Inspection Equipment News

With the announcements that New York Waterway, a ferry operator running 32 boats around New York and New Jersey waters, had been largely shut down by the U.S. Coast Guard just prior to Thanksgiving, 2019, the reactions ranged from surprise to outright shock. There was also a great deal of grumbling, as commuters, the major customer group, endured delays on New York Waterway’s extensive network across the Hudson River, bringing New Jersey commuters into New York’s business districts.So, what happened?

Arnlea Systems, a provider of mobile technology solutions for clients working within the oil and gas sector, has announced that it has renewed its existing contract with Px Group for a further five years with a six-figure value.Aberdeen-based software specialist said that the five-year deal has been awarded by operator and duty holder Px Group for use of its IntrinsixEx  software, which speeds up the inspection and reporting process for faulty equipment.The total value of the deal has not been disclosed. Arnlea will also supply tablets and other inspection equipment.Px Group, which delivers innovative management and engineering services for high hazard and highly regulated environments, operates and is duty holder for the St. Fergus gas terminal 40 miles from Aberdeen. St.

James Fisher Subsea (JF Subsea), a world leading subsea services division of James Fisher Marine Services (JFMS), has reduced inspection downtime to 2% for Shell UK, through the innovative use of asset-based remotely operated vehicles (ABROVs) on oil rig inspection programmes in the North Sea. Traditionally, oil rig inspections are undertaken using a dedicated remotely operated vehicle support vessel (ROVSV), on which an ROV is secured. To remove the need of a ROVSV and the hazards involved with securing an ROV to the offshore platform, JF Subsea provided Shell UK with a gravity-based ABROV system. While the use of ABROVs is not a new concept…

ABS Group has announced the release of a new offshore Asset Integrity Management (AIM) service focused on driving operational reliability, efficiency and profitability for asset owners and operators. The AIM services are delivered by a newly dedicated offshore business division using a pragmatic Return on Investment (ROI) centric approach. The unique and proprietary AIM methodology and tools, which include specific offerings from strategic partner American Bureau of Shipping, provide companies with the possibility and resources to improve production uptime while simultaneously reducing OPEX costs. These AIM services and tools address Structural and Mechanical Integrity…

Bureau Veritas has just completed the acquisition of Quiktrak Inc., an American company specializing in vehicle and agricultural machinery stock audit. Founded in 1991 and headquartered near Portland, Oregon, Quiktrak provides field inspections and inventory auditing services for leasing and finance companies. The company has leading-edge technology, including some of the most advanced risk management tools in the industry, particularly its RevoquestTM software for automating the audit and inventory management process. Quiktrak operates primarily in the United States and Canada, and currently distributes its software licenses in 14 countries. The company employs 90 people and has a vast network of independent inspectors giving the company a strong footprint across the United States.

Bibby Offshore Singapore (BOS) said it has successfully completed a call out contract with PTT Exploration & Production Co Ltd (PTTEP). The project involved a short notice mobilization, and saw the BOS-operated DP2 ROV Support Vessel, the Bibby Spring perform subsea inspection services to PTTEP’s Bongkot Field assets in the Gulf of Thailand. The work was successfully completed within PTTEP’s restricted timeframe. Darren Morgan, Managing Director of Bibby Offshore Singapore,said, “The team work tirelessly to ensure we deliver on time and within budget.

PPG Industries’ new operation in Greece has conducted its first-ever customer training initiative, with 55 customers from 25 Greek shipping companies attending the one-day event last month. Held at the new facility in Acharnai - Athens, PPG’s sales team took customers on a tour of the new training centre, giving them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with new product developments from PPG’s protective and marine coatings business. Led by George Petkovski, PPG technical training manager…

International equipment solutions specialist Ashtead Technology has added to its team with the appointment of Neil Harrap as NDT Market Manager. Neil is a highly experienced nondestructive testing (NDT) specialist having spent 31 years in aerospace engineering with the Ministry of Defence, much of which was spent with the RAF. During this time, Neil’s roles included NDT Equipment Subject Matter Specialist, NDT Field Team Manager, Military Tri-Service NDT School Instructor and Aerospace Engineering Technician. More recently, he has been a lecturer at TWI and provided technical support for one of the world’s leading manufacturers of advanced NDT instruments. The appointment, which is a new position, has added to the company’s capabilities as specialists in NDT.

Ashtead Technology, announces the sale of its North American Instruments business. The Instruments business, which specialises in the rental of onshore environmental monitoring, non-destructive testing and visual inspection equipment, has been acquired by New Jersey-headquartered Pine Environmental Services LLC. Allan Pirie, CEO at Ashtead Technology, said: "The divestment of the North American Instruments business is a key step in our long-term growth strategy to focus on our Offshore business, which has significant growth potential in the coming years.

