Keppel FELS Wins US$265-million Ensco Jack-up Contract

Scheduled for delivery in 2Q 2016, this will be the fourth ENSCO 120 Series jackup rig that Ensco has ordered from Keppel FELS since 2011. As part of the contract, Ensco has an option to order another similar rig. The ENSCO 120 Series rigs are based on the KFELS Super A Class, which is an enhancement of the proven KFELS MOD V-A Class jackup and features its proprietary and superior jacking and fixation system that has a perfect track record operating in a variety of environments.

Kongsberg Delivers Offshore Ops Simulator

Superior Energy Services of Houston, Texas, took delivery of one of the most advanced maritime training simulators ever developed, in April 2012. The next-generation simulator from Kongsberg Maritime will be used to provide integrated, real-time training for Superior’s offshore marine personnel at its new facility in Anchorage, Alaska. Under the terms of the contract, signed September 2011, Kongsberg…

Osiris Projects Launches New Survey Vessel

Specialist seabed mapping company Osiris Projects has this week launched the fifth vessel in their fleet, the 14m GRP catamaran MV Proteus. Designed to provide an excellent working platform for coastal survey operations, MV Proteus can work up to 60 miles from a safe haven under MCA Category 2 and has a maximum speed of 24 knots. The vessel benefits from a shallow draft of just 1m making her ideal for inshore operations…

ROVOP Invests in New HQ and ROV Facilities

Subsea specialist ROVOP has marked a milestone in its business growth success after revealing that is investing more than $6.38million in a new purpose-built headquarters (HQ) including training facilities, a full ROV underwater test facility and an internal 40-tonne overhead crane. The next generation facility at Aberdeenshire’s Westhill area – known as the subsea industry’s SURF City - will also bring the company’s extensive fleet of ROVs and its ROV Academy under one roof.

Acoustic Technology Aids Search for Downed Helicopter

A mission to search for the wreckage of an Irish Coast Guard helicopter which crashed into the Atlantic earlier this year killing all four crew members, was supported with underwater locating equipment from Sonardyne International Ltd. Within hours of rescuers arriving at the scene of the accident off the west coast of Ireland, Sonardyne Scout USBL (Ultra-Short BaseLine) and ROV-Homer acoustic tracking and relocation systems…

Bouchard Simulation Center Opens at SUNY Maritime

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014, New York, NY – Today in New York Morton S. Bouchard, III and many local maritime dignitaries officially opened The Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. Tug & Barge Simulation Center on the campus of the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College. Captain Robert Glas, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Bouchard Transportation made the traditional ribbon cut with the comically sized pair of scissors, as Morton S.

Registration Open for Oceanology International

Registration for the largest-ever Oceanology International (ExCeL London, March 11-13, 2014) is now open at oceanologyinternational.com. With 520 exhibitors from 35 countries taking up over 8,000 m2 net of space, the biennial global forum is where industry, academia and government come together to share knowledge and connect with their peers in the marine technology and ocean science community, thus improving their strategies for measuring…

3D at Depth Expands Senior Team

Subsea LiDAR systems and solutions provider 3D at Depth announced the appointment of Cory Moore as Global Offshore Operations Manager and Ian Roberts as Senior Mechanical Design Engineer. Moore has over 20 years’ experience overseeing subsea survey and mapping projects with Tier #1 energy providers in Africa, Europe and North and South America. During his tenure as a subsea survey engineer at Statoil and Chevron (Norway and the U.S.)…

FairfieldNodal Welcomes New COO, CTO

FairfieldNodal has made two new additions to its executive leadership team: Tom Scoulios, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Geosciences, and Shawn Rice, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Scoulios will focus on execution of FairfieldNodal’s geoscience expansion plans by identifying and advancing technologic services and solutions, growing the business through strategic partnerships…

WESMAR Announces Waterside Security Installations

WESMAR, a U.S. manufacturer of sonar equipment has announced that they are completing multiple site installations of WESMAR WEB850 searchlight sonar systems at undisclosed sites in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to protect private and publicly held assets. The systems are for surveillance and waterside security and while they join other WESMAR systems in the region, they are the first of many to be installed jointly with WESMAR’s GCC partnership companies.

