Classification Society Further Expands its Role

Bureau Veritas to acquire Sievert Group, a leading provider of non-destructive testing & inspection services, notable for oil & gas pipelines work. Established in 1986, Sievert has developed a comprehensive suite of services meeting the needs of industrial sectors, primarily the oil & gas industry. The company is specialized in conventional and advanced non-destructive testing services. It has state of the art capabilities ranging from X- and Gamma ray radiographic testing…

Zentech Inks Deal for Two Z-210 with CSSC

Zentech Incorporated of Houston, Texas, USA signed contracts with CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company Limited for the construction of (2) Z-210 Mobile Offshore Units. These contracts were finalized based on the Letter of Intent received by CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard on September 23,2015. The Z-210 is a self-propelled, self-elevating, DP-2 capable, ABS Class, high temperature (55 deg Celsius) rated 4-legged mobile offshore unit capable of operating in water depths of up to 280 feet.

US Blue Tech Companies to Watch in 2017

Chosen for their innovative ocean technologies and export potential, 17 small U.S. companies from nine states have been selected to participate in the 2017 cohort of the first U.S. Maritime Technology Export Initiative. The selected companies each develop, manufacture or sell a variety of maritime or ocean technologies or services in aerial drones, maritime robotics, ocean observation, renewable energy…

Experts Partner to Launch Fiber-rope Crane

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, announced it can now offer the offshore industry fiber-rope crane. The new crane has been developed by combining MacGregor's offshore crane technology with the fiber-rope tensioning technology perfected by Parkburn Precision Handling Systems. The companies have entered into a cooperation agreement to combine MacGregor's offshore crane expertise with Parkburn's fiber-rope tensioning technology.

O&G Experts to Discuss Upstream Data Analytics

The upstream industry is at a critical juncture. Downward pressures on oil prices are leading to investment cuts in digital oilfield projects. But the current environment can provide a perfect breeding ground for innovation. In the current oil price environment, it is more important than ever to ensure every well and field is operating to its most efficient capacity. For this reason, the oilfield analytics market continues to drive forward.

DSTO First Purchaser of Kraken Sonar Systems Aquapix SAS

Defense Science and Technology Organization (DSTO) of Australia purchased an interferometric synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) system from Kraken Sonar Systems of St. John’s, Newfoundland in December 2012. This is Kraken’s first commercial sale of the AquaPix SAS system, which follows two sets of sea trials in which the system had been previously tested by Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC) in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, Rhode Island.

Modern Tech for a Cold Case

In January 1971, a phone rang in the living room of a family in Atlanta, Ga. Lem Nikita, then 19, answered the call which confirmed that his father George Nikita’s plane had crashed somewhere over Lake Champlain during a blizzard shortly after takeoff. The elder Nikita was the pilot of a 10-seat Jet Commander owned by Cousins Properties, Inc. It was enroute from Burlington, Vt., to Providence, R.I., to pick up one of the pilots wives before continuing on to Atlanta. Five men were on board.

BAE Systems Awarded £201m to Advance Successor Sub Design

The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded BAE Systems £201 million to further the design of a successor to the Royal Navy's Vanguard class submarines. The funding will allow the business to mature the design of the new class of submarines, which will carry the U.K.'s independent nuclear deterrent, including the layout of equipment and systems, and to develop manufacturing processes, BAE Systems announced today.

A Sea of Robots

A team of researchers from the Institute of Telecommunications at University Institute of Lisbon and from University of Lisbon in Portugal are the first to demonstrate a swarm of intelligent aquatic surface robots in a real-world environment. Swarms of robots have the potential to scale to hundreds or thousands of robots and cover large areas, making them ideal for tasks such as environmental monitoring, search and rescue and maritime surveillance.

Underwater Robotics National Challenge set for Indy

In only a few weeks, SeaPerch, a national educational outreach program using underwater robotics, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), will hold its 2013 National SeaPerch Challenge. Hosted by the Indiana State Regions this annual competition will take place on the campus of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at the University’s Natatorium housing the Olympic pool.

Fugro's Survey Vessel to Search for Malaysia 370

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has awarded Fugro a contract that will see the deployment of its specialist vessel, equipment and expertise in the underwater search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (MH370). Using its advanced survey vessel, the Fugro Equator, fitted with state-of-the art multibeam echosounder equipment, Fugro will conduct a bathymetric survey of the search area.

SeeByte Software Supports USV

SeeByte, creator of smart software technology for unmanned systems, and ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK (AEUK), a specialist in delivery of innovative maritime systems, have together successfully integrated SeeByte’s Neptune software onto AEUK’s ARCIMS unmanned surface vessel (USV) mission system. ARCIMS is an USV specifically designed for multi-role applications including MCM, ASW, Hydrography and security. ARCIMS…

US-built Survey Vessel Delivered to Fugro

Newbuild shallow draft survey vessel Fugro Americas was delivered to Fugro on March 18, 2015. Built by Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors in Louisiana, with supervision by Fugro Marine Services Custom, the new vessel is designed to Fugro’s specifications, fitted with the latest geophysical survey equipment and houses some of the most advanced instrumentation in the field, Fugro noted. The Fugro Americas is optimized for working in the Gulf of Mexico…

Subsea Hardware Spending to Double to $124 Billion

Douglas-Westwood (DW) forecast subsea hardware spending is set to double to $124 billion during 2013-2017 compared to the preceding five-year period. The new third edition of Douglas-Westwood’s Subsea Hardware Market Forecast has launched analyses the market through to 2017, examining the key activity trends to provide detailed insight for major players and new entrants alike. “The prospects for the subsea hardware sector look good…

Havyard Group – Launch Of IPO & Prospectus Publication

Havyard Group ASA submitted an updated application for listing of its shares on Oslo Børs, alternatively Oslo Axess, on 6 June 2014. It is expected that the stock exchange will consider the application in a meeting of its board of directors on 18 June 2014. Subject to approval of the application and compliance with the listing criteria, the first day of trading is expected to be 26 June 2014. Havyard…

U.S. National Ocean Service 2014 Budget Request

The FY 2014 President's Budget Request for the National Ocean Service (NOS) amounts to $529.2M. The National Ocean Service (NOS) observes, measures, assesses and manages coastal, ocean and Great Lakes areas and provides science-based services to inform decision making, thereby positioning America's coastal communities, economies and ecosystems for the future. This budget request represents a critical step toward reestablishing balance across investments in NOAA's missions.

New, New York Harbor Current Meter

NOAA uses data from a new current meter in New York harbor operated by New Jersey’s Stevens Institute of Technology. The system provides enhanced real-time information to mariners travelling through the nation’s second busiest port. The Stevens current meter measures the  direction, speed, and volume of ocean currents in the harbor’s navigation channels, north of the Narrows between Brooklyn and Staten Island.

US to Test 'Submarine' Drone That Can Launch from Ocean Floor

USA’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is testing a drone that can hibernate on the ocean floor for years at a time before being launched to the surface and into the air at the push of a button. The new drones, being developed by the DARPA, are part of a new focus by the US military in developing and improving technology for emerging threats. According to DARPA Director Arati Prabhakar…

Ocean Exchange Calls for Innovative Solutions

Solutions submitted to the third annual Ocean Exchange should have the potential to generate economic growth and increase productivity while reducing the use of nature’s resources and waste production. This year’s competition, with a theme of LEAP TO ZERO+, represents Ocean Exchange’s continued search for entrepreneurs and businesses from around the globe with innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems or an interest in those solutions.

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.