Klein Marine Offers Side Scan Sonar Training

Klein Marine Systems, a manufacturer of side scan sonars, will be hosting a three day side scan sonar training at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye Beach, N.H. Practical sessions on UNH Gulf Challenger, based in Newcastle, N.H. Participants will develop a thorough understanding of sonar image analysis as well as get hands-on experience with single beam sonars such as the dual-frequency Klein 4900 and the high-speed, Multi-Beam Klein 5000 V2 . Vincent Capone, M.Sc.

SMD Delivers Atom Mk1 ROV Systems to JFD

Subsea design and manufacturing specialist Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD) has delivered two 1,000-meter Atom Mk1 work class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) systems to JFD Ltd, an underwater capability provider serving the commercial and defense markets. The Atom systems, both equipped with ultra-compact launch and recovery systems (LARS) and SMD purpose-designed control and workshop cabins, provide a complete turnkey solution…

Loss of Diversity Near Melting Coastal Glaciers

Melting glaciers are causing a loss of species diversity among benthos in the coastal waters off the Antarctic Peninsula, impacting an entire seafloor ecosystem. This has been verified in the course of repeated research dives, the results of which were recently published by experts from Argentina, Germany and Great Britain and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in a study in the journal Science Advances.

TGS Signs LOI for Seabird Exploration Seismic Vessel Charters

Norway-based TGS informs that it has signed a Letter of Intent with Seabird Exploration to charter up to four 2D seismic vessels to be used over the next 36 months. The Letter of Intent gives TGS priority rights to the vessels subject to the issuance of seismic acquisition permits for the offshore waters of Mexico. In December 2013, Mexico's Congress gave final approval to a historic energy reform…

World First: Unmanned Autonomous Boat for Offshore Ops

While talk of autonomous operations in the maritime sector have swirled for years, the talk becomes reality as Automated Ships Ltd. (an M Subs Ltd subsidiary) and Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build the world’s first unmanned and fully-automated vessel for offshore operations. In January 2017, Automated Ships Ltd will contract the ‘Hrönn’, which will be designed and built in Norway in cooperation with KONGSBERG.

The Evolution of Ocean Models

During the 1970s, the first global ocean models emerged at research centers across the U.S. Back then, their construction was basic by modern standards, but like the models of today the researchers creating them aimed to simulate the world’s oceans by coding the mathematical equations of fluid motion on a sphere. Those efforts made use of the most sophisticated computing power available at the time, but realistic simulations of the ocean were years away. Today, things have moved along.

GoM Lease Sale to yield greater focus : NOIA

“The historic size of tomorrow’s Region-wide Gulf of Mexico lease sale, combined with improving market conditions and a shallow water incentive, may draw more interest from industry than we have seen in recent years. “Operators are global in nature and will bid where they believe they will get the most ‘bang for their buck’. The results of recent sales in the Mexican side of the Gulf of Mexico demonstrate…

Seatronics Orders New Saturn System from Teledyne TSS

Aberdeen-based global rental and marine technology supply company, Seatronics Ltd. placed an order with Teledyne TSS for 12 of the new Saturn 30 Subsea Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) that were launched at Oceanology International in London. Seatronics has also taken options on a further 38-units, which takes the total projected purchase to 50 systems. Commenting on his company’s choice of the Saturn system…

Canadian Government Backs Kraken

Kraken Sonar Systems Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kraken Sonar Inc., will receive a nonrefundable financial contribution of up to $485,000 from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). In addition to technical and business advisory services provided by NRC-IRAP, the funding will be used to develop Autonomous Launch and Recovery Systems (A-LARS) for Unmanned Maritime Vehicles, the company said.

HYPACK Hosts 2015 Training Event

More than 250 attendees, 25 exhibitors and 6,000 remote viewers from around the world participated in the HYPACK 2015 Training Event in San Antonio, Texas. HYPACK also unveiled its new version of HYPACK 2015, which it says features new capabilities and improvements. HYPACK, Inc. offered general training sessions for those who were just beginning to use HYPACK, sessions for people who needed a refresher, and expert sessions for in-depth training on a particular subject.

