Ulstein Verft Cuts First Steel for New and Improved Nexans Aurora Vessel
Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein Verft and Nexans Marine Operations have marked the start of construction of a new DP3 cable-laying vessel (CLV) Nexans Aurora in a steel cutting ceremony held on January 19, 2024.Four months after signing the shipbuilding contract, Nexans Marine Operations and Ulstein Verft officially started he construction of Nexans’ next cable laying vessel.Attending the steel cutting ceremony at the Crist hull yard were representatives from Nexans, Ulstein Verft…
Russia Says Telecoms Cable Damaged Last month Just Before Nearby Baltic Gas Pipeline
A Russian fibre optic cable under the Baltic Sea was damaged last month only 28 km (17 miles) from where a gas pipeline linking Finland and Estonia was damaged soon afterwards, Russian state company Rostelecom said on Tuesday.Finnish police believe damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline was caused by a Chinese container ship dragging its anchor along the seabed but have not concluded whether this was an accident or a deliberate act.Security of sub-sea cables and pipelines in the Baltic has become a top concern against the background of the Ukraine war…
Radio Holland, Sperry Marine Ink Gyrocompass Distribution Deal
Radio Holland and Sperry Marine recently signed a Global Gyrocompass Distribution Agreement with respect to the Sperry Marine’s CompassNet Heading Management System, which includes the NAVIGAT 100 and NAVIGAT 200 spinning mass gyros and the NAVIGAT 2500 and NAVIGAT 3500 Fibre-Optic Gyrocompasses.The global agreement enables Radio Holland offices around the world to sell Sperry Marine’s gyro compass systems, and, in addition, a great many Radio Holland offices to install, commission and service the respective equipment.Contract signing at Radio Holland’s HQ in Rotterdam…
Prysmian Wraps Up DolWin3 Gig
Prysmian Group, the major player in energy and telecom cable systems industry, has has announced that it commissioned the 900MW DolWin3 high voltage direct current (HVDC) offshore grid link in the German North Sea.Prysmian had secured this project in February 2013, with a contract awarded by Alstom Grid (now GE Grid GmbH) on behalf of the Dutch-German grid operator TenneT.DolWin3, the third offshore grid connection in the DolWin cluster, links the offshore converter platform DolWin Gamma, located approximately 85 kilometers offshore in the North Sea, to the German mainland.As a one-stop-shop service provider, Prysmian was responsible for the supply…
Prysmian Bags Dolwin5 Cabling
Italian multinational corporation Prysmian Group has been awarded a major grid connection project worth in region of EUR 140 million by the Dutch-German grid operator TenneT which will enable the connection of multiple offshore wind farms to the German grid.“The Dolwin5 project continues our valued long relationship with the major TSO TenneT and demonstrates our ability to provide tailor-made submarine cable solutions for challenging projects, providing the offshore infrastructure needed to support the growth of clean energy in Northern Europe.” stated Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects, Prysmian Group.The project involves the supply, installation and commissioning of a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) 320 kV XLPE-insulated submarine and land power cable connection…
Scientist Pool Data to Create the $3B Ocean Map
For experts in the field of ocean mapping it is no small irony that we know more about the surfaces of the Moon and Mars than we do about our planet's sea floor."Can you imagine operating on the land without a map, or doing anything without a map?" asked Larry Mayer, director of the U.S.-based Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, a research body that trains hydrographers and develops tools for mapping."We depend on having that knowledge of what's around us - and the same is true for the ocean…
Sapura Energy Wins Contracts in Mexico, Malaysia
Malaysia-based integrated oil and gas services Sapura Energy Berhad has strengthened its presence in Mexico and Malaysia with new contract wins valued at approximately RM1.75 billion (USD 410 mln).The new contracts have lifted the company’s orderbook to RM18 billion and total contract wins to-date for this financial year to RM7 billion (USD 1.68 bln).Sapura Energy has built capabilities and expertise that are critical to support its clients in their quest to meet global energy demand and as a result, has a strong track record that has opened up greater prospects in the opportunity funnel for the company worldwide.In line with the company’s pursuit for growth and strategy to capitalise on the industry upturn…
Ulstein Verft to Build DP3 Cable Laying Vessel for Nexans
Nexans Subsea Operations has signed a shipbuilding contract with Ulstein Verft on the construction of a large, DP3 cable laying vessel. CEO Gunvor Ulstein, Ulstein Group, said: “We are very pleased that Nexans, a solid and important player, chooses Ulstein to construct their new flag ship. We have a strong organisation with long experience in delivering advanced vessels. The contract was won in tough, international competition. We look forward to a constructive and fruitful cooperation with Nexans in the years to come”. The vessel will be outfitted for power cable laying, including bundle laying, cable jointing and repair and cable system protection and trenching. The ST-297 CLV is designed by Skipsteknisk, Ålesund.
