsea Processin
CorPower Ocean Debuts "Commercial Scale" Wave Energy
CorPower Ocean unveiled the CorPower C4, its first commercial scale Wave Energy Converter (WEC) and CorPack clusters, which the company contends will provide the building blocks for utility scale wave farms.Ultimately, the new CorPower C4 device will form part of a four-system wave array, off the coast of Aguçadoura, Portugal, creating a grid-connected wave farms.“This has been a decade-long development, with significant strides in the last few years to industrialise and optimize our wave energy technology," said Patrik Möller, Co-founder & CEO. "Following today’s
MDL and Jumbo Conclude GoM Mooring Installation
both directions.A further bespoke feature designed and manufactured by MDL was a skid frame to allow the HPU to skid with the Generation 1 RDS down the tracks.This project was the first joint installation by MDL and Jumbo in the Gulf of Mexico, but follows other mooring scopes in the Mediterranean and offshore Brazil in 2020-21.Paul Marshall, MDL Project Engineer, said, “From the onset MDL and Jumbo collaborated as One Team to support each client and mooring project at every stage. We received superb feedback, where both our on-board and office-based teams have been recognized for their professionalism
Robotics: Collaboration Pushes Boundaries of Offshore Cleaning and Inspection
Woodside collaborated with industry to create a state-of-the-art offshore caisson cleaning and inspection tool (CCAIT system), designed to enable safe and cost-effective remote inspection of offshore platforms.The unique system was designed, developed and deployed in less than 12 months via a collaboration led by Woodside Energy (Woodside) and incorporating Perth-based expertise from Nexxis, Monadelphous, WOMA, and Fugro.The CCAIT system incorporates a human-sized robot, designed to inspect the inside of caissons - vertical carbon steel pipes up to 70m long and up to 1.2m wide. These structures are
Sercel's Marine Seismic Acquisition System for KIGAM's Seismic Survey Vessel
French marine seismic data specialist CGG said Monday that its subsidiary Sercel had sold a complete marine seismic acquisition system to South Korean shipbuilder HJ Shipbuilding & Construction.The contract calls for the supply of a Seal 428 recording system, including Sentinel streamers, a Nautilus streamer positioning system, and G-Source II high-performance impulsive sources. The system will be delivered in the first half of 2023 to equip the R/V TAMHAE3, a 3D/4D seismic research vessel designed for the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM)."Taking advantage of the
Schlumberger, Subsea 7 Renew Subsea Integration Alliance for 7 More Years
Oilfield services giant Schlumberger and offshore installation specialist Subsea 7 have agreed to renew their Subsea Integration Alliance for a further seven years.Subsea Integration Alliance is an alliance between Subsea 7 and Schlumberger’s OneSubsea subsea technologies, production and processing systems business, under which the two companies jointly design, develop and deliver integrated subsea development solutions through the combination of subsurface expertise, subsea production systems (SPS), subsea processing systems, subsea umbilicals risers and flowlines systems (SURF), and life-of-fiel
ROV Pilots to Work from Home?
