Work Class Rovs News

Subsea services company DeepOcean and the Norwegian oil and gas company Aker BP have agreed to "pioneer" the use of an unmanned surface vessel (USV) for subsea inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) and survey work.The first USV is planned to be ready for offshore operations from 2025, when it will go on an eight-year charter agreement with DeepOcean from specialist provider USV AS."Aker BP and DeepOcean already cooperate under a frame agreement for subsea IMR and survey work, and Aker BP has contributed to the development of the USV.

Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) affiliate C-Innovation, (C-I) on Wednesday announced it has signed a multi-year contract with a major operator in the Gulf of Mexico, securing the C-Constructor to support the New Well Delivery Program and the Holiday for inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) services.The C-Constructor and Holiday are both light construction vessels equipped with 150 MT subsea cranes and two Schilling UHD work class ROVs each. The C-Constructor will support the New…

U.S.-based offshore vessel operator Bordelon Marine has secured a one-year charter with Subsea 7 i-Tech US Inc. for its Connor Bordelon ultra-light intervention vessel.The Jones Act-compliant vessel is mobilized with two Schilling 150 HD Work Class ROVs with high spec survey capabilities operated by Subsea 7. The vessel is configured to support Inspection, Repair & Maintenance (IRM) operations for clients operating in U.S. waters and regional international locations."We look forward to working with Subsea 7 in support of their U.S. and International IMR and light intervention scopes.

Subsea services company DeepOcean has chartered Volstad Maritime's M/S Volantis subsea construction vessel, which will, before starting the charter in 2023, be upgraded with batteries to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.The time charter will run from the first quarter of 2023 until the end of 2024, with options for further extensions."DeepOcean has set a target to achieve a 45 percent reduction in CO2 emissions before 2030. By 2040 we aim to be carbon neutral. Chartering vessels from vessel owners who share the same environmental commitment is key to this strategy…

Oslo-listed offshore vessel operator DOF has, through its Brazilian subsidiaries, won new long-term charter and service contracts with Petrobras for four AHTS vessels and ROVs. The vessels, Skandi Angra, Skandi Paraty, Skandi Urca, and Skandi Fluminense, (AHTS 18000 class), currently operating for Petrobras and equipped with DOF Subsea's work class ROVs, have been contracted for 3 years firm + 2 years options with Petrobras. The gross value of the contracts is around $260 million and with a planned start-up in the fourth quarter of 2022. The contracts have been awarded to DOF's subsidiaries Norskan Offshore Ltda. and DOF Subsea Serviços Brasil Ltda.

Oslo-listed offshore vessel owner GC Rieber Shipping last week completed the sale of its Polar King construction support vessel to, at the time, unnamed buyers.It has now been revealed that the 2011-built vessel was sold to the Greek-based Asso Group who took delivery of the vessel last week in Eydehavn, Norway. The vessel, to be renamed Argo, measures 110m in length, 20m in beam, has a Gross Registered Tonnage of 7,238, and features an ROV Hangar housing 2 Perry Slingsby work-class ROVs…

Norwegian supply shipping company DOF Subsea has been awarded contracts for three remotely operated (ROV) Support Vessels (RSV) with Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras).All contracts have a firm duration of three years and can be extended for another two years, informed the offshore support vessel owner.The vessels allocated for the contracts are Skandi Commander, Skandi Olympia and Skandi Chieftain, all owned by DOF Rederi AS (100 % owned by DOF ASA).Each vessel will be equipped with two state of the art work class ROVs owned and operated by DOF Subsea Group. All three contracts are expected to commence in 2nd quarter 2019. Estimated total firm contract value is NOK 1,3 billion. Skandi Olympia (built 2009) has been on charter with Fugro since her delivery in 2009.

