Fugro to Perform Fully Remote Subsea Surveys for Petrobras Off Brazil

Petrobras has signed a 175-day addendum to Fugro’s current inspection, repair and maintenance services contract, performed by the Fugro Aquarius, to include fully remote subsea inspection surveys of shallow-water infrastructure in Brazil.Work will begin in January 2025, leveraging Fugro’s advanced Blue Essence uncrewed surface vessel (USV) and Blue Volta electric remotely operated vehicle (eROV) technology to enhance inspection safety…

IHO Nautical Information Provision Work Group endorses Guide for Nautical Data 2.1

During a meeting on 4 December 2024, the International Hydrographic Organization Nautical Information Provision Work Group (IHO NIPWG) held a vote on the new Guide for Nautical Data 2.1. The guide was unanimously endorsed.The guide has been written, with contributory input from International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA) members around the world, to support hydrographic offices and port authorities…

Fugro Sets Up South Korea Base for Offshore Renewables

Dutch survey company Fugro has opened a new office South Korea, dubbed ‘Fugro UST21’, as part of a joint venture with South Korean marine technology company UST21.Based in Incheon, the new office will provide geo-data solutions for South Korea’s growing offshore renewable energy sector, which Fugro has been actively supporting in collaboration with UST21 since 2019.The creation of Fugro UST21 establishes…

TGS Licenses Imaging Software to Shell, Secures OBN Contract in North America

Norwegian seismic company TGS has signed a global multi-year agreement with Shell to license the TGS Imaging AnyWare software suite, announcing also it has secured another contract for the Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) data acquisition work in North America.The agreement with Shell provides opportunities for strategic collaboration and underscores the company’s commitment to harnessing advanced technology to elevate data processing and analytical capabilities for its clients.Through the agreement…

Unique Group Inks $1.7m Deal with Kongsberg Discovery

Unique Group signed a contract with Kongsberg Discovery for $1.7m of advanced seabed mapping and compact acoustic positioning technology for the APAC region.The agreement, for the delivery of cNODE Transponders, µPAP SSBL systems and the recently launched EM2042 multibeam echo sounder (MBES), allows Unique to boost its  subsea equipment rental pool.The order, confirmed at Oceanology International in London…

VideoRay and Neotek Ink Deal for EU Distribution

VideoRay, a provider of inspection-class underwater robotic systems, and Neotek, a supplier of measurement, control, analysis and data transmission equipment for subsea applications, have entered into a letter of intent (LOI) agreement for the distribution and service of current and future Mission Specialist ROV systems and accessories in the EU.The agreement, which the companies will finalize by the end of 2023…

European Wave Energy Project Gets $4.4M Funding Boost

European Union’s Horizon program has approved a $4.4 million grant for SHY project, which will develop a new power take-off (PTO) system with advanced control strategy, aimed at reducing the cost of wave energy.SHY project, short for Seawater Hydraulic PTO using dynamic passive controller for wave energy converters, is a collaborative project whose aim is to develop key components of a seawater hydraulic PTO system…

ThayerMahan and Ocius to Develop Long-Duration USV with Acoustic Sensor Arrays

ThayerMahan, an autonomous maritime surveillance and offshore solutions provider, and Australian autonomous uncrewed vessel developer Ocius Technology have signed an agreement to combine technologies to develop long-duration USV with acoustic sensor arrays to strengthen AUKUS Pillar II objectives.Under the agreement, ThayerMahan will install its outpost passive acoustic maritime surveillance system…

General Dynamics Mission Systems to Develop Clandestine Mine Delivery System

General Dynamics Mission Systems has been awarded a $15.9 million contract by the U.S. Navy to develop its Mining Expendable Delivery Unmanned Submarine Asset (MEDUSA) system.MEDUSA is a tactical, clandestine mining system using an expendable Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) that can be launched from a submarine torpedo tube. The U.S. Navy is developing MEDUSA to address the need for an advanced maritime…

MacArtney Introduces 9-Contact SubConn Connector

MacArtney has launched the newest SubConn® Micro Circular series member: the 9-contact connector. With enhanced features designed to minimize signal interference, the connector ensures optimal data accuracy and efficient underwater operations.With enhanced shielding, the 9-contact connector minimizes electromagnetic interference, providing a stable and uninterrupted connection for underwater equipment.It features optimal data integrity…

Padilla, Murkowski Introduce Bill for Atmospheric River Forecasting

U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have announced bipartisan legislation that will reduce flood risks and bolster emergency preparedness by improving atmospheric river forecasting to predict the timing and location of these storms more precisely. The Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a forecast improvement program within the National Weather Service.