After working offshore for 15 years, and now with a young family at home, I have been applying a large portion of any free home life to self study and personal development to hopefully prepare myself for a transition back to an onshore career. Piloting from home wasn't quite my original intention! A long story short, being very much a learn-by-doing person, I set out to design and build my own version of an ROV hand control unit (HCU or Sticks) in a hope to pick up some necessary skills back in the electronics and coding world, but the project quickly evolved once I questioned. If I can control an
CorPower Ocean to Launch C4 Wave Energy Converter
CorPower Ocean will launch its next-generation C4 wave energy converter alongside its new ‘CorPack Concept’ providing the building blocks for future wave energy farms.The unveiling will happen in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 15. The new full-scale CorPower C4 device will be designed to form part of a four-system wave energy array, located off the coast of Aguçadoura, creating one of the world’s first grid-connected wave farms.“After a decade of development efforts, we are thrilled to unveil the CorPower C4 and the CorPack - our first commercial scale products,"
UWA Engineers Supporting Worley's Enhanced Subsea Gas Tieback Project
curve, eliminating the need for topsides and costly compression, and reducing the associated high carbon emissions. This allows for much greater tie-back distances and ultimately produces more gas.This energy-efficient alternative aims to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90 percent compared to offshore compression and platforms.“This new partnership with Worley will support a new, cutting-edge industry technology with the potential to significantly reduce the capital and carbon intensity of future gas projects, constituting a critical path in the transition to emissions neutrality,&rdquo
Ocean Floor Geophysics Buys NCS Subsea and Its P-Cable System
Ocean Floor Geophysics, Inc (OFG) has completed its acquisition of NCS SubSea, which provides ultra-high-resolution 3D seismic data to the oil and gas and new energy markets via its P-Cable system.According to info on NCS SubSea's website, P-Cable is a compact, flexible offshore seismic data acquisition system combined with patented navigation and positioning support technology that provides "extremely detailed ultrahigh-resolution images of the seafloor and subsurface geology.""With the addition of P-Cable technology, OFG now provides the broadest range of marine geophysical data
Minesto Deploys Dragon Class Tidal Kite in Faroe Islands
Tidal energy developer Minesto has this week launched its first Dragon Class tidal kite in Vestmanna, Faroe Islands, and has started producing electricity."[Minesto] has now successfully completed the first week of commissioning including satisfactory electricity production and verification of all core functionality with the new Dragon 4 tidal power plant in Vestmanna, Faroe Islands. The kite has generated first electricity to grid right "out of the box" and the commissioning plan has been executed as planned," Minesto said Wednesday.“We are very pleased to announce that the
Aker Solutions to Deliver Subsea Production System for Halten East
Norwegian offshore energy engineering and construction company Aker Solutions said Wednesday it had secured a sizeable contract from Equinor to deliver the subsea production system for the Halten East development, offshore Norway.Aker Solutions defines a sizeable contract as being between NOK 0.5 billion (around $52 million) and NOK 1.5 billion ($156,1 million).The news of the contract came as Equinor and its partners said Wednesday that they would spend around NOK 9 billion (around $937,5 million) to develop the area near the Åsgard field in the Norwegian Sea.The development concept is a subsea
Decarbonization: Geothermal Study Launched to Repurpose Old North Sea Wells
Petrofac, an international service provider to the energy industry, will be supporting deep geothermal specialist CeraPhi Energy in what has been described as a first-of-a-kind geothermal study looking at the repurposing of oil and gas wells using CeraPhi’s technology.The study, supported by the Net Zero Technology Centre in Aberdeen, will cover the initial phase of a staged process to determine how retrofitted wells can reduce the carbon footprint of an operating platform. The study will use EnQuest’s Magnus platform in the UK North Sea as the base case, for which Petrofac is also an
Claxton, Seabed Solutions Team Up to Help Operators Return Seabed to Natural State
state."The partnership simplifies procurement, increases project execution efficiency and reduces costs for infrastructure owners by offering a wider range of dredging, excavation, cutting and decommissioning equipment and services through one contract, a single interface and by using a combined offshore crew," Claxton said.Claxton, part of Acteon’s Energy Services division, and Seabed Solutions have extensive subsea experience, respectively. Claxton has had an operational presence in Norway for over nine years and expanded its base in 2019 to meet industry demand. Seabed Solutions
AUVs Deployed for Debris Clearance and Object Detection off Western Australia
Blue Ocean Monitoring and Vertech Group, said it has successfully executed a debris clearance and object detection survey using its L3 Harris OceanServer Iver-3 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) technology.The survey was required ahead of a planned jack-up rig installation next to an operating offshore platform in Western Australia, BOMS said. Equipped with an Edgetech 2205 sonar system the Iver-3 AUV was effective in collecting high-resolution side-scan and bathymetric data with full seafloor coverage within an area of 500m by 500m.According to BOMS, its team was able to demonstrate the technology
Proserv to Monitor Cables at Equinor's Hywind Scotland Floating Wind Farm Using 'Disruptive' Tech
UK-based Proserv said Wednesday it had secured a deal to supply its "holistic" cable monitoring system (CMS), ECG, at Equinor’s Hywind Scotland floating offshore wind farm.The 30 MW Hywind Scotland pilot park, consisting of five 6 MW turbines, is located off the coast of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire in northeast Scotland. It was the world’s first commercial floating offshore wind farm when it launched in 2017.Proserv will deliver its CMS to analyze the condition and integrity of export and inter-array cables across the wind farm utilizing the fiber optic cores within the cables.
