Survey Tools News

Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau (TVIB) has acquired Quality Auditing, LC, effective December 31, 2016. According to TVIB, the purchase strengthens its three-fold mission to provide training and continuing education for marine auditors and surveyors, develop audit and survey tools, and become a U.S. Coast Guard Third-Party Organization (TPO) under 46 CFR Subchapter M. Founded in 2009, Quality Auditing, LC is a full-service marine auditing firm specializing in providing third-party vendor audits and AWO Responsible Carrier Program audits, utilizing a network of auditors located throughout the inland waterways. The acquisition enables TVIB to expand its regulatory compliance service offerings for the industry as it prepares to conduct audits and surveys as a TPO.

Offshore surveys are a necessary precursor for both Oil & Gas (O&G) and renewable energy installations on the seafloor. Particularly for new projects in remote regions, surveys (oceanographic, geotechnical, geophysical etc.) are critical for successful project design and implementation. However, current market conditions are forcing all parties in the supply chain to rethink their approach. Douglas-Westwood (DW) has engaged with industry experts within the market on future strategy and operator expectations. Feedback includes the obvious – “outprice competitors”, “meet highest standards”, “be flexible to operators’ needs” and “specialise” – but this is tough advice for those who are already attempting to accommodate all of these factors whilst trying to remain afloat.

DutchWorkboats and Stema Systems introduced the “Survey-machine” at Europort 2013. This survey boat is in production once it is on location – it is a carefree money maker to her owners. Surveyors keep high standards of data quality and yet are able to keep ahead of dredging, deliver contract surveys in time, survey several projects in a day. The ‘Survey-machine’ provides the tools. Survey-machine is not just a claim. This is an elaborate concept of a trailerable, fast and comfortable survey boat, with built-in and calibrated high-end survey tools.

Herbert-ABS Software Solutions LLC released the latest version of their Load Management Program (LMP) for offshore vessels. For day-to-day weight management, stability evaluation and regulatory compliance, LMP 2.1 provides an accurate, simple, yet feature-rich set of displays and entry tools for the offshore user. LMP 2.1 is customized for an individual vessel including semi-subs, SPARs, TLPs and jack-ups and can account for all loads acting on a vessel. LMP has been on the market for more than 10 years on a number of different drilling and production vessels and already boasts a strong suite of features including automatic communications with tank level systems, detailed deck survey tools, lightship modifications tracking and customizable reports.