World's First Fabrication of Subsea Well Part Using LiDAR Data and 3D Printing
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.
Saab Develops Underwater Anti-IED Robot
Designed to combat below-the-surface terrorism, Sea Wasp is the latest generation remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from defense and security company Saab. Presented at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition in National Harbor, Md., Sea Wasp has been engineered to relocate, identify and neutralize underwater improvised explosive devices (IEDs). While most underwater IED threats are disposed of manually by trained explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) divers, Sea Wasp is operated remotely by two-person teams from the surface, allowing operators to keep a safe distance from the explosives.
Cambodia, China Deal For Submarine Cable
The Cambodian government signed a $70 million investment agreement with a Chinese-owned telecommunication infrastructure provider on Wednesday to connect Cambodia to a 25,000-km underwater fiber-optic network spanning three continents. The Ministry of Post and Telecommunication (MPT) signed a 25-year concession agreement with Cambodia Fiber Optic Cable Network (CFOCN), on 2 March to build a landing station in Sihanoukville and lay an underwater fibre-optic cable that patches into the existing AAE-1 cable, one of the main high-speed data conduits linking Asian, African and European countries. The project will enable Cambodia for the first time an independent international bandwidth exports, so it is high hopes.
Cinia Lays New Helsinki-Rostock Submarine Data Cable
Finland-based Cinia Group began laying the new submarine Sea Lion data cable in Helsinki, Finland. The new fibre optic sea cable will provide a direct, low latency and cyber secure internet backbone connection between Finland and Germany. Linking Cinia's existing countrywide data network in Finland with network nodes in Central Europe, the new sea cable is expected to increase interest of data center operators and data intensive organizations to set up operations in Finland. "The sea cable initiative builds the future of Finland based on our existing strengths," said Eero Heliövaara, Director General at the Prime Minister's Office. "A direct data connection between Finland and Central Europe is an important enabler of both domestic economic growth and international investments.
KENC Expanding Presence in oil & Gas Sector
KENC Oil & Gas, specialists in the design, fabrication and supply of custom engineered equipment, will move to new, larger premises to meet growing demand from the on and offshore industries. From mid-July, KENC’s new headquarters will be at a 450m2 facility nearby the company’s existing address in Oldenzaal, the Netherlands. “This expansion is necessary thanks to the increasing number and size of engineering projects we are completing,” notes company founder Eric Buining. “We design, fabricate and supply increasingly specialized upstream oil and gas equipment. To meet that demand, not only are we expanding our facilities, but KENC’s expert workforce is also growing. Since the company was founded, KENC has shown solid growth.
Reef Subsea Win Large Middle East, A-P, Contracts
Reef Subsea Dredging and Excavation (D&E) report they have secured a number of substantial contracts in the Middle-East and Asia Pacific as they continue to grow its global footprint. The Middle-East contracts will involve two teams from the company’s UK workforce managing subsea excavation work in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The work in the Al Khafji field in Saudi Arabia, on behalf of Technip and Khafji Joint Operations (KJO), is a shore approach cable excavation in shallow waters. Specialist personnel will also be deployed for the post-lay burial of the 165mm composite cable.