Kongsberg Maritime is the owner of the ‘Windsense’ project, which aims to develop a new and flexible instrumentation system for wind turbines. The system will help to make wind power more economically competitive. The project, which amounts to 22 million NOK, has been initiated through collaboration within the instrumentation cluster NCEI (Norwegian Centres of Expertise Instrumentation). Windsense will develop a system that will make wind turbines more effective by reducing unplanned shutdowns, thus achieving higher reliability of the power plant. The system also makes it possible to temporarily run the turbines at a lower capacity in anticipation of required maintenance, which further reduces expensive downtime.

The solution to the pollution problems caused by the wreck of the Prestige oil tanker could be at hand. The main Spanish Oil Company Repsol YPF was appointed by the Spanish Government to find the best solution to extract the remaining fuel in the Prestige wreck. Repsol YPF selected and awarded contracts to the industry experts Thales GeoSolutions and Sonsub to design and build ROVs for the deepwater survey and investigation, and a further contract to Sonsub, in partnership with Thales GeoSolutions, to carry out a deepwater survey, investigation and evaluation study on the wreck of the Prestige oil tanker, which sank in deep water off the coast of Northern Spain in November of 2002 still carrying a substantial amount of heavy fuel oil.

Ros Inc. of San Diego, Calif. recently delivered four Anchor Bolster Deployment TV Systems to R&B Falcon of Houston, Texas. The systems will be installed on the semi-submersible drilling rig MG Hulme, presently operating off Western Africa. This system incorporates video inspection equipment mounted on a deployment frame which is raised and lowered to the rig's four anchor bolster mounts located at the base of the vessel's four main columns. Engine Monitor Inc. (EMI) has introduced what is being touted as the first totally U.S.-designed and manufactured Integrated Dynamic Positioning System (I-DPS). In development for the past two years, it will reportedly be the first DPS marketed as a complete system to include steering and engine controls in a single package.

InterCorr International, the Houston-based corrosion engineering and technology company, was granted a new patent (US Application 09/202193) for "Assessment of Corrosion." The patent covers various aspects of corrosion assessment, the most fascinating of which includes the ability to automatically determine the corrosion mechanism without the need to rip open the pipe or vessel for inspection. Kenneth MacKenzie, Chairman of InterCorr, said, "Certainly the greatest challenge to industry in overcoming corrosion is to detect that there is a problem well in advance of a material failure. In most cases of pressure equipment, it can be too late even if corrosion is observed and patched during a turnaround inspection - equipment replacement is then inevitable, and costly.

Senate Republicans and Democrats together boosted funding for border and port security in the fiscal 2007 Homeland Security appropriations bill by almost $1b, but were bitterly divided over how to restructure the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Senators agreed to two amendments by Senate Appropriations ranking member Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., that would provide $350m extra for border security and $648m more for port and cargo security. But several senators clashed on the floor over restructuring FEMA. In the end, an amendment by Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., to transform FEMA but keep it within the department was approved on an 87-11 vote. The amendment, which had strong backing from Sen.

Representative Lungren (R-CA) introduced the Security and Accountability For Every Port Act or SAFE Port Act (H.R. 4954) to improve maritime and cargo security through enhanced layered defenses, and for other purposes. On March 16, the Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity of the House Committee on Homeland Security conducted a Hearing on the SAFE Port Act. In a Combined Statement, Jayson P. Ahern, Customs and Border Protection and Captain Brian Salerno, US Coast Guard, testified regarding vessel security, advance electronic information, the automated targeting system, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)…

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved and forwarded to the full Senate the FY 2004 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security. The $28.5 billion measure includes $8.2 billion for border protection and enforcement, $5.4 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, and $6.8 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard. It specifically earmarks $12.1 million for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), $61.8-million for the Container Security Initiative (CSI), $119.3 million for non-intrusive inspection equipment, $150 million for port security grants, $30 million for Operation Safe Commerce, $60 million for cargo security screening, and $76 million for USCG Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSSTs). Source: HK Law

Secretary Ridge and Attorney General Ashcroft announced that the national alert level is being raised from Yellow (Elevated Risk) to Orange (High Risk). As a result, many agencies that will be a part of the new Department of Homeland Security on March 1, are taking additional steps to increase their protective measures. Following are examples of additional steps being taken by some of these agencies. These are provided as representative examples, and should not be construed as the complete Federal response to the increased threat level. · Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners will increase the number of random examinations conducted at airport security checkpoints. · Federal Air Marshals will be assigned to a greater number of flights.