Norwegian company Reach Subsea has secured charter agreements for the Northern Maria and Olympic Taurus vessels to meet growing demand in the subsea services market. Northern Maria is a survey vessel equipped with a 20 ton crane suitable for the renewable energy and oil and gas sectors. The Olympic Taurus is a multi-purpose offshore vessel with diesel-electric propulsion, a versatile choice in the IMR/LCV sector. Both charters are subject to final approval by the lender. Reach Subsea's comprehensive service portfolio addresses the needs of both the renewable energy and oil and gas industries.
Equinor has signed a "major contract" with DOF Group for its Norwegian operations, including the use of Skandi Iceman and ROV services. The contract, worth $47 million to $95 million, will provide two anchor handlers through 2027. The contract will begin in the second quarter of 2024 and consists of a three-year fixed-term deal with three one-year options.
UK-based Silicon Sensing Systems, a joint venture between Sumitomo Precision Products and Collins Aerospace, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with sales growth of more than 65% over the past five years. The company has provided inertial sensors and systems for high-profile projects, including the Segway personal transportation device and the Mayflower autonomous ship. Silicon Sensing's technology has expanded as demand for precise motion sensing data continues to grow in various markets including surveying, mapping and marine. The company’s patented microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology addresses a range of inertial requirements, including single sensors and full 6-axis IMUs. The latest inertial measurement unit, the DMU41, redefines the capabilities of MEMS technology, delivering navigation-grade inertial sensing performance in a compact, rugged and cost-effective package.
Global offshore wind provider Gazelle Wind Power is focusing on the maturation of floating platforms to increase resource availability, as discussed by new chief financial officer Alvaro Ortega.
Ulstein Verft has engaged Norwegian offshore crane supplier Red Rock to supply an upgraded crane package for the updated Nexans Aurora cable-laying vessel. Measuring 31 meters wide and 149.9 meters long, the vessel can accommodate a crew of 90 and has a detached carousel on deck and a carousel below deck capable of carrying 3,500 tonnes of cable. Products will be delivered in 2025.
UK-based subsea robotics and survey company Rovco has added a second hull-mounted survey vessel, Glomar Worker, to its fleet. The four-year charter with Glomar is in response to customer demand for innovative geophysical and geotechnical surveying solutions. Rovco has begun conversion of a sister vessel to the Glomar Supporter, which will be launched as a specialist geophysical exploration asset for the offshore wind market. Staff and support staff will enable site-wide data capture and seamless integration across data sets for time comparisons.
McDermott and Baker Hughes have completed the installation of subsea infrastructure at the Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) field in northern Australia. The work was carried out for Inpex under a 2019 contract. The scope includes the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of umbilicals, risers and flowlines, subsea production systems and subsea well gathering systems. The consortium's responsibilities also include filling the URF EPCI, involving the development of new subsea wells. The Ichthys LNG field is a joint venture between INPEX, TotalEnergies and its Australian subsidiary.
Argeo, an Oslo-listed offshore services company, has completed deepwater inspection services for Shell's Bonga field and will sail to India to work at the National Center for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR). The vessel completed a Shell-SNEPCo contract in Nigeria and is expected to complete the NCPOR project in the second half of 2024. Argeo Venture is also completing a relaunch outside Bergen and installing a second Hugin Superior for an international oil company.
Brazilian oil and gas company Enauta has delivered the first multiphase subsea pumping system (MPP) from Norway to support oil and gas production at the Atalanta field in Brazil’s Santos Basin. The equipment, manufactured by OneSubsea, was loaded in Norway on January 21, 2024 and then shipped to Brazil. Enauta’s FPSO Atalanta, supplied by Malaysia’s Yinson Production, is expected to be installed starting in mid-2024 and will have a total of six production wells. The unit has a production capacity of 50,000 barrels per day and a maximum storage capacity of 1.251 million barrels.
Italian transmission system operator Terna has launched the Gavia autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) as part of a partnership with US startup Terradepth. The program aims to advance marine geophysical surveys to facilitate the development and safety of seabed infrastructure. Terna technicians tested the performance of the Gavia drone while conducting geophysical surveys near Casamicciola Terme. The partnership can test innovative technologies, such as subsea drones, which can complement traditional subsea inspection tools. Italy's National Grid development plan includes large-scale submarine infrastructure projects.