Research Vessels: A Conversation with Bruce Applegate of UNOLS

The U.S. oceanographic research community depends on a complex network of ships and institutions for scientific discovery at sea. The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) is the central organization that provides scientists with access to advanced research ships and technology to explore the world's oceans. We recently spoke with Bruce Applegate, Chair of the UNOLS Council and Associate Director at Scripps Institution of Oceanography…

Green Marine UK Looks to Support UK’s Subsea Power and Communications Network

Offshore specialist Green Marine is expanding its capabilities to support the UK’s vital intercountry power and communication transmission cable infrastructure.Cable networks form the backbone of the nation’s energy distribution system, playing a critical role in the transfer and balancing of power and communications across regions (both domestic and international). A significant portion of these are high-voltage subsea cables…

MacGregor Gets Large Crane Order for Prysmian’s New Cable Layer

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received a large order for three cranes that will be installed onboard a new cable laying vessel (CLV) being built for Prysmian by shipbuilder Vard.MacGregor will deliver a 100-tonne active heave-compensated (AHC) crane, a 20T Offshore crane and a 3T deck crane to Prysmian, to equip the Italian owner’s third NB970 CLV from Vard.The crane supply scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.In addition…

Black Whale Pictures Takes Innovative Approach to Underwater Cinematography

In the vast expanse of the ocean lies a realm of mystery and beauty waiting to be discovered. Black Whale Pictures, a pioneering filmmaking company, brings innovative underwater cinematography to life using cutting-edge technology to capture the enigmatic world beneath the waves.At the heart of the French production company lies a profound connection with the ocean. Its founder, Antoine Drancey, who has experience as a camera operator…

Fugro, Spoor Join Forces for AI Bird Monitoring for Offshore Wind Farms

Fugro and Spoor, a software company that helps renewable energy projects reduce their environmental impact, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a new bird-monitoring solution for offshore renewable energy projects.The artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system will not only help protect bird populations but also supports the growth of renewable energy by making environmental assessments more affordable…

MTR100 Spotlight: Bayonet Ocean Vehicles

The MTR100 is a look at the 100 leading companies, technologies and people in the global subsea sector. In the September/October edition, Marine Technology Reporter published the 17th Annual MTR100. Today's spotlight is on Bayonet Ocean Vehicles, recently launched by Greensea Systems Inc.Bayonet Ocean Vehicles was created to help bridge the gap between open water and the beach with a series of “AUGVs”…

Glosten Tapped toDesign new Research Vessel for KAUST

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) selected Glosten to design a new ship with advanced capabilities for Red Sea research.The new oceanographic research vessel (RV) will replace the existing RV Thuwal, designed to bring advanced research capabilities for work in both shallow reef and deepwater environments with a reconfigurable deck for multipurpose jobs and equipment and weather…

Rovco Nets $6.5 Mln Investment

Subsea technology firm Rovco announced it has secured £5 million ($6.5 million) in new funding to support international expansion and continued development of 3D computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) subsea technology.The funding includes a £3.9 million ($5.1 million) Series A investment from Foresight group via the Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund and Foresight VCTs as part of a larger round including funds from existing shareholders.Formed in 2015…

ROVs: Superyacht Security Success for Falcon

Another superyacht security contract win for MarineGuard sees it order another Saab Seaeye Falcon underwater robotic vehicle as part of its security resource package.As superyachts become larger and more technologically sophisticated, MarineGuard see the Falcon, with its intelligent future-flexible control technology, playing an increasing role in the growing world of superyacht security. For underwater…