Bourbon to Install Eolmed Floating Wind Farm in Mediterranean Sea
French offshore vessel operator Bourbon has won a contract to support the construction of the Eolmed project, a recently sanctioned pilot floating wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea, offshore France.The wind farm, owned by Qair, TotalEnergies, and BW Ideol, will consist of three floaters, each fitted with 10 MW turbines.This 30 MW project is located more than 18 km off the coast of Gruissan and Port la Nouvelle (Occitan region). The start of production is expected by mid-2024.Bourbon will be responsible for the offshore installation works, and its scope includes the detailed design, procuremen
Rapid Testing Facility for Tidal Turbine Blades Opened in Scotland
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).Lord Offord said the facility would “speed up the rollout of equipment that will capitalize on sustainable tidal power and underline Scotland’s place as a world leader in offshore renewables technology.”According to Babcock, the facility’s 75-tonne reaction frame, built by Babcock, is capable of exerting powerful forces on turbine blades more than 50 feet ( more than 15.24 meters) long. Tests on blades are carried out using a system of powerful hydraulic
Energy @ Sea: Powering Up in the Blue Desert
, creating a digital representation of the sea, and access to data and technology across all marine stakeholders. These and others on the list depend on collecting increasingly more ocean data. While technology to monitor marine systems is rapidly adapting and expanding, it surfaces new issues such as offshore energy generation and storage to support sensors, operating equipment, subsea vehicles and wind farms.What’s necessary, therefore, is a way to not only store energy onsite underwater, but to also replenish those systems in a renewable and sustainable way — TE Connectivity, a multi-industry
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate to Start Seabed Surveys for Offshore Wind
The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) has tasked the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) with conducting surveys in connection with awarding acreage for offshore wind.The NPD has been given the assignment to plan and implement a tendering process for preliminary surveys in the areas of Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord, which were opened for applications for renewable energy generation about 18 months ago.These surveys will gather basic seismic, bathymetry, and water column data. The Government is proposing an additional appropriation of NOK 65 million (around $6.
Renewable Energy: First Floating Tidal Power Delivered to Nova Scotia Grid
Sustainable Marine said it has successfully harnessed the tidal currents in Canada’s Bay of Fundy, delivering the first floating in-stream tidal power to Nova Scotia’s grid.Nova Scotia has allocated circa 30MW of capacity via demonstration permits and berths at FORCE (Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy) for developers to demonstrate their energy generation prowess. “Achieving ‘first power’ to the grid from our new platform in Grand Passage signals a real inflection point for our business,” said Jason Hayman, CEO, Sustainable Marine. “It crystalizes
Floating Solar Potential is Huge, But Not Without Challenges, DNV Says
The potential global capacity for deploying floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) power is currently around 4 terawatts (TW) and installed capacity will reach 10 gigawatts (GW) worldwide by 2025, energy expert and assurance provider DNV said Wednesday, but has warned that standards for FPV are lacking and that this could lead to project delays."While large scale ground-mounted photovoltaic development may be more challenging due to difficult terrain or land scarcity, many water bodies remain largely available for power generation – making the business case for FPV extremely attractive. After a
Petrobras Extends Deal for Use of CGG's Seismic Processing Software
French offshore seismic data services company CGG said Wednesday that it had recently signed an expanded five-year licensing agreement with the Brazilian oil company Petrobras for Geovation seismic processing and imaging software.CGG said the deal would give Petrobras geoscientists access to advanced technology innovations, including full-waveform inversion (FWI), and significantly enhance their imaging capabilities.Peter Whiting, EVP, Geoscience, CGG, said: “During our 60-year operating history in Brazil, we have developed a close technology and business partnership with Petrobras which has
Carbon Capture & Storage: A New Lease of Life for Submarine Pipelines?
