Fugro Receives New Offshore Survey Vessel

Fugro has formally taken delivery of  'Fugro Brasilis', the fourth of Fugro’s FSSV series of dedicated offshore survey vessels. Designed to the Dutch company's specifications and fitted with the latest survey equipment, Fugro say that these are the most advanced vessels in this field. The new vessel will be utilised on a variety of projects offshore South America. Fugro Brasilis will be capable of carrying out a wide range of offshore services including geophysical mapping…

Roboboat Competition: Embry-Liddle Boat Wins

Navigating a floating obstacle course with aplomb, an autonomous LiDAR-equipped boat from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University  captured first place overall at the 7th Annual International RoboBoat Competition in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Outfitted with Velodyne’s HDL-32E LiDAR sensor, the pilot-less Embry-Riddle vessel crossed the finish line ahead of the 12 other teams participating in the event…

US Navy Partners with ALFA International

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport has entered into an agreement with ALFA International Inc. of Woonsocket, R.I. for the commercialization of NUWC XP-1, a high-performance polyurethane developed for protection of marine acoustic and optical equipment. The two-part polyurethane exhibits good hydrolytic stability and acoustic properties while also being optically clear, the manufacturer said. NUWC XP-1 can be cured at room or elevated temperatures in less than 24 hours.

Keppel Wins Add-on Mexican Jack-up Order

Keppel FELS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), has secured a contract to build a jackup rig worth US$206 million from repeat customer Grupo R, a Mexican drilling company. Scheduled for delivery in 4Q 2015, the jackup rig will be built to Keppel's proprietary KFELS B Class design. It will be added to the fleet of another four similar rigs that Keppel FELS is building for Grupo R.

Partners Developing Dynamic Subsea Laser Mapping

A formal collaboration agreement between subsea technology companies 2G Robotics Inc. and Sonardyne International Ltd, UK. will see the two organizations work together on the development and promotion of a dynamic underwater laser mapping solution which reduces the time needed to survey seafloor sites and offshore structures. The new agreement centers on the integration of Sonardyne’s acoustically-aided inertial navigation system for underwater vehicles…

Offshore Wind Floating TLP Model Tests Complete

US-based Glosten Associates (Glosten) announce that the 3-week scale-model testing of the PelaStar tension-leg platform (TLP) has been completed. The three-week test program was conducted in support of the Offshore Wind Floating Platform Demonstration Project FEED Study awarded to Glosten by Energy Technologies Institute (ETI). The test results are being used to further demonstrate PelaStar’s technical feasibility and to calibrate state-of-the-art software used to design…

Delta SubSea Adds New Vessel

Delta SubSea has entered into an agreement with Norwegian company Olympic Shipping AS for the Olympic Delta, a newly built Multipurpose Subsea Support & Construction Vessel. The Olympic Delta is a 94m-long green-friendly vessel designed for greatly reduced fuel consumption and emissions. It will carry two Schilling HD 150 HP work-class remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from DSS’s fleet, with the focus on inspection, repair and maintenance jobs, says a statement from the company.

Seadrill Ultra-deepwater Newbuilding Contracted to Chevron

Seadrill secures commitment for newbuild ultra-deepwater unit 'West Tellus'. The company has signed a contract with Chevron China Energy Company for the newbuild ultra-deepwater drillship West Tellus in support of Chevron's affiliated global exploration program. The contract commences in China immediately upon shipyard delivery and thereafter relocates to Liberia. The agreement is for a period of 180…

SSBN Force Level Requirements: It’s Simply a Matter of Geography

There have been recent claims that today’s ballistic missile submarine force is operating with excess capacity and, therefore, force reductions to save resources may be in order. As I have noted in response to a recent op-ed, this supposition is untrue – in fact, our lean SSBN force is providing the cornerstone of our national security at a pace that has remained essentially constant since the late 1990s.

WindSentinel Floating LiDAR Helps Cut Costs

The WindSentinel Floating LiDAR solution developed by AXYS Technologies is a wind resource assessment buoy capable of accurately gathering data on wind speed and wind direction offshore at turbine hub-height and across the blade span. The data enables developers to understand how strong the winds are at the heights of wind turbines, provides a clear picture of how much power can be generated at specific sites, and helps to validate wind predictions from computer models.

