Tech File: A Robotic Reach in Offshore Wind
based vessels, he says. But another goal is to give future uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) more capability.It’s been a challenge STL has been looking into since the early 2010s, when the need for better access systems became an issue, for offshore wind, but also normally unattended oil and gas facilities. While others have now commercially introduced gangway systems, STL has been developing “space stabilisation” and “synchronous stabilisation”. Its first concept, Neptune, got going in 2012, with government R&D funding. The Neptune a two-part articulated arm
A Robotic Reach in Offshore Wind
vessels, he says. But another goal is to give future uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) more capability.It’s been a challenge STL has been looking into since the early 2010s, when the need for better access systems became an issue, for offshore wind, but also normally unattended oil and gas facilities. While others have now commercially introduced gangway systems, STL has been developing “space stabilization” and “synchronous stabilization”. Its first concept, Neptune, got going in 2012, with government R&D funding. The Neptune is a two-part articulated
Nord Stream Breaches a Stark Reminder of Undersea Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
benefit or productivity gains.The leak is a reminder of the problem of “fugitive” methane, which comprises the leak, loss, escape and emission of gas from active or abandoned industrial sites.While emissions from beef and rice production are the main culprits of fugitive emissions, oil and gas facilities also leak a significant amount of methane, as do activities such as fracking, coal mining and oil extraction. CSIRO estimates global oil and gas industries emit between 69 and 88 million tonnes of methane each year.Australia’s undersea infrastructure networkCritical undersea infrastructure
First North Brazil Current Ring of 2022 Forms Offshore Suriname and French Guiana
;s EddyWatch team utilizes satellite imagery, drifting buoys, and rig-mounted current meters to monitor the location and current intensity of NBC rings. Over the next couple months, Ring Sylvia will migrate westward to west-northwestward along the coastline of Suriname and Guyana and impact active oil and gas facilities in the area. WHG has begun to issue daily forecasts to assist operators with planning safe and efficient operations in and around strong currents.More about the NBC SystemThe NBC is the swift northwestward-flowing current that forms where the westward-flowing Atlantic South Equatorial Current
Floating Offshore Wind: Attention Turns Subsea for Power Transport
less capex compared with putting it in on a semisubmersible, he says, but this isn’t a one size fits all solution – there are sweet spots, depending on water depth and how much power needs to be transmitted, he says. There’s also an opportunity to share infrastructure with oil and gas facilities, electrifying existing facilities, which could allow a phased approach to wind farm development. ABB and Kellas Infrastructure Partners are working on this idea, Birkmore says.Developer Aker Offshore Wind has said it will deploy a subsea substation if it wins its ScotWind bids – a major
ABB Wins US$60-Million Statoil Offshore Contract
(DSME) yard. Aasta Hansteen is a single cylinder Spar platform, the first of its kind destined for the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The topside module will be constructed at Hyundai Heavy Industries. “Reliable telecommunications are crucial for safe and efficient operations of oil and gas facilities,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process Automation division. “We have a balanced portfolio of telecommunications solutions for onshore and offshore installations, with current projects in Europe, North-America, Asia and the Middle East, which emphasize the competitive
Energy Initiative for Ex-military Personnel
appropriate skills and expertise on paper. If the same individual is able to meet with someone and given the opportunity to explain what they can offer, the outcome can be very positive for both parties.” SDS has experienced rapid growth due to increasing demand for its niche services in oil and gas facilities engineering and total project delivery as well as developing the business through providing a fully integrated service alongside other established Senergy business lines in subsurface and wells. Recognizing the value of the transferable knowledge held by those with similar military backgrounds
Decommissioning Industry Body Welcomes Increased Certainty for Sector
steadily from a current level of about £500million to over £1billion per annum within the next two to three years, perhaps reaching as many as 10 decommissioning projects each year. This is an increase on initial projections, which put the cost of decommissioning North Sea oil and gas facilities at between £24-30 billion within the same period to 2040 – and there is every chance the figure could rise again in future. When Norwegian, Danish and Dutch oil and gas facilities are included, the figure is expected to double. The sector is at an early stage of its development
February 2024
