Modus Orders Unique Subsea Pipeline Inspection AUV from Kawasaki

UK-based subsea services company Modus Subsea Services has ordered two SPICE AUV systems from Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI). Kawasaki has developed the AUV equipped with a robotic arm in response to the growing demand for pipeline maintenance in offshore oil and gas fields. SPICE will be used for operations in the North Sea and other areas around the world after delivery to MODUS in 2021. MODUS has committed to acquiring two units of SPICE AUV from Kawasaki.According to Kawasaki…

Swathe Services Takes Delivery of SBG Ekinox Navsight INS

Swathe Services has recently added the SBG Ekinox Navsight to its equipment demo pool. After trials on manned and unmanned vessels operating under bridges, in harbors and offshore for hydrographic applications, the performance of the Ekinox Inertial Navigation System (INS) has been exceptional, the company reports.Its small compact subsea form factor and weight makes this system light and easy to install with portable sonar systems.

Sonardyne, Echoview Software Collaborate to Enhance ADCPs

Sonardyne, a global leader in underwater technology solutions, announced the addition of the echosounder feature to its Origin acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs), significantly enhancing their ability to collect comprehensive marine environmental data in a single deployment.This new capability enhances offshore environmental monitoring by enabling simultaneous measurement of water velocities and biological activity…

Klein Marine Systems Selects Exail Navigation Technology For Sonar

Klein Marine Systems, a leader in sonar technology, has selected the Exail Octans Nano OEM Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) as the standard navigation solution for their 5900 Side Scan Sonar (SSS). This collaboration aims to enhance the sonar’s precision and reliability for high-resolution seabed mapping, supporting a range of defense, security, and commercial applications.The Exail Octans Nano OEM AHRS offers a heading accuracy of 0.5° secant latitude…

MTR100: Deep-sea Mining May Prove Pivotal in the Climate Change Discussion

During the past few years, much of the world has turned its eye towards adopting more sustainable practices and transitioning to net-zero and even carbon-zero emissions. Recent examples range from double-digit year-on-year electric vehicle (EV) sales percentage increases driven by individual consumer behavior to government pledges at the national, state and local level to lower emissions during the next three decades.

Cyprus Subsea to Rep HII's Unmanned Systems

Cyprus Subsea Consulting and Services, C.S.C.S. Ltd. announced it has signed an independent sales representative agreement with Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to represent its Seaglider autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to commercial customers in Cyprus, France, Spain, Portugal, Albania, Montenegro, Malta and Norway. In addition to the promotion of Seaglider equipment sales, Cyprus Subsea is authorized to provide after-sale services including mission planning…

UK Navy Experimenting with New Autonomous Vessel

The British Royal Navy has taken delivery of a new autonomous vessel as the service examines the use of cutting-edge unmanned craft across a range of military operations including surveillance and force protection. The new vessel, named Madfox (short for maritime demonstrator for operational experimentation), was officially handed over to the Navy's experimentation innovator NavyX, who is working toward…

Tech Talk: Algorithm Aims to Assist Ocean Search and Rescue

Search & Rescue algorithm identify hidden “traps” in ocean waters, helping to more quickly identify regions where objects — and missing people — may have converged.The ocean is a messy and turbulent space, where winds and weather kick up waves in all directions. When an object or person goes missing at sea, the complex, constantly changing conditions of the ocean can confound and delay critical search-and-rescue operations.Now researchers at MIT…

Underwater Infrastructure Security Project Launched in Norway

A major initiative to strengthen the security and resilience of underwater critical infrastructure has begun with the first INSURE project meeting in Tromsø, Norway.INSURE (Intelligent Decision Support for Underwater Infrastructure Monitoring towards Higher Societal Security & Resilience) is funded by the Norwegian Research Council under the Research into Civil Security and Emergency Preparedness program.Submarine…

N-Sea Wins Defense Contract by Royal Netherlands Navy

N-Sea announced a  commencement of a five-year contract with the Royal Netherlands Navy.The contract, which includes two year-long extension options, will see N-Sea operate the multipurpose support vessel, Geosea, which arrived at the naval base at Den Helder (Netherlands) on March 4.N-Sea’s workscope throughout the charter will utilize the vessel as a facilitating platform for mine countermeasure activity…

