Mike Connor News

UK-based uncrewed surface vessel (USV) specialist SEA-KIT on Thursday announced its first USV export sale to ThayerMahan, an autonomousmaritime solutions firm based in Connecticut, USA.Sea-KIT said that the X-Class USV's combination of extended range, high sea state endurance and payload capacity attracted ThayerMahan initially to the UK-based USV firm."The fact that SEA-KIT’s vessels are already commercially proven across the globe also factored heavily in their decision-making process…

In August, 2021, after years of delays, cost overruns, and rising tensions, the Australian government canceled a A$90 billion order with France’s Naval Group for 12 conventionally powered submarines intended to replace the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s aging fleet of six Collins-class attack subs. Overnight, the future of the RAN’s undersea warfare capability was cast into uncertainty. The very next month, however, the United States and the United Kingdom announced a plan to help Australia fill the void…

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), announced a partnership with autonomous maritime solutions company ThayerMahan for seabed and infrastructure survey and inspection work in the waters off southern Massachusetts.Based in Groton, Conn., ThayerMahan, specializes in seabed surveys, acoustic mitigation and monitoring, and other maritime related services and has facilities in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Vice Admiral (ret) Mike Connor, CEO of ThayerMahan, Inc., will discuss the use of autonomous maritime systems in minimizing risk for vessel operators, infrastructure owners, and port authorities. Admiral Connor has over 30 years of experience in the maritime security arena. He is the former commander of the US Submarine Force. As CEO of ThayerMahan, he focuses on delivering maritime domain awareness at reduced cost by leveraging emerging technologies for customers in government, industry, and academia.Register for the 2021 Maritime Risk Symposium at www.MaritimeRiskSymposium.org

U.S. coal companies will no longer be able to settle royalties at low domestic prices when they make lucrative sales to Asia according to reforms proposed by the Interior Department on Friday. American taxpayers by law are due a 12.5 percent royalty on the sales of millions of tons of coal pulled each year from federal land that mining companies lease. In past years of strong global demand, U.S. miners have been able to avoid a royalty hit on lucrative exports by first selling to affiliated traders at low domestic prices. The reforms proposed on Friday will update rules on how energy companies settle their royalty payments on coal, oil and gas pulled from federal land but the changes to the coal program may have the biggest impact.

U.S. Government agency BOEM informs that Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 238 attracted US$109,951,644 million in high bids for 81 tracts covering 433,823 acres on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf offshore Texas. A total of 14 offshore energy companies submitted 93 bids. “This sale underscores the President’s commitment to create jobs and home-grown energy through the safe and responsible exploration and development of offshore energy resources,” said Interior Deputy Secretary Mike Connor. The lease sale, which offered 21.6 million acres, builds on five previous sales held under the Obama Administration’s Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017 (Five Year Program).

As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand safe and responsible domestic energy production, today’s Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 238 attracted $109,951,644 million in high bids for 81 tracts covering 433,823 acres on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf offshore Texas. A total of 14 offshore energy companies submitted 93 bids. “This sale underscores the President’s commitment to create jobs and home-grown energy through the safe and responsible exploration and development of offshore energy resources,” said Interior Deputy Secretary Mike Connor. Today’s lease sale, which offered 21.6 million acres…