US Navy Adds New Research Vessel

Yesterday marked the christening of the U.S. Navy’s new state-of-the-art Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) scientific research vessel R/V Neil Armstrong (AGOR 27) at the Dakota Creek Industries shipyard in Anacortes, Washington. According to the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the newest research vessel will join its six-vessel research fleet next year. Each vesselis assigned to a U.S.

Cygnus Underwater Gauge Launched in the Middle East

Unique System FZE, a Unique Maritime Group company and integrated turnkey subsea and offshore solutions provider, introduced the new DIVE MK2 underwater gauge from Cygnus Instruments in the Middle East region. Unique system FZE is the authorized distributor of Cygnus products for the entire Middle East region. Founded in 1983, Cygnus pioneered the digital multiple echo technique. The technique has long since been the industry standard for accurate measurement of material thickness.

Unmanned US Navy ASW Vessel Contract for SAIC

Science Applications International (SAIC) awarded US Navy DARPA contract for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Unmanned Vessel. The contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program phases two through four to design, build and test a new prototype unmanned autonomous surface vessel. The DARPA ACTUV program…

2G Robotics Delivers to Oceaneering

2G Robotics delivered two deep-rated ULS-500 subsea laser systems to Oceaneering International, Inc.'s business unit, Oceaneering Survey Services (C&C Technologies), a provider of deepwater seafloor mapping services, subsea surveys and satellite positioning. Including these two ULS-500 systems, Oceaneering now uses six of the ULS-500 systems with its AUVs as part of its advanced survey and inspection services for assessing pipeline and flowline integrity.

US Shore Landing for Monet Submarine Cable

TE SubCom said it has completed the U.S. shore landing for the Monet Submarine Cable, a 10,556km cable that will connect Boca Raton, Fla. to Fortaleza and Praia Grande, Brazil, where shore landings were completed earlier this year. Monet is owned by Google, Algar Telecom, Angola Cables and ANTEL. The 100G-capable cable system will provide a low latency route from Brazil to North America with a minimum bandwidth of 60 Tbps.

UTEC Awarded LNG Pipeline Contract

UTEC Survey Pty Ltd. announced it has been awarded the largest pipelay support survey and positioning contract in Australia. The contract was awarded to UTEC by Saipem and involves the provision of offshore survey and positioning services during the pre-lay, lay and post-lay installation of a 42-inch-diameter, 889-kilometer-long pipeline which will connect the Ichthys LNG Project’s offshore central…

Teledyne Brings Bathymetic Solutions to CHC-NSC

Teledyne CARIS and Teledyne Optech will have a combined presence at the 2018 Joint Canadian Hydrographic and National Surveyors Conference in Victoria, British Columbia, March 26-29. Visitors interested in the latest in ocean mapping software, and the swift progress taking place in lidar surveying and mapping solutions can drop by stand 407 to learn more. Teledyne CARIS is offering a half-day workshop on March 26th at 1pm.

Deep Ocean Engineering

Last month MTR sat with Deep Ocean Engineering – Robert Sabo, President & Corporate Secretary; John Bergman, Vice President of Engineering; and Mike Takeda, Director of Operations – to discuss recent advances in the field of ROV outfit and operation. For our readers not familiar with Deep Ocean Engineering, please provide a brief company history as well as information that give them the size, scope and depth of your current product line and operations. Takeda: Deep Ocean Engineering, Inc.

TE Connectivity Expands in China

TE’s new manufacturing facility in Kunshan, China is delivering the company’s C-Lite cable family of marine classified cables, expanding the offering to its customers in Asia. The new location targets reduced lead time, taking the average delivery time from 12 weeks down to just five weeks, the company said. At Marintec China 2015, TE will feature the C-Lite line, which with the recent addition of the China Classification Society (CCS), are now certified by eight marine classification agencies.

Fugro Returns to Hollandse Kust Wind Farm

Fugro is set to commence a site characterization program at the Hollandse Kust (noord) Wind Farm zone. Carried out under a further contract for the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl), part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the geotechnical workscope comprises seabed investigations and borehole drilling at two lots. Other deliverables include standard and advanced laboratory…

Five UC San Diego Professors Named AAAS Fellows

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the nation’s largest general science organization, has awarded the distinction of fellow to 391 members, including five from Scripps Institution of Oceanography/University of California San Diego. New fellows will be honored for “their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished” on February 18 during the 2017 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston.

New Survey Vessel Ordered for the Port of London

The Port of London Authority (PLA) has 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.

OceanServer Receives Orders for 6 New Iver AUVs

OceanServer Technology has received orders for six new Iver AUVs across three different customers. The systems are expected to be delivered by the end of January 2015. Four systems will be delivered to YSI/Xylem for use in water quality application utilizing the YSI Sonde 6-Series Sensors. The second customer, John’s Hopkins University, recently took delivery of their first Iver3-580 system for research purposes. Johns Hopkins currently operates two Iver2 AUVs.

Pacific Drilling Extends Utra-Deepwater Drillship Option

Pacific Drilling S.A. agrees with Samsung Heavy Industries to extend an option to construct an eighth ultra-deepwater drillship. The contractual option has been extended until January 18, 2013, on the same commercial terms, including delivery scheduled for the first quarter of 2015. Pacific Drilling says it is a fast growing company that is committed to becoming the industry’s preferred ultra-deepwater drilling contractor.

Offshore Cable Turntable Order for Jan De Nul

Jan De Nul Group to supply a 5,400 tonnes capacity cable turntable to offshore handling systems specialist Caley Ocean Systems. The turntable, including a 5 tonnes and 10 tonnes deck tensioner, is destined for the vessel Willem de Vlamingh. In addition to this turntable, Caley is supplying a modular loading tower assembly comprising loading arm, inboard chute, and control cabin. In the first quarter of 2013…

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…

Seafloor Massive Sulphide Mining Project Advances

Nautilus Minerals Inc. (TSX:NUS, OTCQX: NUSMF, OTC:NUSMF Nasdaq Intl Designation) announced it signed a new agreement with Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Co. Ltd (“Tongling”) for the sale of the product extracted from the Company’s Solwara 1 deposit located in the Bismarck Sea of Papua New Guinea, with first delivery expected in the first half of 2018. On April 21, 2012, Nautilus and Tongling entered…

Leading Industry towards Offshore Excellence

Working offshore can be dangerous business. Miles from shore with nothing but water in all directions, offshore crews perform highly complex operations with little margin for error, and the potential for severe consequences if something goes wrong. We were reminded of this just a few weeks ago, when an explosion and fire aboard a shallow-water production platform offshore Louisiana on November 16 resulted in the tragic deaths of two confirmed crewmembers and severe injuries to many others.

ROV Pilots to Work from Home?

After working offshore for 15 years, and now with a young family at home, I have been applying a large portion of any free home life to self study and personal development to hopefully prepare myself for a transition back to an onshore career. Piloting from home wasn't quite my original intention! A long story short, being very much a learn-by-doing person, I set out to design and build my own version…

Eye on the Navy: Navy extends Life for Research Ships, but Says Farewell to FLIP

The U.S. Navy’s three Global class oceanographic research ships (AGORs) have received a new lease on life. The ships-- R/V Thomas G. Thompson (AGOR 23), R/V Roger Revelle (AGOR 24) and R/V Atlantis (AGOR 25)-- which entered service between 1991 and 1998--were built with 30-year expected service lives. Thanks to extensive overhauls on all three they have been returned to service with another 15 years of useful service.AGOR 23 is operated by the University of Washington…