Kiewit to Serve as MCV Shorebase for MWCC

Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) announced today that Kiewit Offshore Services (Kiewit) in Ingleside, Texas has been selected as the shorebase location to house equipment to outfit the company's modular capture vessels (MCVs) in the event of a deployment to a deepwater well control event. The equipment, which includes modular processing facilities for the MCVs and the centerpiece of the containment systems…

New Marine Energy Generating Device Gets R&D Grant

The Whatever Input to Torsion Transfer (WITT) transmission system is unique and capable of collecting chaotic movement in any direction to turn it into useable power. The Technology Strategy Board award for Vessel Efficiency is the first of its kind and follows successful testing of the device in the Wave Tank at Plymouth University and in Plymouth Sound, UK. The project, Energy Harvesting Technology from Vessel Motion…

Three New Offshore Seismic Surveys for TGS

TGS announces three new multi-client surveys; a 3D survey in UK West of Shetlands and two 2D surveys offshore Newfoundland-Labrador. Rona Ridge 2013 (RR13) is a 2,420 km2 3D survey that will provide the industry's first 3D data in the highly prospective UK West Shetland Basin. Data processing will be performed by TGS with initial data available to clients in Q4 2013 ahead of the UK 28th Licensing Round.

Liquid Robotics CEO Weigh in Before House Subcommittee

Maritime Congressional Hearing Reveals Potential of Unmanned Vehicles to Improve Maritime Domain Awareness, Reduce Costs. Unmanned Technologies Can Fill Ocean Data Information Gap. During the July 31 Congressional Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation hearing entitled How to Improve the Efficiency, Safety and Security of Maritime Transportation: Better Use and Integration of Maritime Domain Awareness Data…

China Offshore Fugro Geosolutions to Sign New Contract

When the recently signed 10-year extension comes into effect on 23 August 2013, Fugro will enter the fourth decade of the successful joint venture with China Oilfield Services Ltd (COSL). Services provided include precise navigation services, subsea positioning, construction support services and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) services. The joint venture, named China Offshore Fugro Geosolutions (COFG) in which Fugro holds 50%, has been operating successfully offshore China since 1983.

First Steel Cut for Australia's New Polar Research Ship

Marking the commencement of construction of the Damen Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV), a steel cutting ceremony has been held at Damen Shipyards Galati, Romania. Damen is constructing the ASRV for Serco Defence, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serco Australia who, in turn, signed a contract with the Australian Government last year for the delivery, operation and maintenance of the vessel. “Cutting the first steel for any vessel is always significant.

Creating Superior Buoyancy with Air

Many people may think of empty space or air as nothingness – space that’s perhaps waiting to be filled with something useful – but scientists and engineers know that the voids are intrinsically valuable. They can fortify structures to make them stronger without burdening them with weight. The ability to manipulate that nothingness brings new opportunities to many fields, especially in deep sea exploration.

Marine Archaeology Center Launched

Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Department of Anthropology have recently joined efforts within the University of California San Diego to launch the Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology (SCMA). Researchers with the Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology will conduct fieldwork at key underwater and coastal archaeological sites around the world, studying the influence of marine environments on human cultures.

James Fisher Subsea Excavation Unveils MultiROV

Mass/controlled flow excavation (M/CFE) specialist James Fisher Subsea Excavation (JFSE) has launched the MultiROV system, bringing new levels of controllability and productivity for excavation requirements in the offshore oil and gas and renewable energy sectors. The MultiROV reduces the services required from a vessel as it needs no stabilizing tuggers or clump weights. On-board thrusters allow movement and heading control which increase the operational window and productivity.

STATS Group Completes Hydrostatic Testing

The workscope involved providing a verified barrier during hot work activities, followed by localized pressure testing of new welds/fittings during a planned shutdown for routine maintenance and the rerouting of new pipework. The pipeline engineering specialist supplied 28 In-Line Weld Test Tools, ranging in size from 2" to 20", and a team of six technicians during the 12 day shutdown window. STATS Group general manager in Qatar…