US Sides with Philippines Against South China Sea Nature Preserve
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said the U.S. stood with Philippines and rejected what he described as China's "destabilizing plans" involving Scarborough Reef."Beijing claiming Scarborough Reef as a nature preserve is yet another coercive attempt to advance sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea at the expense of its neighbors," Rubio said in a statement.China's plan to establish a nature reserve in the Scarborough Shoal has raised fear among Filipino fishermen, who fear that it could make it harder for them to operate in the
China Approves to Establish Nature Reserve in South China Sea
China has approved the creation of a national nature reserve at thedisputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the government said on Wednesday, as Beijing moves to reinforce its territorial claims and maritime rights in the contested region.Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing calls Huangyan Island and which is known in the Philippines as the Panatag Shoal, has long been a flashpoint in the dispute between Beijing and Manila over sovereignty over and fishing access to a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.The Philippine embassy in Beijing
Reach Subsea’s USV Heads to Australia for Work with Woodside Energy
Norwegian subsea services firm Reach Subsea has sent off its Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) Reach Remote 2 to Australia to deliver services for Woodside Energy.The Reach Remote 2 USV will perform reservoir monitoring on the Scarborough gas field, utilizing Reach Subsea’s proprietary gWatch technology.gWatch is a reservoir monitoring technology widely used across Norwegian gas fields. It measures time-lapse gravity and seafloor deformation to detect small changes in reservoir mass and pressure.These high-precision measurements significantly reduce uncertainty in gas reserves (GIIP) and aquifer
XOCEAN to Deploy USV Fleet for Geophysical Survey at UK Offshore Wind Farm
A fleet of XOCEAN’s uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) will be deployed at Dogger Bank D offshore wind farm to carry out a multi-beam echosounder (MBES) geophysical survey, starting from August 13.Eleven XOCEAN USVs will be mobilized from Scarborough or Hartlepool Harbour where each USV will be escorted out of the harbor limits, before transiting to the survey area.Survey operations will be continuous 24hrs a day. Although vessels are uncrewed, they are managed remotely continuously using 360-degree cameras and other sensors.The works will begin on the August 13, 2024, and will continue until
Philippines Takes China to Task Over Coral Reef Destruction
The Philippines is challenging China to open Scarborough Shoal to international scrutiny after it accused Beijing of destroying the shoal's marine environment.Maritime tension has been rising in the South China Sea between Manila and Beijing, as the Philippines has accused China of using water cannon and blocking manoeuvres through disputed shoals and reefs.Control of the Scarborough Shoal, seized by China in 2012, figured in the Philippines case at a Hague arbitration tribunal, which ruled in 2016 that Beijing's claim to 90% of the South China Sea had no basis in international law."We
Mounting Evidence Shows Seismic Surveys Can Harm Marine Life
Woodside Energy last week announced it would start seismic testing for its Scarborough gas project off Australia’s west coast, before reversing the decision in the face of a legal challenge from Traditional Owners.Seismic testing is highly controversial in marine environments. Australia’s federal regulator (the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority) is currently examining a proposal for seismic testing in the Otway Basin in Bass Strait, which conservationists say has attracted more than 30,000 public submissions.Seismic testing is also mooted as part of
Saipem's Acoustic Subsea Pipeline Monitoring Tech Gets DNV Nod
monitoring during laying activities.According to Saipem, I.A.I can locate obstructions, pipe deformations and water ingress up to several kilometers away, all in real time. It can also classify and quantify detected anomalies and send the data to an operator.The system will be used during the Scarborough project in Australia, where, subject to the receipt of relevant regulatory approvals, Saipem will complete, on behalf of Woodside Energy, the export trunkline installation of the pipeline that will connect the Scarborough gas field to the onshore plant.Per Saipem, several I.A.U. prototypes have
Nord Stream Breaches a Stark Reminder of Undersea Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
connectivity they provide.Undersea pipelines delivering oil and gas from one country or state to another form the material basis of energy markets. Australia’s offshore energy pipelines include the 740km-long Tasmanian Gas Pipeline, 300km of which is sub-sea, as well as the Gorgon (140km), Scarborough (280km), Pluto (180km), Browse (400km), and numerous others.Undersea power cables are a rapidly developing infrastructure. The proposed undersea and underground Marinus power cable link will connect Tasmania and Victoria.Harnessing the potential of offshore wind (now one of the largest energy
Emergency Response Plans: Strohm's TCP Flowlines for Woodside's Scarborough Offshore Gas Field
Strohm, the developer of Thermoplastic Composite Pipes (TCP) for offshore energy applications, has won a contract to manufacture and deliver two TCP flowlines for Australia-based Woodside Energy's giant Scarborough offshore gas project. The company said its technology would form an integral part of the relief well emergency response plans for the well construction phase of the Scarborough field development.The development of the Scarborough field in the Exmouth sub-basin off the coast of Western Australia, will feature up to 13 subsea production wells to be constructed and tied-back to a
August 2025