Local History Mapping for FarSounder

FarSounder announced its newest feature: Local History Mapping (LHM). LHM offers users the ability to build a 3D map of the seafloor over which they have recently sailed. This map is updated with every ping and is displayed as an overlay on top of the system’s nautical chart display. This new overlay is displayed in conjunction with the real-time sonar overlay. When used together, one can quickly see what lies ahead and what they’ve recently passed over.

Fugro Awarded US Government Survey Work

Fugro said it has secured a five-year survey contract from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Task orders under this indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) type contract will support the architect and engineering survey and mapping support services for the military, civil and federal agencies of the Corps team, Mobile District. Using a variety of airborne sensors and systems…

Sea Trials Prove SEEMP NAPA Software Does Save Fuel

In advance of International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) ship energy efficiency management plan (SEEMP) legislation becoming mandatory from January 2013, Finnish shipping company Bore has announced the results of its trial of electronic SEEMP software, which has verified a 5.8% reduction in fuel consumption. The company’s 89-day sea trial of the NAPA for Operations SEEMP software, conducted between April and July 2012 along routes between Cadiz and Naples and Cadiz and Pauillac…

Fugro Awarded a Three-Year Positioning Contract by PGS

Fugro has been awarded a three-year contract by PGS for the provision of precise satellite positioning systems for its entire seismic vessel fleet. PGS is a global provider of marine seismic and electromagnetic services, data acquisition, imaging, reservoir services and multi-client library data. Fugro, a provider of precise satellite positioning to the offshore oil and gas industry, will supply PGS vessels with a number of completely independent Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

AAE-1 Cable System Comes into Force

The AAE-1 Consortium, owners of the Asia-Africa-Europe-1 submarine cable spanning approximately 25,000 km connecting Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe; and TE SubCom, a TE Connectivity Ltd. company and an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology, today announced that the contract for the majority of segments of the AAE-1 system has come into force. AAE-1 will link Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe with low latency, high capacity transmission.

Propeller Repairs Increase as Winter Approaches

Hydrex Underwater Technology has registered an increase in the number of vessels experiencing propeller damage. Dave Bleyenberg, Hydrex Production Executive, explained: “While winter months usually result in an increase in propeller repairs, this normally occurs between January and March. In November, a Hydrex team was called out to Taranto, Italy, to inspect a 27,500dwt general cargo ship, whose engineers had reported excessive vibration from its five blade…

Keppel’s Logs $8.1B in Contracts in ‘12

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd's (Keppel O&M) subsidiaries have won three new contracts - worth a combined value of $343mn - to bring the group's total order wins for 2012 to $8.1B. Mr Tong Chong Heong, CEO of Keppel O&M, said, "With the strong confidence and support of new and repeat customers, Keppel O&M continues to be the provider of choice for a broad range of offshore and marine projects. "2013…

Seatronics, 2G Robotics Form Sales Partnership

Seatronics and 2G Robotics announced a global sales and distribution partnership that will see the 2G Robotics line of underwater laser scanners to become available through Seatronics for equipment rentals and sales. "This new, exclusive agreement will contribute significantly to growth in our subsea visualization service capabilities by providing clients with useful data for purposes of integrity management on a global basis,” said Phil Middleton, deputy managing director at Seatronics.

Europe’s Largest Tsunami Simulator Under Construction

UCL and HR Wallingford, the specialist hydraulic research and consultancy, are collaborating to construct the largest tsunami simulator in Europe, to better understand the impact of these devastating natural phenomena on buildings and coastal defenses. The facility, which is being funded by a €1.9 million European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant “URBAN WAVES”, will be 70 m long and 4 m wide, enabling – for the first time – the simulation of a tsunami impact on urban areas…

TRDI to Host Underwater Navigation Training

Teledyne RD Instruments (TRDI) announced it will host a two-day training seminar focused on Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) technology. The seminar will take place June 19-20, 2014 in Antibes, France. DVLs are used extensively onboard underwater platforms and surface vessels to provide precision navigation capability. TRDI said all current and potential DVL users are encouraged to attend this event to quickly…