, increased energy security. Many are eying use of existing pipeline to make both happen. Elaine Maslin takes a look.Hydrogen production and CCS offers a more or less “green” decarbonization options for oil and gas companies, alongside carbon capture and storage (CCS), especially if existing offshore infrastructure could be reused to make it happen. Instead of bringing natural gas onshore from offshore reservoirs, existing pipelines could be connected with offshore wind parks that produce hydrogen, when there’s excess wind power. Alternatively, they could be used to export sequestered
PHOTO: Ocean Infinity's First 78-meter Robotic Ship Hits the Water
Ocean Infinity, a seabed survey and ocean research company based in the United States, has released the first photographs of their Armada 78m remotely operated ship taking to the water, and shared them with Offshore Engineer.More than two years ago, in February 2020, Ocean Infinity first announced its plans to build the world's largest fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USV). Then in November 2020, it decided to expand the fleet with 78 meters long robotic vessels that can be optionally crewed, placing an order for six of those units with VARD.In a statement on Monday, sharing the Armada 78m
ION Geophysical Reprocesses 62,000 km of Colombia's Vintage Offshore Seismic Data
Offshore seismic data company ION Geophysical has completed reprocessing of the prestack time and depth imaging of over 62,000 km of legacy data acquired from the National Hydrocarbon Agency of Colombia (ANH) for its Colombia Caribe 2D reprocessing program. The Caribe Colombia Reprocessing project is a 2D multi-client program designed to improve understanding of the area and tie all main offshore wells.According to ION Geophysical, the multi-client reprocessing provides a consistent parameterization of 18 surveys with vintages ranging from 1982 through 2014, and, combined with its PanamaSPAN and
Ocean Harvesting's Wave Energy Converter to Feature Buoy Made of High-strength Concrete
parts are easily constructed, transported, installed and maintained, make InfinityWEC a very competitive solution for the future global energy market. The market for InfinityWEC ranges from utility-scale wave farms to off-grid power supply, for island communities, green hydrogen production and other offshore industrial installations such as oil & gas and aquaculture," the company says, describing the WEC.The next development stage for Ocean Harvesting is a sea trial of InfinityWEC at scale 1:3, a project planned to start in November 2022. The sea trial will demonstrate the InfinityWEC technology
Wood Partners with Nauticus Robotics for Subsea Maintenance Services
Nauticus Robotics, Inc. Houston-area developer of offshore subsea and surface robots and autonomy software, and Wood PLC, a global consulting and engineering company have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) focused on the development of an integrated service offering to provide more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly maintenance of the end customers’ subsea infrastructures.“This is a great example of the offshore digitization effort and novel use of emerging offshore robotics. Combining these two innovations make perfect sense,” said Todd Newell, SVP of Business
DEME Offshore, Barge Master Develop Feeder Solution for U.S. Offshore Wind Farms
Belgian offshore installation firm Deme Offshore and Dutch company Barge Master, which specializes in offshore motion compensation systems, have partnered up to further develop a U.S. Jones Act-compliant feeder solution for the upcoming offshore wind projects in the U.S.Last year, DEME Offshore was selected by wind farm developer Vineyard Vind to provide the offshore transport and installation of 62 GE Haliade offshore wind turbines for the Vineyard Wind 1 project, the first large-scale offshore wind installation in the United States. In a statement on Wednesday, DEME said it would collaborate
Baker Hughes Says Its New Subsea Wellhead Tech Saves Rig Time, Costs