Floating, Flying Robots to Assist S&R.Operations

The NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation played a crucial role in enhancing  autonomy and integration between Unmanned Surface Vehicles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles  as part of the ICARUS project, funded by the European Commission. The NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), part of the NATO Science and Technology Organization, recently hosted maritime sea trials…

Product Spotlight: Teledyne RESON Deepwater Solutions

Teledyne RESON acquired the business from ATLAS HYDROGRAPHIC GmbH in 2014, and has since integrated the acquired business and its multibeam echosounders into the Teledyne RESON business and suite of deepwater echosounders. The brands HydroSweep and ParaSound are now being developed, manufactured and serviced out of the Teledyne RESON business entities, and the products are marketed and sold under the Teledyne RESON brand name.

Case Study: 3DSS-DX-450 Sonar

Before coming to rest at the bottom of Lake Union in Washington State, J.E. Boyden was once a common sight along the shores of Puget Sound and Vancouver Island. The 85-foot vessel served as a cargo hauler and tug vessel for almost half a century during the final days of the tallship bulk carriers. Originally laid as one of the Seattle steamer fleet in 1888, the Boyden quickly made a name for herself as a powerful and capable tug…

MTR100: 2G Robotics

No. 2G Robotics was founded in 2007. The company designs and develops underwater laser scanners for subsea surveys and inspections. These innovative systems generate real-time 3D models of subsea structures and environments from which submillimeter measurements can be instantaneously and repeatably captured. The high resolution 3D models provide the precision and accuracy needed for detecting and assessing damage, developing design and repair plans, and performing maintenance and installations.

NOIA Optimism on Gulf of Mexico Oilfield Sales

Overall, compared to the last two years, we are seeing a positive trend for the offshore industry in the Gulf of Mexico, and we are looking forward to Wednesday’s lease sale with cautious optimism. “Not only is this the first Central Gulf of Mexico sale in two years and the last lease sale in the current five year OCS leasing plan, but the 2012-2017 plan is not yet out, so it is unclear when the next Central Gulf sale will occur.

ABS Advances Landmark Standardization JIP

ABS convened industry partners in Houston to sign an agreement that outlines objectives for the second stage of a pioneering unified joint industry project (JIP) for standardization. The goal of the JIP, which includes participants from Korean shipyards, operators, drilling contractors, engineering companies and classification societies, is to develop offshore design standards that will help to improve safety, reduce costs and increase efficiency for offshore projects.

Hydrographic Survey Vessel Converted for Autonomous Ops

ASV Global said it has converted a 26ft hydrographic survey launch to enable it to operate autonomously using the ASView control system, while maintaining its ability to operate in a conventional manned mode. The launch, which is part of the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) fleet dedicated to the survey operations of the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), will be used as a test platform for unmanned survey work.

Updated SeaLite Sphere LED Light

The SeaLite Sphere has evolved to offer field-serviceable connector replacement for a quick and easy repair in the field. The SeaLite Sphere advances beyond other LED lights by separating the connector from other internal electronic components to avoid downtime and costly repairs due to connector failures. The 8,700 psi pressure resistant compartment separates the connector and the rest of the light; which will make flooding due to a connector failure a thing of the past.

‘World’s Most Powerful Mass Flow Excavation Tool’

Mass flow excavation business James Fisher Subsea Excavation, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has brought to the market what it is calling “world’s most powerful mass flow excavation tool” to support clients with large scale excavations. The SP12000 produces more than 6 metric tons of thrust at full power and a significant volume output of 12,000 liters of water per second, making it ideal for large seabed preparation projects…

MTR100: Editor’s Choice - Five Stand-Outs

MTR’s roving correspondent Kira Coley was tasked to identify and deliver five innovative companies worthy of inclusion in the 10th Annual MTR100. Deep Trekker Inc. Deep Trekker Inc. was founded in 2010 with a mission to bring a fully capable yet portable and accessible remotely operated vehicle to market. Over the last 5 years, Deep Trekkers ROVs have quickly been adopted around the world as the go to underwater observation tool.