As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.More crucially…

Houston-headquartered Oceaneering International has, through one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, acquired the Aberdeen-based Ecosse Subsea Limited for approximately GBP 50 million (US$69 Million). Headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, Ecosse builds and operates seabed preparation, route clearance and trenching tools for submarine cables and pipelines on an integrated basis that includes vessels, ROVs and survey services. Enabling technologies acquired in the transaction include Ecosse's modular SCAR Seabed System, capable of completing the entire trenching work scope (route preparation, boulder clearance, trenching and backfill), and its newly developed SCARJet trenching system.

Swire Seabed has signed a three year bareboat charter with Siem Offshore for the LCV Siem Stingray. The vessel, which will be re-named Seabed Stingray, is an Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR), Construction and Survey vessel of the VARD design. She is 120.90 metres in length with a deck space of 1350 m² and is equipped with a 250 tonne offshore crane. She will also have two heavy duty work class ROVs. The contract will see Swire Seabed operate the vessel in the IMR, Construction Support and Renewable sectors, with a particular focus on North European and West African markets. Siem Stingray was formerly working in the GoM for Subsea 7, executing the BP IMR & Light Construction Frame Agreement.

The vessel was named Khankendi by the President of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ilham Aliyev, at a ceremony in Baku Shipyard and launched by the Shah Deniz consortium. Baku Shipyard LLC, a joint venture between Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC), has completed a Subsea Construction Vessel (SCV) for the Caspian region. The Khankendi will be deployed to the Shah Deniz field where it is expected to perform subsea installation and construction work over the next eleven years.

Fugro said it has been awarded a further two-year contract by Petrobras to provide inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) and pipeline inspection services in Brazil. Operations commenced in May 2017. The new award follows Fugro’s completion of an initial 12-month contract for the oil major, after taking delivery of the newbuild vessel Fugro Aquarius. Built specifically for the Brazilian market by Wilson Sons shipyard in São Paulo, with local content of more than 60 percent, Fugro Aquarius is an 83-meter, DP-2 ROV support vessel.

Subsea operations specialist, Swire Seabed AS has taken delivery of its fourth subsea vessel, Seabed Constructor. Swire Seabed has secured a six-year contract for Seabed Constructor with UK based Ocean Infinity. The vessel will be carrying out AUV based survey and construction support operations on a global basis. The vessel is a multi-functional subsea support and construction vessel of MT6022 MK II design. 115 metres in length and with a beam of 22 metres, Seabed Constructor is equipped with a 250-tonne crane and a free deck space of 1,300 square metres. “The decision to invest in this high quality subsea vessel is part of Swire Seabed’s long-term growth strategy.

Bibby Offshore, the leading subsea services provider to the oil and gas industry, has this year been awarded two contracts from Shell to provide inspection services on assets in the Corrib Natural Gas field in the North Atlantic Ocean. The first contract, completed in June this year, saw Bibby Offshore’s construction support vessel Olympic Ares - equipped with Quantum Work Class and SeaEye Cougar Inspection Class ROVs - perform subsea inspections 83km off the North West coast of Ireland, in water depths of approximately 360m. The 40 day campaign involved pipeline survey inspection work on a 83km long 20” gas pipeline, and internal wellhead and manifold fault diagnostics, structural inspection and cathodic protection measurements, to ensure optimum levels of productivity were achieved.

Fugro and 3D at Depth, a global provider of advanced subsea LiDAR systems and solutions, announce the world's first application of subsea LiDAR data used to 3D Print an accurate 1:1 physical model of a damaged well part. The ability to use accurate spatial data in subsea part fabrication with 3D printing, introduces a wide range of possibilities to reduce costs across intervention planning and Life of Field programs. The subsea part fabrication was part of a larger project conducted in early 2016, using 3D at Depth's subsea LiDAR SL 2 technology and point cloud software. 3D at Depth was contracted by Fugro to perform subsea laser scanning services on a well abandonment project in Oceania, Australia.

