New Survey Vessel for Port of London

The Port of London Authority (PLA) ordered a new purpose-built survey catamaran, a CTruk MPC19, due to enter service on the river Thames later this year. The vessel is will replace the PLA’s Yantlet vessel as she reaches the end of her service life, continuing the PLA Hydrography team’s survey work which facilitates safe navigation on the tidal Thames. As the U.K.’s busiest inland waterway, the river is a link for trade, travel and leisure and as home to the U.K.’s second largest port. Capt.

Metron Get Navy R&D LDUUV Contract

The Department of Defense award Metron Inc. a contract for development of a large displacement unmanned undersea vehicle (LDUUV). Metron, Inc., of Reston, Va.,is being awarded a $7,287,619 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract  to include in-lab integration and testing of autonomy and mission planning software with bench test hardware selected for deployment on the LDUUV. This one-year contract includes two…

Case Study: Surveying Wrecks around Estonia

Why is the Estonian Maritime Administration surveying old shipwrecks in Estonian waters? The mission of the Estonian Maritime Administration is to ensure safe navigation in Estonian waters. It is extremely important to identify all possible navigational hazards, including wrecks. Some of these wrecks, especially those lost during WWII, pose a potential environmental threat because of their cargo and fuel. High resolution Multibeam sonar systems help find and identify such wrecks.

MHI to Build for PGS

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) received an order for two vessels capable of three-dimensional (3D) seismic data acquisition for sea bottom resource exploration from Petroleum Geo-Services ASA (PGS). The order for the two vessels, which was signed on April 25 in Tokyo, was placed upon exercise by PGS of the option right that was provided when two same type vessels were ordered to MHI in April 2011.

SeaTrepid Opens SeaTrepid DeepSea, Adds Staff

SeaTrepid International LLC announced that it is forming a new division thus expanding its service offerings to include Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) mapping operations. “With SeaTrepid’s deep knowledge and expertise in robotic operations coupled with our deep talent pool, contacts and infrastructure, we are well-placed for an optimal and cost-effective alternative to current methods for deepsea mapping,” said SeaTrepid's CEO and founder, Bob Christ.

Aker, Fjords Join Forces

Aker Solutions and Fjords Processing have formed an alliance to develop technology and capabilities for advanced, cost-effective wellstream separation and treatment solutions for the subsea and topside oil and gas industry. The WellSep alliance will apply Aker Solutions' subsea processing experience and testing facilities and Fjords' topside and onshore separation technologies to provide complete solutions.

US, Canada, EU, Sign Atlantic Ocean Research Accord

The recently signed "Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation" concerns research into the workings of the Atlantic Ocean and its interaction with the Arctic. The alliance will build on existing bilateral cooperation agreements and projects with the aim of developing and advancing a shared vision for the Atlantic. For the European Union, the Statement was signed by European Commissioner for Research…

SoCal Tech Focus: LinkQuest

The new FlowQuest 600 Micro acoustic current profiler operates at 600 KHz. It is similar to the standard FlowQuest 600 acoustic current profiler in terms of functions and performance, but is much smaller and lighter. The FlowQuest 600 Micro current profiler is 13 cm in diameter and 21.0 cm in length, and weighs less than 1.6 kgs in water. It will mainly be used for inland discharge measurements but…

ABB Wins $12 Million Diesel Electric System Order

ABB, a power and automation technology group, recently won a $12 million order to supply electrical power and propulsion systems for a deepwater pipe laying vessel. The vessel, tentatively named Derrick Lay Vessel 2000 (“DLV2000”), will be constructed at Keppel Singmarine in Singapore and delivered in 2015 to Hydro Marine Services, Inc., a subsidiary of McDermott International, Inc. Developed by Keppel’s ship design arm…

Sensor Systems Improve Marine Navigation Near US Naval Bases

Maritime navigational safety near two U.S. Navy installations in Kings Bay, Ga., and Portsmouth, N.H. has been improved thanks to new Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems, also known as PORTS, installed by NOAA and the U.S. Navy. They are the first new PORTS in two years, and the 34th and 35th in the nationwide network.The system near Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, the East Coast home to America’s Ohio-class submarines…