Change of Management for Nortek

After over two decades at the helm of Nortek, a specialist in oceanographic instrumentation, Atle Lohrmann is taking on new challenges at newly started Hefring Engineering in Boston. Nortek’s new CEO, Finn Ivar Marum, has been entrusted with the task of ensuring Nortek’s continued growth.Nortek was established in 1996, when Atle Lohrmann set up offices outside Oslo, Norway, and started building up production capacity for Doppler instrumentation.Since then…

First Major US Offshore Wind Farm Reaches Permitting Milestone

The first major U.S. offshore wind farm, planned for the Massachusetts coast, reached a key permitting milestone on Tuesday with the release of a long-awaited federal environmental study that considers the project's impacts on fisheries and navigation.Publication of the document marks a step forward for the Vineyard Wind project, which has experienced delays over concerns that its wind turbines will hurt commercial fishing. The supplemental review by the U.S.

ISE Ink RCN Mine Detection Equipment Contract

International Submarine Engineering (ISE) awarded the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) contract by MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA). ISE will provide two commercial off-the-shelf, high speed Aurora Towfish, which will be used to support mine detection missions and route survey operations for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels. The Aurora towfish will include modifications to integrate new sensors and navigation equipment…

CMRE to Host AUV and Robotics Competitions

From September 20 to October 3, 2014 the NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation will host the Student Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge - Europe (SAUC-E) for the fifth year in a row, and for the first time the euRathlon sea robotic competition. The NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (part of the NATO Science and Technology Organization) confirms and increases its commitment to foster a new generation of robotic engineers.

Offshore Wind: Fugro Starts Site Survey in the Baltic

Fugro has commenced a marine site characterization program at Iberdrola’s Baltic Eagle Offshore Wind Farm, in German waters of the Baltic Sea.Under a contract worth over €10 million ($11 million), Fugro will undertake a UXO survey to clear the investigation sites, followed by a geotechnical seabed investigation and borehole drilling. The workscope also includes a program of standard and advanced laboratory…

Road Show Scouts Female Submariners

Capt. Rod Hutton, deputy commander for the Enlisted Women in Submarines Task Force, led the Enlisted Women in Submarines Road Show to different military bases in the San Diego area Feb. 9-11. The road show is spreading the word that the submarine force is now open to female enlisted Sailors from E-1 to E-8. Speakers discussed how junior female Sailors could convert to rates in the submarine force and the type of candidates the force is seeking.

BG Group & the FlatFish AUV

The development of AUVs capable of being launched from FPSOs or actually being docked at the seafloor next to the subsea systems has been an industry goal for some years and offers a solution to two major problems: making deepwater subsea inspection become a simple task and decreasing the related costs. MTR’s correspondent in Brazil spoke to Rosane Zagatti, BG Group’s Subsea Technology Manager, about its FlatFish AUV project…

Royal IHC, Tompkins UK Launch TI Geosciences

Royal IHC (IHC) has joined forces with Tompkins UK to enter the deep and ultra-deep water, oil and gas geotechnical survey and site investigation market under the banner of TI Geosciences. TI Geosciences will initially provide cone penetration test (CPT)/gravity coring services. These will be based on Tompkins’ deep-push, buoyancy stabilized, deep-water CPT system – equipped with AP van den Berg’s…

Autonomy Takes Off Underwater

When it comes to autonomous operations, the underwater environment is arguably the most hazardous on the planet. To begin, there is simply a dearth of information regarding the world’s oceans, a factor which naturally raises risk prospects. In addition, the effects of exposure of equipment to the harsh saltwater environment, varying pressures and uncertain weather raises the peril level even further.

ROVCO Partners with Drexel

Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey and inspection company Rovco said it has expanded its international reach after forming a local partnership with Drexel Marine Petroleum Services in Egypt.The deal will see the Bristol-headquartered firm offer its range of advanced subsea services to companies in Egypt, as part of a plan to increase business in the region over the next five years.Through the strategic alliance with services company Drexel Marine…