Royal IHC and Tompkins UK Limited are strengthening their strategic cooperation with IHC’s acquisition of a majority stake in Tompkins, the parent company of Modus Seabed Intervention and a partner in the TI Geosciences joint venture (that IHC and Tompkins created in 2015). Modus is a specialist provider of remote and autonomous technologies for subsea and seabed intervention. It has industry-leading capabilities in remotely operated vehicle (ROV) services and currently deploys a fleet of work class ROVs and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in construction and drill support, as well as survey and inspection activities. With its fleet of trenching ROVs and systems, Modus also offers seabed intervention solutions in cable and pipeline trenching, and seabed earthmoving, among others.

Over the next decade the maritime sector is likely to see one of the largest changes since sail gave way to steam. Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) are now being considered for various marine roles and the drivers for rapid development are significant. Unmanned or autonomous vessels have passed through the trial and evaluation stage and are now being adopted for civilian and military applications. The maritime sector now has the opportunity to shape technology developments from legislative and end-user standpoints.

Fugro has taken delivery of the new ROV support vessel (RSV) Fugro Aquarius, the most advanced vessel of her type built in Brazil. The new DP-2 diesel-electric vessel is 83 metres is length with a deck area of 520 square metres and accommodation for 60 people. Permanently equipped with two Fugro-built 150HP work class ROVs, Fugro Aquarius is capable of operating in water depths of 3,000 metres. The stern A‐Frame, with active heave compensated winch system, allows for deployment of 10 tonnes and the helideck is suitable for medium-lift helicopters such as the Sikorsky S‐92. Designed by Damen shipyards group and built by Wilson Sons shipyard in Guarujá near São Paulo…

Fugro has taken delivery of the new ROV support vessel (RSV) Fugro Aquarius. The new Brazilian-built DP-2 diesel-electric vessel is 83 meters is length with a deck area of 520 square meters and accommodation for 60 people. Permanently equipped with two Fugro-built 150HP work class ROVs, Fugro Aquarius is capable of operating in water depths of 3,000 meters. The stern A‐Frame, with active heave compensated winch system, allows for deployment of 10 metric tons and the helideck is suitable for medium-lift helicopters such as the Sikorsky S‐92. Designed by Damen shipyards group and built by Wilson Sons shipyard in Guarujá near São Paulo…

Bordelon Marine has taken delivery of the M/V Shelia Bordelon, its next Stingray 260 DP2, Ultra-Light Intervention Vessel (ULIV). This highly specialized vessel features an NOV 50 ton Active Heave Compensating crane with 3,000 meters of wire, a mezzanine deck with internal office and control rooms, capable of supporting two full work class ROV systems. The M/V Shelia Bordelon offers 6,200 sq. ft. of clear useable deck space, POB of 60, and two independent thru-hull USBL systems.

UK subsea equipment manufacturer Specialist Machine Developments (SMD) has been acquired by Zhuzhou CSR Times Electric Co, a subsidiary of Chinese company CSR Corporation. The two companies have signed a sale and purchase agreement for the entire share capital of the SMD group. SMD will remain independent in its business operations, and day-to-day functions will still be controlled by its original management team. SMD is organized across a number of business streams, including Work Class ROVs, Subsea Trenching, Submerged Mining and Marine Renewables. SMD's product portfolio includes the world’s largest range of subsea remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) such as work-class and specialist trenching vehicles…

Bibby Offshore’s Houston-based division, Bibby Subsea, welcomed the Olympic Ares, a multifunctional subsea construction support vessel (CSV) which is due to arrive in the port of Galveston on December 16, 2014. The 115-meter Olympic Ares features a 250-metric-ton heave compensated crane for subsea use to 3,000-meter water depth and 1,300-square-meter of clear back deck space. Ahead of arrival in Galveston, the Olympic Ares was recently installed with two SMD Quantum MkIII 250hp 3,000-meter rated Work Class ROVs.

Fugro announced it is launching an important upgrade to its Electric ROV pilot training simulators. Most observation-class ROVs and many light work-class ROVs are electrical-based systems. With the introduction of a new electric ROV control pod and suite of electric ROV specific components, Fugro’s DeepWorks simulation software now models all electric sub-systems with greater accuracy and enables failure cases to be simulated on individual sensors and circuits. This enables not just a wider range of training scenarios to be conceived…