Long-term Response Plan for Possible Cuban Oil Spill

NSU and FIU researchers collaborate on long-term sustainability study to prepare for an oil spill that could catastrophically impact Florida
Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and Florida International University (FIU) researchers have drafted a plan to best prepare South Florida for an oil spill off the coast of Cuba.

The proximity of intended Cuban oil drilling and production puts the U.S. coastal zone at risk from Florida to the Carolinas and northward.  Oil from a spill would quickly enter the Gulf Stream and reach Florida’s shores in hours or days with potentially devastating effects on the densely populated South Florida coastline and its coastal ecosystems.  South Florida’s accounts for 3.4 million jobs and 45 percent of the $587 billion contribution to Florida’s GDP generated by coastal and ocean economic activity.

A likely first impact of a major spill would be the iconic and economically valuable Florida Reef Track, a coral reef ecosystem that stretches from the Dry Torgugas in the Keys to Palm Beach County.   Effects could be devastating to the ecology of the reef, Florida’s beaches, coastal property and South Florida’s economy.

The sustainability plan calls for a partnership between the U.S. Coast Guard, other federal agencies, and a consortium of South Florida academic institutions, including Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center, Florida International University, other schools, and private industry. The Coast Guard is the designated operational leader in any response to a Cuban oil spill.

Because an oil leak originating in Cuban waters will very quickly enter Florida waters, research, planning and preparation activities must be undertaken in advance of an accident so that authorities can respond effectively.

The conceptual plan —- a collaborative effort completed by Richard E. Dodge, Ph.D., dean of NSU’s Oceanographic Center, and John R. Proni, Ph.D., executive director of FIU’s Applied Research Center and others – was presented Monday in North Miami Beach to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  At the hearing, Proni provided oral and written testimony which contained the elements of the plan.

The following were the recommendations that were highlighted:

•           Implement an oil spill early-warning monitoring system using acoustic, geophysical, satellite and other relevant methods.

•           Baseline assessment of the status of coral reef and associated ecosystems in the likely spill path (Straits of Florida, SE/E Florida coast) to prioritize areas for spill response and to set restoration targets should a spill occur.

•           Ocean observations for description of the physical oceanography and current movements to have more complete knowledge of the ocean hydrodynamic movements of the Gulf Stream and Loop Current, shallow to deep, from the Yucatan Channel to the Southeast/East coast of Florida.

•           Oil and dispersed oil toxicity characterization and toxicity studies to determine effects on a range of coral reef ecosystem and other organisms to develop risk assessments.

•           Modeling for prediction of ocean dynamics for spill movement prediction over time and space both in the vertical and horizontal.

•           Modeling for prediction of ecological /biological effects under various spill and response scenarios.

•           Modeling to assess the potential impact of different observing strategies on baseline data collection, analysis of information, and data required for response and mitigation.

If this NSU-FIU long-term oil spill sustainability plan were to be implemented, it would involve the following elements:

1.        Inviting and integrating other federal agencies, in addition to the Coast Guard, into a Cuban oil drilling/production effort for response to a Cuban oil spill.

2.         Establishment of a partnership between the U.S. Coast Guard  and a consortium of South Florida institutions having the in-depth experience, local knowledge, data, and expertise to be most effective in our unique oceanic and coastal environments.

3.         Jointly planning a system for gathering operational data and concurrently for gathering research data with quick payoff for operational activities, e.g. real-time current information for transport calculations and modeling.

4.         Jointly planning and implementing a system to gather data which will be of use in longer term damage and impact  issues such as oil characterization (both at well site proximity and U.S. coastal water locations), eco-toxicological impacts, coral reef, inlet and port and spatial coastal planning impacts.

5.         Evaluating the use and need for, and implementing as necessary, a non-intrusive monitoring system utilizing water borne and bottom borne energies originating at the Cuban oil operation sites.

6.         Utilizing/developing systems and platforms, including optical, acoustical, and sampling systems — both manned and autonomous —  that is capable of detecting, mapping and sampling subsurface oil.

About NSU’s Oceanographic Center: A world leader in marine biological research with focus on coral reef science and shark conservation, Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center has been at the forefront of graduate and undergraduate marine science education and oceanographic research for over 48 years. Students, scientists, faculty and staff come to the Center from all corners of the globe, with the common goal of learning from the ocean’s living classrooms — in one of the most diverse ecosystems known to man. http://www.nova.edu/ocean/

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University is a dynamic fully accredited research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is the eighth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally with more than 28,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. www.nova.edu

Flying Ships - Flightship Technology Maritime Vessels

Flightship maritime vessels are setting completely new standards in regards of speed, safety, fuel economy, useful cabin space, passenger comfort, operational cost and environmental impact. Based on the results of 40 years of fundamental scientific research practical experience and a large number of constantly improved prototypes, they have successfully merged the positive features of traditional ships and aircraft by creating the FlightShip.  (www.flyingshipintl.com will be up in February)

Originated by Prof. Dr. Lippisch in the late 1960’s the FlightShips were further developed and for the first time successfully built by his former team members financially supported by the German Government. They are the founders and inventors, the engineers and designers behind the unique FlightShip technology, owning worldwide protected patents, all intellectual rights and the required experience to set up a series production.