New Full Color 3D Underwater Laser Imaging System

Kraken Sonar Inc. subsidiary Kraken Robotik GmbH will introduce its new SeaVision system at the Ocean Business conference to be held in Southampton, U.K. from April 4-6, 2017. The SeaVision RGB underwater laser imaging system offers the resolution, range and scan rate to deliver dense full color 3D point cloud images of subsea infrastructure with millimeter accuracy in real time. The initial system…

Unmanned Surface Vessels: Wave Glider SV3

In recent years, the proliferation of unmanned surface vessels deployed for hydrographic missions has mushroomed as the collaborative effects of propulsion, software and sensor technologies has cumulatively made these vessels, large and small, more capable for a multitude of missions. In this edition, and on the heels of the Ocean Business exhibition last month in Southampton, Marine Technology Reporter examines recent developments.

Hull Inspection Systems Delivered to the US Navy

Bluefin Robotics has delivered new vehicles to the U.S. Navy that aim to increase the Navy's capability to remotely search and investigate ship hulls, harbor sea floors and other underwater infrastructure for limpet mines, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other objects of interest. The Navy accepted delivery of Bluefin Robotics’ ship hull inspection systems 4 and 5 under the “Explosive Ordnance Disposal…

UUV Manufacturer Aims Big by Going Small

Unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) trace their history to the Special Purpose Underwater Research Vehicle (SPURV) developed by the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory in 1957. While the UUV was conceived decades ago it was the remotely operated undersea vehicle (ROV) market, with offshore oil and gas providing a significant driver, which initially saw significant technical and product developments.

MacArtney Connectivity for Navy Bow Sonar Systems

MacArtney Underwater Technology supplied SubConn underwater connectivity solutions for the bow mounted sonar systems that are essential to the impressive undersea threat detection and response capability of the advanced FREMM frigates currently operated by the French, Italian and Moroccan navies. In close cooperation with naval defense technology contractors; Thales (France) and WASS (Italy), MacArtney…

Water Linked Launches Underwater GPS System

Norwegian technology supplier Water Linked has launched a new Underwater GPS system that leverages traditional GPS along with Water Linked’s unique underwater acoustic positioning technology. Designed to enable underwater positioning in a wide new range of marine technology applications, this system is priced at $4,800, half the cost of existing underwater positioning systems. The Underwater GPS Developer Kit is available for order with the first deliveries expected in June 2017.

Technip Secures new subsea deal from trio

Technip was awarded a new framework agreement by Statoil, Exxon Mobil and Gassco for diving, subsea intervention and repair contingency services. Under the terms of this framework agreement, a replacement of an existing frame agreement held for eight years, Technip will provide these services for the next four years. This contract, effective from December 1st 2014, also includes an option for additional periods up to seven years.

Teledyne RDI U Webinars Return

Teledyne RD Instruments announced that the company will once again host free online webinars for its customers via Teledyne RDI University. The first series of webinars will be focused on the company’s navigation product line, offering 30-minute sessions focused on the many facets of the company’s Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs) for precision surface and subsea navigation applications. Sessions range from basic system set up to theory of operation…

Van Oord First to Adopt Tritech Gemini

Dutch contracting company, Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors B.V. [Van Oord], have purchased a suite of Gemini 720is multibeam imaging sonars. The Gemini 720is sonars, combined with customized Gemini SeaTec software, will enable Van Oord to automate basic tasks such as monitoring the touchdown point of pipelaying operations on Stingray, the shallow-water pipelay barge; thus eradicating the need to deploy a highly-skilled operator and reducing the overall project time and costs.

MATE Center Announces ROV Competition Winners

At the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center’s International Student ROV Competition, the prevailing teams represented countries from all over the world. During the event, which concluded last week, student teams competed using ROVs that they designed and built. Hosted at Michigan’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the winning teams participated in mission tasks, such as identifying a simulated shipwreck, collecting microbial samples, inventorying invasive species and removing trash.