new subsea wellhead technology, the MS-2 Annulus Seal.According to Baker Hughes, the seal can save substantial operational rig costs by helping lower overall wellhead installation costs due to reduced rig trips. "The new integrated sealing solution, globally launched and exhibited at the 2022 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, has already been adopted by multiple customers in North and South America. The MS-2 Annulus Seal is the latest technological development to Baker Hughes’ existing wellhead seal, the MS-SN, which brings increased operator confidence in well integrity and further
PXGEO Activates Second OBN Crew for CGG Project in North Sea
Marine seismic company PXGEO said Tuesday it was activating a second Ocean Bottom Node crew for a seismic acquisition project in the North Sea."CGG has awarded this work to PXGEO as part of a hybrid streamer and ocean bottom node project, with a duration of approximately three months," PXGEO said. No further details were shared.In June 2021, PXGEO acquired Fugro's subsidiary Seabed Geosolutions, a company specializing in Ocean Bottom Node surveys.The acquisition included a substantial ocean bottom node inventory, handling equipment, related technology, intellectual property, and
DeepOcean Becomes Aker BP's Preferred Subsea Inspection, Intervention Supplier
Subsea services company DeepOcean has entered into a long-term strategic partnership agreement with the Norwegian oil and gas company Aker BP.Under the agreement, DeepOcean will be Aker BP’s preferred supplier of subsea operations related to inspection, intervention, repair, survey, and emergent operations together with associated onshore engineering and project management services.Further, DeepOcean will supply additional vessel capacity and subsea services that may be required by Aker BP and its Subsea Alliance.The agreement has a duration until the end of 2026 with options to extend it for
TechnipFMC Gets Notice to Proceed, Wins More Work at Exxon's Yellowtail Project Offshore Guyana
Oilfield services giant TechnipFMC has secured an additional contract and received notice to proceed from ExxonMobil for its Yellowtail development in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.The newly announced, "significant" flexibles contract covers six risers that are qualified for high pressure and high temperature. For TechnipFMC, a “significant” contract is between $75 million and $250 million.The company has also been given full notice to proceed with the previously announced contract for the subsea production system (SPS), following ExxonMobil’s final investment
Acteon Reveals New Structure in Offshore Renewables Push
Acteon, an offshore services and equipment provider, on Wednesday announced a new structure that it said would further accelerate its growth in offshore renewables. "Three new client-facing service divisions, Data and Robotics, Engineering, Moorings and Foundations, and Energy Services, represent a further milestone in the implementation of the strategy Acteon unveiled in 2021 to deliver services with demonstrable commercial and environmental benefits that help to enable the energy transition," Acteon said."This new structure better aligns our service offering to closely match the
NextGeo Wraps Up Offshore Cable Route Surveys for TenneT in Dutch North Sea
Marine geoscience and offshore construction support service provide NextGeo has completed offshore cable route surveys in the Dutch North Sea in support of TenneT's and the Dutch government’s program to increase offshore wind capacity by 2030.The company has recently completed the final reporting phase of the offshore route survey activities (non-UXO). The project covered the Hollandse Kust West Beta (HKWb), Ten Noorden van de Waddeneilanden (TNW) and IJmuiden Ver Alpha, Beta and Gamma export cable routes, extending from beach to the offshore platform area. NextGeo Taps PanGeo For
Smarter, Safer, Cheaper: A Six-legged Robot Autonomously Inspects Wind Turbine Bolts
A six-legged robot has demonstrated how it can inspect wind turbine bolts autonomously, removing the need for technicians to loosen and retighten thousands of bolts per wind turbine as part of routine maintenance.Funded by Innovate UK and executed in collaboration with GE Renewable Energy and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, the project brought together BladeBUG and EchoBolt, both fast-growing UK SMEs with their own separate technologies.The cost savings to the European onshore and offshore wind fleet could exceed £250 million (around $318 million) per year, according to ORE Catapult
