SOI Steps Ahead on Ocean Mapping

With its new research vessel Falkor (too), Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) has ramped up its ability to map the ocean floor. Jyotika I. Virmani, Ph.D. Executive Director, SOI, offers insights on how new and emerging meld with onboard and shoreside crew to make exploration and discovery more efficient and effective.Jyotika, to start, can you give us a ‘By the Numbers’ look at SOI today?We recently donated our original vessel, Falkor, to Italy in 2022.

Jan De Nul Group Picks MacArtney’s CEMAC Tensioners for CLV Fleet

MacArtney Offshore Wind Solutions has been hired by Jan de Nul to design and supply custom CEMAC tensioner systems for its entire cable laying vessel (CLV) fleet, which includes the world’s largest cable layer - the Fleeming Jenkin.MacArtney's comprehensive scope involves designing, constructing, and delivering advanced tensioner systems for Jan De Nul Group’s CLV fleet, including the Connector, Willem…

Italy's TSO Tests Subsea Drone for Marine Geophysical Surveys

Italian transmission system operator (TSO) Terna has launched an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Gavia as part of a collaborative project with U.S. start-up Terradepth.Terna and Terradepth are working together on the Odisseo project, whose aim is to advance the technologies and methods for marine geophysical surveys related to the development of important subsea infrastructure and its security.As part of the Odisseo project…

ONC’s Deep Sea Observatory Supporting Ocean-based CO2 Removal Research

Ocean Networks Canada’s deep sea observatory is the research monitoring site for a new type of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal technology; the first of its kind to be trialed in Canadian waters.The research experiment is a partnership between ONC and the U.S.-based ocean health company Running Tide to advance scientific knowledge of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) and provide foundational information…

Sapura Bolsters Subsea Capabilities with Exail Rovins INS

Sapura, a Brazilian provider of subsea services, has recently acquired eight units of Exail Rovins Nano Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to enhance its ROV capabilities in offshore installation of subsea equipment.Integrated into Sapura's fleet of remotely operated vehicles (ROV), Exail INS will help Sapura to lay flex pipes and deploy subsea hardware onto the seabed, such as templates and manifolds…

Rovco Joins the Offshore Wind O&M Partnership

The Offshore Wind O&M Partnership (OWOP), an alliance between RES, GEV Wind Power, Outreach Offshore and Rix Renewables, has welcomed Rovco, a UK-based provider of technology-powered offshore wind solutions, to complement its maintenance (O&M) services to offshore wind asset owners internationally.Through automated hydrographic survey and remote operating vehicle (ROV) operations, Rovco’s technical offering includes operations and maintenance services…

Autonomous Survey Technology: Cutting the Umbilical

There is a flurry of development underway to cut seafloor seismic and geotechnical survey technologies free from on-site control.The deeper you go, the quieter the ocean becomes. It’s something that Kyrre Tjøm is exploiting in his back-to-basics approach to ocean bottom nodes (OBNs). Like his competitors, the CEO and Founder of iDROP, is developing autonomous OBNs that can deploy themselves on to the seabed without ROV support.The current method for laying the nodes…

NOV Acquires MAATS Tech's Carousel and Cable-Lay Systems IP

Houston-based energy solutions provider NOV has acquired the intellectual property (IP) rights of MAATS Tech, a defunct business providing turnkey ship-based carousel and cable-lay systems.In 2023, NOV formed a new Cable Lay team based in Stonehouse, UK. The team, formerly senior and principal engineers with MAATS Tech, brings more than 70 years of combined experience in engineering fully integrated…

Fugro Names Director of APAC Region

Fugro’s board of management has appointed Luh Shyang Loo as Group Director for the Asia Pacific region and member of the executive leadership team.Loo will take over responsibility for the region as from October 1, 2024, succeeding Amar Umap, who has decided to leave Fugro for personal reasons.As an integral part of the Fugro family for over 25 years, Loo has been engaged in various key roles within the organization.Between 2007 and 2009…

north.io Selected for Portuguese Hydrographic Institute Project

The TrueOcean data platform from German cloud-geospatial-data-specialist north.io has been officially selected to participate in the IHSensortech BlueTech initiative of the Instituto Hidrográfico of the Portuguese Navy.The IHSensortech BlueTech Program aims to foster innovation in marine sensor technologies and data management. The program is designed to address current challenges in marine data collection…

