Hydro Group Completes MeyGen Contract

Aberdeen-based subsea cable and connector specialist, Hydro Group has completed a contract with technology developer and supplier of tidal turbines, Andritz Hydro Hammerfest (AHH). The agreement saw Hydro Group supply complete connection systems for three turbines on the world’s most advanced multi-turbine tidal stream energy development. This second MeyGen contract followed on from an announcement…

Maersk Triple-E Ships Upgrade with Hull Performance Solutions

Jotun, the global leader in marine antifouling coatings, has signed a landmark agreement with Maersk Line to supply Hull Performance Solutions with SeaQuantumX200 for the Triple-E new build project. The Triple-Es are the world’s largest ships - renowned as much for their energy efficiency as their size. By upgrading to HPS with Jotun’s top-of-the-line SeaQuantum X200 antifouling coating, the Triple-E ships are expected to reinforce their energy efficiency advantage.

Manned Submersible Divers to Study Sharks in the Bahamas

A yearlong expedition in the Bahamas has been planned to assess sharks and sea life hidden in the deep ocean. Beginning in October 2017, an exploration team aboard a manned submersible will aim to uncover new details on deep sea sharks and the variety of species that inhabit the waters off the Great Bahama Bank continental shelf. OceanGate Expeditions – a team undersea explorers, scientists, and filmmakers…

Robotics: Autobots Transform in the Offshore Energy Sector

Robots and robotics have slowly been entering our lives, in various shapes and forms (and fictional characters), from self-driving household vacuum cleaners to highly automated manufacturing systems. Now they’re heading for the offshore world – in just as many shapes and forms.There could be a lot to gain from robotics, but platforms and offshore wind turbine structures are also very challenging places to put them on. For oil and gas, key drivers are around safety and cost .

Lander Lab: Technologies, Strategies and Use of Ocean Landers

Moon landers held my attention in the 1960’s as a teenager. Unmanned robotic vehicles like Surveyor, descend out of a dark sky onto an alien world, and took the first look around.The deep and dark ocean seemed as distant and alien. SEALAB II, bathyscaphe Trieste, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in my hometown of San Diego had immense gravitational pull on my curiosity.Ocean Landers, unmanned robotic vehicles…

IBM Canada Joins COVE

COVE has announced that IBM Canada has joined the ocean business park as a tenant, one of 50 currently in residence.IBM is one of Canada’s top 10 private research and development investors and last year contributed more than $478 million to Canadian research activities. In September 2018, it was revealed that IBM, along with COVE, Dalhousie University, the Ocean Frontier Institute, the Government of Canada…

Kongsberg to Equip Belgian Research Vessel

Kongsberg Maritime will deliver an integrated suite of subsea technology to a new Belgian research vessel. Already under construction at Freire Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, the advanced new replacement for the Belgian research vessel RV Belgica is due to be handed over to the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) in October 2020.Launched in 1984, RV Belgica carried out many years of service, however, emerging mechanical issues in 2013 catalyzed plans to build her replacement.

US Coast Guard Tests Environmentally Friendly Buoy Moorings

The U.S. Coast Guard uses navigational buoys to direct water traffic and to protect vulnerable benthic ecosystems such as seagrass communities and coral reefs in U.S. waters. However, most buoys are currently attached to the seafloor by concrete anchors, also called sinkers, and heavy metal chains that can have a significant impact on marine life. Sinkers can damage life on the seafloor under their heavy footprint…

Fugro Showcases New Survey Ship in Texas

Making her debut at the Martin Midstream Dock in Galveston, Texas, Fugro’s new geophysical survey vessel, the Fugro Americas, was showcased to clients, with more than 100 in attendance, the company announced. Fugro gave guided tours of the newbuild vessel, with geophysical, geoscience, survey and HSE professionals on hand to demonstrate its state-of-the-art equipment and features along with the working parts of a geophysical survey.

