Fugro Arms Survey Fleet Against GPS Jamming After $28M Earnings Hit

Dutch geological data specialist Fugro said on Friday that Iran war-linked disruptions had dented its earnings by €25 million ($28 million) this year, including €10 million in the third quarter alone, while GPS jamming and restrictions on vessel movements continued to hamper Gulf offshore operations.

Some clients in the region have altered project plans and, in some cases, used their own vessels for work that would otherwise have been contracted to Fugro, CEO Mark Heine told Reuters.

"We have work, but it's not always possible to work because you have no navigation because the signals are being blocked, jammed," Heine said, adding that GPS interference could prevent survey vessels from carrying out work safely and accurately.

To mitigate the operational impact, Fugro has begun deploying new antennas and software designed to filter out or block jamming signals, allowing vessels to continue operating in affected areas.

Heine said some of the technology was already commercially available, while the company was also testing more advanced systems to further improve its resilience against interference.

The equipment has already been installed on several vessels and will be rolled out across Fugro's fleet operating in exposed areas. "That makes a difference already," Heine said.

Fugro also provides satellite positioning services through its Starfix technology, which is used to improve the accuracy and reliability of GPS signals.

($1 = 0.8957 euros)

(Reuters - Reporting by Hugo Lhomedet and Jerome Terroy in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)