CTI Debuts Contact Rationalizing and Map Corrections Software

Chesapeake Technology Inc. (CTI), a producer of real-time sonar acquisition and GIS based processing software for seafloor mapping, announced two new capabilities that will allow users to better organize sonar contacts and improve sonar mosaic accuracy. New Contact Rationalizing, available on SonarWiz version 05.06.0052, allows a user to combine contacts into a single merged target with an average position.

Open Water Coil Tubing Drilling Off Norway

At the beginning of the year, Island Offshore with their partner Baker Hughes entered a back-to-back agreement with VTT Maritime who had been awarded a contract for ground core sampling above – in what is reported to be – the world’s longest (25.5 km) and deepest (385m) subsea road tunnel, named Rogfast. Together with the end client Statens Vegvesen, (“Norwegian Public Roads Administration”), it was decided that Island Offshore’s new coiled tubing drilling method should be applied.

Cortez Subsea Appoints New Operations Director

Subsea services and technology products company Cortez Subsea has appointed a new operations director, as the company looks to expand its scope internationally. Tony McKay has joined the company at a time of rapid growth as demand for their services is expected to increase following U.K. patent approval of their Modular Pipelay System (MPS). With more than 35 years of professional experience working onshore and offshore in the oil and gas industry…

Norvestor to Become PG’s Largest Shareholder

Norvestor VI, L.P., a fund advised by Norvestor Equity AS, announced it has signed an agreement to invest in Ing Per Gjerdrum AS including its subsidiaries PG Hydraulics AS and PG Construction AS. The transaction is expected to close end of October 2014, subject to customary approval from the Norwegian Competition Authorities. Following the acquisition, Norvestor will become the largest shareholder in PG with about 63 % of the shares…

euRathlon Marine Robot Competitions at CMRE

The NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) has just concluded two intense weeks of student challenges with a multi-domain demonstration. After the Student Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge - Europe (SAUC-E), hosted for the fifth year in a row in CMRE’s sheltered harbor, from September 20 to 26, the first euRathlon sea robotic competition was held in the same venue from September 29 to October 3.

Geo Shipyard Delivers R/V Apalachee

Geo Shipyard Inc, New Iberia, La, delivered the R/V Apalachee, a 64x21x9’, aluminum catamaran for Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, St Teresa, Florida. Designed by Fyffe Yachts with NC lofting by Eli Ring, VP of Advance Fabricating, both of Kemah, Texas, the 48 passenger T-boat will support a verity of research missions in the Gulf of Mexico. DeJong and Lebet, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida provided construction oversight and plan review.

UDT 2013 to Highlight Subsea Innovation

Returning to Hamburg for the fifth time, Undersea Defense Technology (UDT) 2013 will take place in the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH), from June 18-20. UDT has for the last 26 years offered visitors to the exhibition floor a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the technological advancements in undersea equipment. An eclectic mix of companies have already committed to this year’s event. The exhibition floor will feature stands from Babcock…

Latest Underwater GAPS Launched by iXBlue

iXBlue has launched the next generation of its underwater global acoustic positioning system (GAPS), designated GAPS-NG. The manufacturers say that GAPS-NG, like its predecessor GAPS, is a truly portable and precalibrated ultra-short baseline positioning system (USBL) that incorporates INS and GPS technologies. The system is designed to work in demanding environments, notably acoustically challenging and/or extremely shallow waters, where other systems commonly fall down.

Coast Guard Helps Deploy Seismic Sensors in Southeast Alaska

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Maple worked with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey to deploy 12 seismic sensors along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault, northwest of Craig, Alaska. The team placed the ocean-bottom seismometers along a 28-mile section of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault to improve understanding of recent earthquake activity and associated seismic and tsunami hazards in Southeast Alaska coastal communities.

Expro Celebrates 40 Years of Technology at OTC 2013

An international oilfield services company, Expro, is celebrating its 40th anniversary at this year’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston by showcasing its investment in new technology and innovation. As part of that commitment Expro is launching the proto-type HawkEye V downhole camera, new high pressure/high temperature (HP/HT) Drill Stem Testing (DST) BigCat  packer, and Expro Annulus operated Circulating and Test (ExACT) tool.

