Remotely Operated Vehicle News

The Spanish shipyard C.N.P. FREIRE, S.A. (Freire Shipyard) held the launch ceremony of the diving support vessel, hull number 739, built for the Armada Logistics Support Command: A22 Proserpina in Vigo. Delivery is scheduled for later this year.The ceremony was presided over by the shipyard's General Managers, Marcos and Guillermo Freire, accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Armada (AJEMA), His Excellency Antonio Piñeiro Sánchez. Also in attendance were civil and military authorities.

Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt (DO) has started construction of a new fleet of construction commissioning service operation vessels (C-CSOVs), with the first steel cut for the lead vessel DO Joule at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China.The vessel is the first in a series of four ships ordered by Schoeller Holdings, with all vessels to be built to identical specifications.Columbia Shipmanagement will provide technical management of the vessels, while DO will act as developer…

Norway-based subsea well intervention and installation services company AKOFS Offshore has signed a firm contract with Petrobras for its Aker Wayfarer vessel.AKOFS Offshore, majority owned by Akastor, said the 2010-built vessel will continue to perform services as a Subsea Equipment Support Vessel (SESV) for Petrobras in Brazil.The contract, valued at $330 million, has a duration of four years, with operations expected to begin in September 2027, following the expiry of the current…

Phoenix's International (Phoenix) recently assisted the Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) with the successful recovery of an MH-60R helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter aircraft. The two aircraft went down within 30 minutes of each other during routine flight operations off the USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) in the South China Sea on October 26, 2025. All crew members survived and were rescued.Phoenix personnel traveled to Singapore and…

Our fascination with the depths of the ocean revealed itself in some of our most-read stories of 2025.What’s really down there? asked New Wave Media President Greg Trauthwein in his interview with Matt Grove, Regional Segment Manager Offshore at Seequent in September, in the most watched Offshore Engineer TV show.Working underneath the world’s waters is a challenge in and of itself, a challenge exacerbated if an operator does not have a clear picture of the make-up of the seabed with insights on the potential traps that might await.

In 2010, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) began the process of replacing its research vessel, R/V Western Flyer. With Glosten at their side as vessel designer, MBARI considered three types of ships for their new project. The Western Flyer was a small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH), but the parties agreed on a monohull design for the new vessel. In 2021, Freire Shipyard won the bid to build the vessel, and R/V David Packard came to life.There is no “I” in TeamWill Moon…

France-based STAPEM Group has chosen Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) technology as the permanent solution for one of its flagship offshore support vessels, the STAPEM Boreale.Operating in one of STAPEM Group’s key regions, Angola, the vessel is now equipped with a Ranger 2 GyroUSBL 7000 system, an all-in-one, high-performance USBL system for precise positioning performance, previously used on a hire basis.Ranger 2 GyroUSBL 7000 is optimized for ultra-deepwater operations and, like all Ranger 2 GyroUSBL systems, includes a single, pre-calibrated transceiver head.

Carpentaria Marine Services, a marine services provider in northern Australia, is expanding its fleet after commissioning Incat Crowther to design a new multi-purpose offshore support vessel.Construction of the vessel, which will be deployed across northern and eastern Australia including Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria, is now underway at Richardson Devine Marine’s shipyard in Hobart, Australia.The new vessel will be utilized by Carpentaria Marine for a range of services including marine construction, dive operations, underwater surveying and remotely operated vehicle operations.

Norway-based subsea well intervention and installation services company AKOFS Offshore has signed a firm contract with Petrobras, for its subsea equipment support vessel AKOFS Santos, which will continue to operate offshore Brazil.Following a competitive tender process, the vessel will continue to perform services as a multi-purpose supply vessel (MPSV) for Petrobras in Brazil under a new contract.The contract has a duration of four years, with operations expected to start in January 2027…

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), one of the world’s largest shipping companies, has expanded its partnership with Neptune Robotics to scale up robotic hull cleaning across its global fleet in a move expected to deliver major fuel savings and accelerates maritime decarbonization.NYK has worked with Neptune since 2022, making it one of the earliest adopters of Neptune’s robotic hull cleaning. From earlier deployments, Neptune’s robots delivered up to 10 times fuel savings compared to cleaning costs…

First High-Tech Exploration of Argentina’s Mar del Plata Canyon, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Remotely Operated Vehicle SuBastian shines light on an offshore canyon in Argentine waters nearly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon — capturing images and video of 40 suspected new species, coral fields, and a seastar that resembled a famous cartoon character.An Argentinian-led expedition on board Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) has captured the attention of millions, inspiring a predominantly Argentine audience with live video feeds from the deep seafloor.