C-Innovation Brings Remote Survey Service to Gulf of Mexico
Edison Chouest Offshore's affiliate C-Innovation has, through its C-Survey (C-S) division, brought its remote survey operations to the Gulf of Mexico for the first time, after two years of successful operation in Guyana.According to C-Innovation, remote surveys enable C-S to be fully operational 24/7 without personnel being onboard a vessel, eliminating associated travel time and expenses, offshore health and safety exposure, and the need for COVID-19 related measures.Credit: C-Innovation"After two years of successful operations in Guyana, C-S has now successfully completed its first biological
Acteon's Benthic Set to Launch Next-gen Portable Remotely Operated Drill PROD5
Benthic, an Acteon geotechnical services and technology firm, is set to launch the next generation of its portable, remotely operated drill: PROD5, also aimed at increasing productivity and cutting costs for the offshore renewable energy industry.PROD5, Benthic says, has radical new functionality, including nearly double the tool load of previous systems and a drill enhancement package (DEP).“PROD5 is designed to provide customers with the superior geotechnical data they need, in challenging environments, with greater productivity, to enable offshore energy transition projects specifical
Brunei Shell Petroleum Selects ION Geophysical's Marine Logistics Software
Offshore seismic services and technology company ION Geophysical has won a five-year contract with Brunei Shell Petroleum Co. (BSP), a joint venture between the Government of Brunei and Shell, for a digital solution to manage marine logistics. ION said that the solution would be delivered utilizing the Marlin marine optimization software suite and will include vessel monitoring, berth management, and visual reporting tools for material supply workflows. "The solution will digitize a number of manual processes and will also interface with existing tools, enhancing BSP’s ability to
TechnipFMC Secures 'Significant' iEPCI Deal with Wintershall in Norway
Oilfield services firm TechnipFMC has said it has won a significant integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (iEPCI) contract with Wintershall Dea Norge AS for its Maria revitalization project, offshore Norway. For TechnipFMC, a “significant” contract is between $75 million and $250 million.The project will increase output at the existing Maria field in the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The contract includes subsea trees, spools, jumpers, and flexible pipes. The revitalization project will tie in an additional lightweight six-slot integrated template structures
Gall Thomson Launches Emergency Mooring Release System for Offshore Applications
and safely," the company said.According to Gall Thomson, PODx utilizes release bolt technology that automatically separates on demand, providing an identified parting point in the mooring line. This allows it to reliably release in under 100 milliseconds. It is designed for use in a variety of offshore applications including FPSO, emergency mooring release system, and Anchor Handling Vessels. PODx uses a range of block and releases bolt sizes specific to the load requirement.Fred Boufennane, Business Development Director at Gall Thomson, says: “PODx is a simple and robust solution to a serious
NextGeo Taps PanGeo For Detailed Survey on Hollandse Kust West Beta Cable Routes
Marine geoscience and offshore construction support service provider NextGeo has selected PanGeo Subsea, a Kraken Robotics Company, to provide its Sub-Bottom Imager (SBI) technology to conduct a detailed survey in the Dutch North Sea along the cable route running from TenneT's planned Hollandse Kust West Beta offshore wind substation.NextGEO has been carrying out various works as part of its contract with TenneT TSO B.V. for UXO survey services in support of the vast offshore wind energy program promoted by the Dutch Government in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.Following the completion of a
POSH, Seamec Kick Off Work on ONGC Pipeline Project
Offshore marine services provider POSH, with its consortium partner Seamec, has started work on a subsea installation and construction project off India’s west coast, after securing a contract of over $100 million.The two companies are providing subsea services for the seventh development phase of the Indian national oil firm ONGC's Pipeline Replacement Project (“PRP-7”) for engineering, procurement, and construction conglomerate Larsen and Toubro (“L&T”).POSH will deploy four vessels including the heavy subsea construction and installation vessel POSH Natuna and
Sustainable Marine Preps to Feed Tidal Energy into Nova Scotia Grid
Sustainable Marine is poised to push the button and feed zero emission electricity generated from the tidal flows in the Bay of Fundy into the Nova Scotia grid, an achievement that follows several months of intense activity in the Bay of Fundy by Sustainable Marine’s Canadian, British and German team, supported by an international network of supply chain partners.After laying a 1km underwater cable in late January, the firm subsequently connected its PLAT-I 6.4 tidal energy system to a purpose-built substation, located on the shores of Grand Passage. Final inspections were conducted by Canada&rsqu
Ørsted, Repsol Eye Floating Wind Turbine Deployment Offshore Spain
Danish offshore wind developer Ørsted and Spanish oil company Repsol have partnered up to explore joint deployment of floating wind turbines offshore Spain."After several years of concept development and small-scale testing, floating offshore wind is now on the brink of commercialization, and the global floating offshore wind market is expected to reach 21 GW of installed capacity by 2035, according to estimates from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Spain targets 3 GW floating offshore wind by 2030, and the Spanish supply chain is well-prepared to enter floating offshore wind on the back of
Strohm, Petronas Partner Up to Commercialize Thermoplastic Composite Pipes
to improved transportation and installation costs, and lower carbon footprint," Strohm said.For flowlines, Strohm explains, an added benefit is the reduction in pressure drops and improvement of multiphase flow conditions, thanks to a smooth bore, bonded pipe, immune to any gas permeation risks.Offshore Oil: Thermoplastic Composite Pipes Have Much Lower Carbon Footprint Compared to Steel Pipelines, JIP ShowsFor jumpers, Strohm adds, a particular edge is the elimination of offshore metrology requirements, which has a considerable impact on the cost and schedule risk associated with vessel standby
Ashtead Technology Wraps Subsea Installation Monitoring Project Using LUMA Modems
first significant project using the LUMA modems, Ashtead Technology said Monday: "The project saw Ashtead Technology provide its Autonomous Structure Monitoring Systems, which were each integrated with LUMA optical modems, to complete an underwater installation monitoring work scope for subsea and offshore wind contractor, Havfram, in the Norwegian North Sea."Ashtead Technology, Hydromea in Subsea Wireless Tech DealThe work scope included the provision of ten Autonomous Structure Monitoring Systems, two for each suction anchor template, and an additional four Autonomous Structure Monitoring Systems
GustoMSC's Floating Wind Platform Model Passes Harsh Environment Tests
GustoMSC said Tuesday it had recently completed model tests on its Tri-Floater semi-submersible floater capable of hosting very large wind turbines. Among other tests, the floater passed the tests involving extreme sea state with a significant wave height of 13.5 m and wind speed at hub height of 190 km/h.The tests were performed at the Océanide wave basin in South-East France on a 1:50 scale model of the Tri-Floater hosting the 15 MW NREL reference wind turbine. The floater was subjected to simultaneous wind, wave, and current loading in the wave basin, GustoMSC said."Due to the optimized
Kongsberg's cNODE Mantis: A Second Set of Eyes For Subsea Installation Tasks
with a Mantis receiver, or towards a separate receiver installed on a surface vessel,” adds Spencer Collins, VP Sales, Kongsberg Maritime. “Its adaptability makes it as useful a tool for applications such as marine research as it does for the construction, surveying and maintenance of offshore assets.”