OceanLED Sells Subsidiary, Restructures

For the past four years, the directors of OceanLED Limited, a U.K.-based manufacturing facility, have been developing two distinct business divisions, the marine underwater lighting business, OceanLED, and a separate commercial non-marine lighting division, trading as Lietcorp. The reality of building these two businesses has been significant management distraction and financial stress, the company said.

Ennsub Wins ROVOP Contract

Ennsub  has been awarded a multimillion pound contract by leading independent ROV service provider ROVOP. The deal involves the design and manufacture of two ultra-deepwater workclass ROV launch and recovery systems to be installed into global oil and gas subsea construction specialist Ceona’s new-build multiple lay vessel, the Ceona Amazon. The scope of work involves the provision of fully integrated…

MacGregor to Equip MBARI's New Research Vessel

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, said it has been taped to deliver a suite of overboard handling systems for the new oceanographic research vessel David Packard owned by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), a private, nonprofit oceanographic research center based in California. Founded in 1987 by David Packard, MBARI’s mission is to advance marine science and technology to understand a changing ocean.

Kraken and L3Harris Collaborate for USSV Innovation

Kraken Technology Group said it is teaming up with L3Harris Technologies to advance the integration of control systems within the K40 MANTA prototype. This collaboration marks a step in the technical evolution of Kraken’s K40 MANTA platform, setting the foundation for the development of enhanced autonomous capabilities and ultimately, full autonomy.The K40 is an uncrewed surface-subsurface (USSV) platform…

Maritime Blue-Light Laser Discovered

An EU maritime study has identified a record-breaking ‘blue-light’ laser for the maritime industry.Scientists working on the $1 million KETmaritime project have released a detailed report on the potential of ‘Photonic Marine Applications’.The latest report, which has been produced by Spanish research center AIMEN, reveals new boundaries broken in marine laser development – enhancing the detection of…

Greensea IQ Demos Autonomous Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mission

Greensea IQ reports it has completed a demonstration of a prototype Autonomous EOD Maritime Response Vehicle (AEMRV) for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and US Navy. Leaning on the capabilities of OPENSEA Edge, the system provides the computing resources needed to power edge perception systems and advanced autonomous behaviors of EOD Workspace, allowing human-on-the-loop autonomy and untethered command…

NOAA, Ocean Infinity Form Research Partnership

US-based subsea technology and data company Ocean Infinity said it will partner with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office to develop new tools for ultra-high-resolution ocean exploration and mapping.The four-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Ocean Infinity and NOAA's Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) will aim to expand deepwater autonomous…

#Oi2020 History

While today’s technologically advanced robotics systems continue to dominate the industry, the offshore petroleum industry, coupled with the scientific needs for manned subsea diving continue to move forward. Therefore, today’s modern atmospheric diving systems provide and enclosure for the operator at one atmospheric pressure—this is “regardless of depth, thereby eliminating the necessity for decompression,” according to the Oil & Gas Historical Society.

Coast Guard to Host Underwater Robotics Competition

The U.S. Coast Guard will host local students participating in Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Oahu Regional Competition Saturday at Base Honolulu. The contest’s top winners will travel to Houston to compete against the winning teams of other regional MATE international ROV competitions, June 23 to 25 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Neutral Buoyancy Lab. The students are preparing for journeys to the depths of the Earth’s oceans and the farthest reaches of Europa…

US Announces $27 Million for Pacific Salmon Research

The Department of Commerce and NOAA announced plans for $27 million to recover threatened and endangered Pacific salmon in the face of climate change. These funds, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, are made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. This investment in science will support informed management actions as a component of NOAA’s comprehensive strategy for Pacific salmon…

Aker Solutions, Siemens Join Forces To Strengthen Digital Offerings

Norway's Aker Solutions has forged an alliance with the German technology giant Siemens to further develop digital offerings in engineering, operations and services.The global engineering company based in Oslo said that the collaboration focuses on the creation of software applications and joint service offerings including the development of industrial digital twins that will drive efficiency throughout the entire plant lifecycle.In addition…