OTC 2013 Spotlight On New Technology Awards

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), which takes place May 6-9 in Houston, announced 15 technologies that will receive the 2013 Spotlight on New Technology Award recognizing innovative new products that provide significant impact for offshore exploration and production. The Spotlight on New Technology Awards, which are for OTC exhibitors, showcase the latest and most advanced hardware and software technologies that are leading the industry into the future.

Three MacGregor Offshore Cranes Specified for New DSV

A new dive support vessel (DSV), optimized for operations in the North Sea, will feature three MacGregor offshore cranes, enabling efficient load-handling in the subsea environment. MacGregor, part of Cargotec, secured a new contract for one 120-ton active heave-compensated (AHC) MacGregor offshore crane and two 10-ton offshore cranes from South Korean shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). The cranes…

US, Canada, EU, Sign Atlantic Ocean Research Accord

The recently signed "Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation" concerns research into the workings of the Atlantic Ocean and its interaction with the Arctic. The alliance will build on existing bilateral cooperation agreements and projects with the aim of developing and advancing a shared vision for the Atlantic. For the European Union, the Statement was signed by European Commissioner for Research…

Inland Waterway Safety Advancement: Port of Pittsburgh & CONSUL Join Hands

CONSOL Energy & Port of Pittsburgh unveil a state-of-the art broadband network designed to Improve efficiency & safety on Inland waterways. Aboard its newly refurbished river fleet vessel, the M/V Safety Pledge, CONSOL Energy Inc. and the Port of Pittsburgh Commission have unveiled the first wireless broadband network deployed on inland waterways in the United States. Developed exclusively on Pittsburgh's three rivers over the past several months…

Seajacks Orders Giant Wind Farm Installation Vessel

Seajacks International contract Samsung Heavy Industries to build what they claim to be the world’s largest and most advanced offshore wind farm installation vessel. The vessel has been specifically designed to meet the demands associated with working UK Round 3, Scottish territorial waters and the other North West European markets. Seajacks also has options for the construction of an additional two units. The new construction vessel will be delivered in the second half of 2015.

Ocean Server, SeeByte Collaborate for Environmental Assessment

A group of marine industry technology providers gathered in San Diego, using OceanServer Technology's Iver2 AUVs as the payload platform, to demonstrate improvements for both Sonar and Magnetic Sensor data collection and subsequent "in-stride" and post-mission data analysis methods. These methods are emerging through cooperative developments in commercial and military survey operations. Participating for this five day exercise in the waters off Coronado…

MAN Propulsion to Power Seismic Vessel

MAN Diesel & Turbo recently signed a contract for the supply of 8L32/44CR B.2 engines as part of a complete propulsion package to power a seismic vessel ordered by GC Rieber Shipping of Norway. The contract contains an option for an extra vessel. Four of the engines, along with two two-speed Flender Twin-In/Single-Out reduction gears and MAN Alpha Twin Screw CP propellers in AHT nozzles, will power the vessel.

ROVOP Joins ORCA Hub

ROVOP, the global subsea robotics specialist, is the latest company to join the ORCA (Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets) Hub offshore robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems development program. The ORCA Hub is a consortium of five universities – Heriot-Watt University, University of Edinburgh, University of Liverpool, University of Oxford and Imperial College London –…

Contrapel's Above the Water-Line Propeller System

Marine propulsion research & development company, Contrapel Ltd has released details of its new propulsion system for boats – the system set to make future boats more economical, manoeuvrable, safer, stronger and better for the environment. The high-speed propeller was invented over 170 years ago and has dominated the propulsion market ever since. Despite 60 years of development, water-jets have struggled to make significant inroads.

Staten Island Ferry LNG Conversion Planned

Plans are in hand to convert one of the two diesel oil-fuelled 'Austen-class' ferries to use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). A pilot program conducted on one Staten Island Ferry, if successful, could save the city nearly half the boat's fueling cost annually, reports the 'Staten Island Advance'. An unspecified Austen Class ferry will be converted from using ultra-low-sulfur diesel to liquefied natural gas (LNG) during a routine dry docking in 2013.