Trelleborg to Supply Equipment to Yeudong LNG Terminal
Trelleborg Marine Systems has been awarded the contract to supply docking and mooring equipment and LNG cargo transfer technology for the new Yuedong LNG Terminal in China. After working closely with project owner, CNOOC Yuedong LNG, Trelleborg was chosen to supply the project’s LNG terminal with a fully integrated large-scale LNG mooring and transfer system thanks to its ability to provide an industry leading range of products, systems integration and end-to-end support. The range of equipment supplied by Trelleborg includes Double and Triple Quick Release Hooks with hazardous area compliance, SmartHook Mooring Load Monitoring Systems with electric remote release…
Subsea Cable Project: Tokyo to London via NW Passage
Arctic Fibre Inc plans to construct a 15,167 km (9,424 mile) subsea fibre optic cable; North Alaska Slope residents to benefit. Arctic Fibre announce that it will partner with Anchorage-based Quintillion Networks, LLC to provide broadband telecommunications services to more than 26,500 Alaska residents living along the Alaskan North Slope and Bering Sea coastline, and to provide a geographically diverse alternate fibre route for traffic from the United States to Europe and Asia. Arctic Fibre was established in 2009 to explore deploying a fibre optic telecommunications system through the Canadian Arctic. Arctic Fibre plans to construct a 15…
Northrop Grumman Navigation Systems for New Indian CG Vessels
Northrop Grumman Corporation to supply advanced shipboard navigation systems for 20 fast patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard. Under the contract, awarded through the company's Indian reseller Marine Electricals Ltd., Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit will provide a navigation package including VisionMaster™ Total Watch™ multifunction displays, electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS), autopilot, magnetic compass and the new NAVIGAT 3000™ fibre optic gyrocompass.
UK's Proserv Wins Platform Topside Controls Contract
Proserv secure a £1.2-million contract to supply topside control equipment at a major southern North Sea development. The company was awarded the deal on the Cygnus field by operator GDF SUEZ through its design contractor AMEC. As part of the agreement Proserv will supply the design, engineering and build of wellhead control panels and accompanying topside umbilical termination unit for the Alpha and Bravo platforms. Six of the 10 development wells for both platforms will be controlled by the initial panel design and includes the commissioning of spares and specialist tools.
Proserv Wins Cygnus Topside Controls Contract
Proserv, a global provider of production technology services, has secured a £1.2million contract to supply topside control equipment at a major southern North Sea development. The company was awarded the deal on the Cygnus field by operator GDF SUEZ through its design contractor AMEC. As part of the agreement Proserv will supply the design, engineering and build of wellhead control panels and accompanying topside umbilical termination units for the Alpha and Bravo platforms.
Aircraft Carrier Training Facility Opens In UK
A training facility has been opened to prepare Royal Navy sailors to man the first of the Queen Elizabeth-Class carriers, due in 2016. The first of the 65,000-tonne carriers is currently being assembled at Babcock's dockyard in Rosyth, and will be able to take up to 40 aircraft; almost twice the capacity of the Invincible Class carriers. To keep up with the state-of-the-art technology on board sailors and engineers will be trained in a £1m building at HMS Collingwood in Fareham, Hampshire, which has been set out in the same way as an operations room on board the new carrier.
Ocean Works Helps Increase VENUS Ocean Observatory Capability
OceanWorks International has produced the SIIM-375, a mini-Node variant of the Subsea Instrument Interface Module (SIIM) for the VENUS observatory. VENUS, the coastal network of the Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) Observatory, is a cabled undersea laboratory for ocean researchers and explorers. VENUS delivers real time information from seafloor instruments via fibre optic cables to the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. VENUS is one of the 4 Seafloor Networks around the world in which OceanWorks has deployed its world-leading Seafloor Networks technology.
Sonardyne Security Solution Deployed in Middle East
Sonardyne Sentinel deployed to protect high security Middle-Eastern facility. Maritime security company, Sonardyne International Ltd, has successfully completed the installation of an integrated intruder detection system for an undisclosed strategic waterside installation in the Middle East. The previously unannounced contract was awarded to Sonardyne in late 2011 and included the deployment of a network of the company’s Sentinel underwater sonars, seabed mounting systems, armoured fibre optic cabling, onshore equipment shelters and a centralised command and control system.
ITIC: Professional Indemnity Cover Needed
ITIC says professional indemnity cover essential in litigious shipping industry. International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) has warned that, in today’s increasingly litigious business environment, there is a growing need for shipping professionals to have third-party indemnity insurance cover. This can be the case even in those sectors where insurance has not previously been deemed necessary, and in cases where, despite a favourable outcome to legal proceedings, substantial costs may be unrecoverable.