CGG to Support Discoveries Off Africa with Two New 3D Reimaging Projects

French marine seismic firm CGG, in collaboration with Côte d’Ivoire's Direction Générale des Hydrocarbures (DGH) and Petroci, has set out plans for two new multi-client 3D reimaging programs off Africa.The programs include CDI24 Phase I (3,120 km²) and Phase II (6,610 km²), both of which are supported by the industry.The Phase I will start immediately, while the Phase II is planned for the first half of 2025.These new programs will be merged with the CDI23 (6…

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.

Op/Ed: We Cannot Let the OceanGate Tragedy Put a Pause on Ocean Exploration

In the wake of the catastrophic implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible during a dive on the wreck of RMS Titanic, the marine technology community continues to question how to prevent such a tragedy from recurring. An obvious option is to impose international safety regulations regarding such expeditions.For manned submersibles, there is merit in considering restrictions based upon technical criteria. OceanGate refused to obtain DVL certification for Titan.

TGS Partners with Apparition Geoservices

TGS announced a collaboration agreement with Apparition Geoservices to jointly provide integrated, encoded simultaneous source acquisition solutions to drive the next level of efficiency in seismic surveys.During the agreement term of four years, TGS and Apparition will collaborate through joint research, development and testing to fully commercialize Apparition technology in ocean bottom node, towed streamer and XHR data acquisition programs.Apparition has developed and offers…

Seabed Surveys Start for Two 1GW Offshore Wind Farms in Scotland

Thistle Wind Partners (TWP) has launched seabed surveys for its two ScotWind projects – the 1GW Ayre Offshore Wind Farm and the 1GW Bowdun Offshore Wind Farm.The Ayre offshore wind farm is a floating wind project to the east of Orkney, while the Bowdun offshore wind farm is a fixed-foundation project off the coast of Aberdeenshire.TWP is a consortium of DEME Concessions (Wind) NV (42,5%), Qair Marine SAS (42…

Threat to Whales Complicates US Research into Seaweed for Biofuel

In Cape Cod Bay, 10-year-old Pilgrim and her calf skim the water's glassy surface alongside the Shearwater research vessel to feed on tiny crustaceans.The two are among the last surviving 340 or so North Atlantic right whales left migrating along the U.S. East Coast – down from 480 right whales in 2010.The biggest threats they face include being struck by passing ships or getting entangled in ropes used for lobster fishing off the U.S.

GD Electric Boat Scores $1B for Submarine Modifications

General Dynamics Electric Boat, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was awarded a $1.076 billion contract modification from the U.S. Navy to provide long-lead-time material and advanced construction for Virginia-class fast-attack submarines.Electric Boat is presently under contract for construction of submarines in Block V of the class. The $1,075,896,000 in advance procurement funds from…

Israel to Build Subsea Electric Cable with Possible Europe Link

Israel on Tuesday unveiled plans to build an underwater electric cable that will run along its Mediterranean coast and offer the possibility to connect to electricity grids in Europe.The proposed 150 km (93 mile) cable will carry electricity from solar energy farms in Israel's southern Negev desert to cities to the center and north, the Energy Ministry said.

Hardide Coatings: First ROV Application

Hardide Coatings completed its first application for a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for Seatronics with exceptional test results, the company claims, resulting in improved performance. Since using the coating on a critical part of the thruster system, the Predator ROV manufactured by Seatronics reportedly has increased in performance and power, with critical wear issues also vastly improved. David Currie…

NOAA, Coast Guard to Collect Data from a Great Lakes Icebreaker

This week, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) scientists worked with the U.S. Coast Guard during ice-breaking in Lake Superior Harbor in Duluth, Minnesota, aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Spar. This project is the first set of experiments funded by the newly developed Great Lakes Center of Expertise.Teams from both Coast Guard District 9 and NOAA deployed uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) with multispectral…