Ashtead Technology In Exclusive Rental Deal with Subsea Leak Detection Firm OceanTools
UK-based subsea rental equipment and solutions specialist Ashtead Technology has signed an exclusive rental agreement with Aberdeen-based OceanTools, a subsea engineering company.OceanTools specializes in the design and manufacture of underwater technologies. Under the terms of the agreement, Ashtead Technology will be the exclusive rental partner for OceanTools’ DyeTectors systems, including the latest D10 DyeTector.The D10 DyeTector is a subsea leak, dye, and cement detector developed with three sets of optical components to detect the three primary dyes used for underwater detection - rhodamine
Wind Turbines Can Breathe New Life into Warming Seas
Offshore wind is set to move further and further from shore, as demand for renewable energy grows and new floating turbine technology makes deep-water expansion possible. However, for the first time, large areas of the UK continental shelf now open for development are “seasonally stratified”. David Attenborough has described these seasonal seas as some of the most biologically productive on the planet. While they only cover 7% of the ocean, they are estimated to account for somewhere between 10% and 30% of the life at the bottom of the food web.According to our new research, one byproduct
Plymouth University, Kongsberg Digital Partner to 'Revolutionize' Floating Offshore Wind Ops
The University of Plymouth and Kongsberg Digital, a provider of software solutions to maritime, oil and gas, renewables, and utility sectors, have partnered up to create a new system they say could revolutionize the UK’s floating offshore wind sector."By combining cutting-edge simulator technology to provide a synthetic offshore wind environment in real-time and the university’s R&D expertise, the partnership aims to provide offshore wind project teams and crew with facilities to verify, test and optimize installation and maintenance projects," Kongsberg Digital said Tuesday.
Decommissioning: Corals on Oil Platforms Could Kick-start the Deep-sea Ecosystem
expertise to design and deploy coral restoration units will be essential. For example, it might be feasible to adapt low-cost torpedo moorings to deploy coral colonies and give them an optimal position to feed and grow above the seafloor. Any restoration must be monitored, and restoration units close to offshore industry installations could be monitored during maintenance and inspection activities. We also need to recognize the role these corals now play in the North Sea ecosystem and take this into account when deciding on platform decommissioning strategies.We have now entered two closely linked United
Tidal Testing Tool Put Through Paces at Wales’ National Marine Test Site, META
Trials are underway at Wales’ National Testing site in the Milford Haven Waterway, Pembrokeshire, to help developers identify the best locations for tidal turbines as well as to test new technologies.During a month-long trial by Swansea University, a full-scale triangular-framed device was lowered to the seabed to measure the speed of the current."Traditional instruments rely on diverging beams to measure peak flow velocity, but researchers led by Professor Ian Masters and his team modified the design to create a converging acoustic doppler current profiler (C-ADCP). Each arm of the triangula
'Ultra-high-resolution 3D seismic' - Ocean Floor Geophysics Acquires NCS SubSea
Offshore survey company Ocean Floor Geophysics, in partnership with the Norwegian seismic player PGS, its largest shareholder, has signed a deal to acquire NCS SubSea, a company that provides ultra-high-resolution 3D seismic data to the oil & gas and new energy markets via its P-Cable system."With the addition of P-Cable technology, OFG now provides the broadest range of marine geophysical data technology and services available in the offshore market today, offering the widest range of sensor solutions from surface, AUV, and ROV platforms, combined with unique multiphysics processing, integrati
Wave Energy Tech Firm Mocean Energy Secures Major Investment
developing our next-generation Blue Star 20, a 20 kW machine based on a new optimized geometry, which will include solar panels and a novel direct-drive generator, with trials and rollout targeted for 2024-25.“Both products are aimed at opportunities in the oil and gas energy transition, defense, offshore wind, and ocean science markets where they can be used to provide power to remote subsea equipment, robotics, and monitoring systems,” McNatt says.The company says it has seen increasing interest from the oil and gas sector and has opened a dedicated office in Aberdeen to meet customer demand
Saab Seaeye Cougar tapped for work in Japan's Offshore Renewable Sector
Japan’s growing offshore wind industry is gaining a Saab Seaeye Cougar XTi underwater robotic vehicle for cable burial inspection and other roles. Kaiyo Engineering has acquired the 2000m rated Cougar for deployment from a 250-ton mother ship, the Kaiyo Maru. Kaiyo Maru is one of a fleet of vessels belonging to Kaiyo Engineering, the only privately owned research and observation company in Japan.The Cougar XTi adds to Kaiyo’s portfolio of Saab Seaeye robots that include a Leopard and a Falcon.In addition to its cable inspection role, the Cougar will also be used by Kaiyo Engineering
February 2022
