The Magazine for Underwater Professionals

May/Jun 2016

INDUSTRY NEWS - CONTRACTS & TENDERS

Harkand awarded inspection campaign in UKCS

A member of Harkand's personnel inspecting a subsea pipeline

Inspection, repair, maintenance and light construction company Harkand has secured a scope of work with TAQA, UAE, in the North Sea. 


The Aberdeen, UK, office of the global IRM company will deliver a pipeline inspection campaign across TAQA’s fields in the northern and central North Sea. The campaign is expected to get underway in summer 2016 and will include project management and engineering services. The work has been awarded as part of a frame agreement between the two organisations which has been in place since 2011. 


David Kerr, managing director of Harkand Europe, said: “We have performed inspection work for TAQA every year since the frame agreement was signed. This type of repeat business is invaluable in the current challenging market. 

 

“Through our already established working relationship we are able to meet their expectations with cost effective solutions and provide the right people with the experience and know-how to carry out the inspection and engineering work to the highest standards, on time and within budget.”  

Bibby Offshore secures first Norwegian contract
  • The CSV 'Olympic Ares'

UK-headquartered Bibby Offshore’s Norway division, Bibby Offshore AS, has successfully secured its first contract in the region with ConocoPhillips Skandinavia.


Managed from Bibby Offshore’s Stavanger office, the workscope involves project management, installation engineering, procurement and subsea installation works related to maintenance activities on the Norpipe oil pipeline. 

 

The contract is due for completion in Q3 2016 and will utilise the construction support vessel Olympic Ares to support operator ConocoPhillips on integrity management of the Norpipe oil pipeline between the Ekofisk area and the Teesside facility in United Kingdom.


Arne Lier, managing director of Bibby Offshore Norway, said: “We are delighted to have secured our first Norwegian contract with a leading E&P company such as ConocoPhillips."


Lier said the award not only demonstrates that Bibby Offshore has the necessary capabilities to provide the service and support required in the Norwegian sector, but also highlights that in a highly competitive market the company is a strong option at a time where value is paramount.

 

“Over the years, Bibby Offshore’s international divisions have successfully secured regular and repeated work with a number of operators. Our goal in Norway is to grow and develop the business in a similar way by successfully delivering on projects safely and efficiently, and to develop our reputation as the go-to subsea service provider for the region,” he added.

Tailored winch

MacArtney, Denmark, reports its Benelux operation has supplied a CORMAC M4C winch to dotOcean, Belgium, a specialist in sediment and soil characterisation systems and instrumentation.


CORMAC M4C is a customised version of the MacArtney CORMAC M modular winch series intended for use with the dotOcean DensX sediment density profiler. DensX is an in situ mud density measurement system that uses X-ray technology and an automated winch.

 

“Being fully controlled by dotOcean’s software for controlling the DensX, this customised MacArtney winch is supplied with a constant tension function and PC control. The winch is fitted with a special frame for housing the winch and the DensX,” said a MacArtney spokesman.


Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, is the end user of the integrated dotOcean/MacArtney solution, which is to be deployed from vessels of opportunity within the RWS fleet. As a consequence, the winch design has been adapted in order for the level wind to be variable between zero and 90 degrees depending on the winch position in relation to the vessel’s A-frame.

 

Due to the request for portability in order to be used on board vessels of opportunity, the complete solution has been designed to fit onto a standard block pallet for transportation purposes.

HYPACK Marine Search software for police ops

USA-based HYPACK reports the sale of HYPACK Marine Search software to the Long Beach Police Department in California, USA.


The company said: “HYPACK Marine Search is a simplified and user-friendly software package ideal for police, fire and marine departments. The package is designed to enhance search operations by improving efficiency and safety of divers through better real-time navigation information and reduced time spent on the water. It integrates a GPS and sidescan sonar to provide real-time bottom coverage with targeting and mosaicking capability.”

AUV sales

OceanServer Technology, USA, reports it has received eight new Iver3 AUV orders for delivery to a variety of survey, research, military and water quality organisations.


“The Iver3- 580 AUV is the third generation AUV produced by OceanServer and builds on the success of the Iver2-580 that has recently been discontinued after ten years of service and more than 200 systems shipped,” said company spokesman.


Research related vehicles will be delivered to the Penn State University, USA, Applied Research Laboratory and other undisclosed customers. YSI/ Xylem, USA, has placed two new orders for water quality requirements and Phoenix International, USA has purchased a single system. Three different commands within the US Navy have purchased four Iver3 systems for a variety of applications.

 

All Iver3 AUV models come standard with OceanServer’s VectorMap Mission Planning and Data Presentation tool, which provides geo-registered data files that can be exported to other software analysis tools. “This unique AUV design has enabled OceanServer to carve out a very strong position in the research space for autonomous underwater vehicles, sensors and behavioural studies,” the spokesman said. “The VectorMap programme can input NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) electronic navigational charts or any geo-referenced charts, maps or photo images, allowing the operator to intuitively develop AUV missions using simple point-and-click navigation.”

 

 

BACK TO FEATURED ARTICLES

DIVING  •  OFFSHORE  •  ONSHORE  •  ROVs  •  AUVs
EQUIPMENT  •  TECHNOLOGY  •  INDUSTRY NEWS  •  UK & INTERNATIONAL

Online Dispute Resolution