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has completed the upgrades on Island Offshore’s well intervention vessel Island Wellsaver.The extensive upgrade and maintenance operation project for the Island Wellsaver vessel included the replacement of the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system, installation of winch systems, and general maintentance work.The project has been completed on time and the vessel has been delivered to Island Offshore, according to Vard, with minimal downtime.The Island Wellserver well intervention vessel built in 2008.The multi-purpose offshore vessel of UT 767 CD design…

Vard, the Norwegian subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group and one of the major global designers and shipbuilders of specialized vessels, has delivered two of the world's first vessels featuring cyber notation.The ships are the two Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) Grampian Kestrel and Purus Chinook, built respectively for North Star and Purus.In compliance with the new regulations in force from July 1, 2024, the two units feature state-of-the-art solutions that enhance their operational capabilities…

The Swedish navy’s submarine rescue vessel has taken on an additional role as it has been called on to investigate incidents of damage to undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.The Belos, equipped with sonar, a helipad, divers, undersea vehicles and a positioning system that allows it to stay relatively still even in high seas, provides rescue capabilities to Sweden’s submarine fleet if needed.On a spring day in April, the vessel sailed to a location off the coast of southern Sweden where its divers practised descending to the sea floor in a diving bell…

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) and MaDfly have deployed a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in open sea conditions, marking a breakthrough in offshore in-water surveys.The operation was conducted on the service operation vessel (SOV) Wind of Hope next to the Hornsea 2 wind farm in England, marking a significant advancement in offshore inspection technologies.The innovative in-water survey was performed by MaDfly’s expert team under the supervision of the classification society Bureau Veritas.According to LDA…

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company, is advancing greater fuel efficiency for propulsion through hull designs and new hardware and technology, along with underwater drone inspection and cleaning trials.This work is done through complementary strategies focused on maximizing hydrodynamic performance and enhancing ongoing hull maintenance, which reduces a ship’s underwater drag. Here's a synopsis of the CCL strategy:Hull Designs: When selecting the optimal hull design…

After a year of preparing the ship and crew, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too) has completed its first science expedition to Antarctica. The three-week expedition, which ended in early January, was ambitious in its science scope and required operational refinements to navigate safely in unfamiliar environmental conditions.“Operating our ship in the Southern Ocean marks a significant milestone in Schmidt Ocean Institute’s history,” said Eric King, senior director of maritime infrastructure.

Eidesvik Offshore, Agalas, and Reach Subsea have partnered up to build a new construction support vessel (CSV) for subsea and offshore renewables operations.The new CSV will have similar specifications as the vessel Eidesvik currently has under construction together with Agalas at the Sefine Shipyard in Turkey.The vessel will also be built at the Sefine Shipyard, with delivery scheduled for spring 2027.It will be specifically equipped to perform inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) work.Upon delivery…

Ocean services provider DeepOcean has secured a subsea survey contract on the Bałtyk 2 and 3 offshore wind developments in Poland which are jointly developed by Equinor and Polenergia.Under the contract, DeepOcean will conduct geophysical seabed surveys of the export and inter-array cable seabed corridors, utilizing a dedicated survey remotely operated vehicle (SROV).The work scope also includes surveys to map the seabed for potential unexploded ordnances (UXO). Polish company MEWO will serve as a subcontractor to DeepOcean for the UXO scope…

HullWiper has signed a lease agreement with Unidive Subsea to bring its eco-friendly Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) hull cleaning technology to PSA terminals, Seatrium Yards and Singapore’s inner anchorages.Plans are also in place to expand services to FPSOs, FSOs and semi-submersibles under contracts with regional oil and gas companies.Unidive Subsea provides diving and ROV services, supporting leading oil and drilling companies in Singapore.In partnership with HullWiper, the…

Subsea Global Solutions reports that authorities in Singapore have granted approval of its hull cleaning services for vessels, allowing underwater cleaning to take place while vessels are engaged in cargo work at the terminal. The approved cleaning procedure requires the use of a Cleaning Remotely Operated Vehicle (C-ROV) equipped with an integrated filtration plant, designed to capture and reclaim materials, ensuring compliance with Singapore’s stringent environmental regulations.

Italian Navy divers have recovered video surveillance equipment from the superyacht that sank off Sicily last month, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six other people, a source close to the matter said on Friday.The recovery of the equipment could help explain why the British-flagged Bayesian went down during a severe and sudden storm off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, on Aug. 19 - an event that has puzzled naval experts.Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, four guests and the cook died when the 56-meter-long (184-foot) yacht capsized and sank within minutes.

Four bodies were retrieved on Wednesday from the sunken wreck of a yacht belonging to the wife of British tech magnate Mike Lynch, the Italian fire brigade said, adding that they were continuing to search for two missing people.The bodies were brought ashore on rescue boats and taken to nearby hospitals for formal identification. Local authorities refused to give any information about who they might have found.Britain's Daily Telegraph reported that two of the dead were Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter…