Robot Fleet Completes Pioneering Mission
The second phase of an ambitious project to gather valuable information on ocean processes and marine life using a fleet of innovative marine robots has just reached its conclusion. Co-ordinated by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), the Exploring Ocean Fronts project took place off southwest England and saw the largest deployment of robotic vehicles ever attempted in UK waters. The marine robots, which are powered by a combination of wave, wind and solar power, are controlled by satellite communications and can cover hundreds of kilometres in a single mission. In the latest phase of the project, three unmanned surface vehicles were used to track fish carrying acoustic āpingersā off the Devon coast.
Deepwater Joint Investigation Concludes 4th Day
The Deepwater Horizon joint investigation concluded the fourth day of the fourth session of hearings August 26 into the circumstances surrounding the explosion, fire, pollution and sinking of the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Deepwater Horizon, with multiple loss of life in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. The joint investigation has the powers of both convening agencies, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEM), and is co-chaired and staffed by representatives of both agencies. For the public hearing, the joint investigation is following the policies and proceduresā¦
Hearing Shows BP was Over Budget for Blown-Out Well
According to a report from www.Nola.com, BP's costs for drilling the Macondo oil well that blew April 20 were significantly higher and further over-budget than previously thought, according to e-mails and other documents that were read into the record at investigative hearings on August 26. David Sims, a BP manager who was involved with expenses for the Deepwater Horizon drilling operations, confirmed that the company was initially approved to spend $96m on drilling the well. Federal regulatory documents showed the rig was on the Macondo well project about 43 days longer than scheduled, and investigators have said the project was at least $20 million over-budget. (Source: www.Nola.com)