Combing the latest in research such as the boundary layer effects, aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, bionic, advanced composite materials and energy efficient propulsion systems, the FlightShips are representing the future of weightless high speed transport above the seas., We successfully delivered the proof of concept by manufacturing and operating two FlightShips, which were approved by IMO and Germanischer Lloyd. The FlightShips can be certified, registered and insured as maritime vessels (IMO WIG class B) and therefore can be operated with a valid boat captain’s license only.

Whilst navigating in a marina and during taxi-mode, the wings are by-folded and the FlightShip is propelled by its two diesel engines and Waterjets like any conventional boat. The retractable undercarriage allows the vessel to move independently from water to land by using a ramp. For takeoff the wings are lowered and locked in ground effect mode and a certain amount of the propeller stream is guided underneath the fuselage as a patented lift off aid, reducing approx. 80% of the vessels overall weight. After a short transition the FlighShip is seamlessly lifting up, finally hovering weightless and smoothly above the surface. The entire fuselage is designed to be a lifting body, increasing the dynamic lift and providing a huge cabin volume.

The cabin is more than two times wider and offers more usable space than any aircraft of comparable size. Multiple access through gullwing doors in the front, sliding doors at the sides and a big size rear hatch plus a flat and unobstructed cabin sole are allowing highly flexible multirole utilisation. FlightShips have proven to be extremely efficient and comfortable high speed vessels, operating on the open seas and littoral waters like no other.

Multiple cabin layouts leave all options open to the end user, seats, cargo,  even cabins, restrooms or a galley can easily be fitted into the huge fuselage. All technical services and tanks are located in the twin catamaran hulls, providing excellent maintenance accessibility and centre of gravity.

The state of the art glass cockpit is equipped with all controls, navigation and communications equipment, autopilot, radar, Direct Height Control, ECDIS, WaMos, AIS complying with IMO and the clients specification’s.

FlightShips are always self-maintaining a stable aerodynamic flight position even when operated “hands off” or if all systems fail completely.

FlightShips maintain high speeds up to 250 km/h, carrying an unmatched amount of payload and passengers whilst burning extremely low rates of diesel fuel. Renewable energy, bio fuels, LNG and Hydrogenium can be utilized to power the high efficient turboprop turbines. The range is superior to any helicopter and aircraft of comparable size and speed and the overall operating cost including maintenance, crew, fuel and insurance outperform any existing ship and aircraft. Additional airports or harbours are not required, existing infrastructure can be utilized for the operation.

FlightShips are manufactured in high tech carbon fibre and advanced composite materials which results in low weight, long lifespan and significantly reduced maintenance schedules.

Once the FlightShip reaches the desired cruise speed, it is riding smoothly, comfortable and safe on its own ram air cushion. The absence of noise,  motion, heeling over or signs of sea sickness is stunning and allows relaxed and luxurious travelling exceeding the most sophisticated standards. FlightShips are not affected by the impact of waves, current or swell and do not generate wash, wake or waves. During cruise mode one engine can be switched off to further increase the fuel efficiency. Unlike any other ship the FlyShips are able to gain altitude and fly above obstacles, ships, swamps, mangroves and even land. The maximum altitude is limited to 100 meters.

The first generation FlightShip FS-8 (Airfish) is today operating as an 8 seater high speed passenger ferry in Singapore, maintaining an average speed of 120 km/h powered by a single V8 car engine.

The second generation FlightShip 4 seater, which is the downscaled version of the FlightShip FS 80 operated very successful more than two years and 3000 km on the North Seas near Hamburg whilst being tested and approved by Germanischer Lloyd. Their Korean clients signed contracts in order to license build a limited number of small sized FlightShips. The vessels are completely built out of aluminium alloy which is limiting their overall performance and useful payload, therefore being suitable for local use only.

At this stage Flightship is offering interested individuals and potential investors to join their activities. Their goal is to set up a series production, marketing the vessels globally and further develop the very promising potential of our unique technology. Strong demand and very positive feedback expressed by a large number of private customers and Governments is requiring a swift answer. The company is planning to produce 6 FlightShips in order to display and demonstrate their superior abilities. Till today they have developed Flyships in the range from 4 to 80 seats with the option to be highly customized, versions with 120 and 200 seats are on our drawing boards. The FlightShips are revolutionizing and outperforming any existing means of maritime transport by far. There is a vital chance to act as the global market leader and to sustainable maintain this niche position based on the superiority of the products, a more than 5 year’s technological advantage and future developments. FlightShip has a monopoly in the very lucrative market segment of safe and reliable High Speed Ground Effect Vessels.

Cliffhanging Corals Avoid Trawler Damage

The overhanging canyon walls protect the coral from bottom trawling, providing a safe haven where it can flourish.

The study, reported in the journal PLoS One, is the first time such a large number of coral colonies have been found clinging to canyon walls. The densely-packed coral colonies covered several hundred square metres of cliff face, comparable in size to some of the richest cold water coral mounds found elsewhere along the margin of the North East Atlantic.

'We expected to find something, but we had no idea it would be that much,' says Dr Veerle Huvenne, a marine geoscientist at the National Oceanography Centre and lead author of the paper.

Cold water corals are widespread along the continental margins of the North East Atlantic. Large cold water coral reefs exist off the coasts of the UK, Ireland and Norway and support thriving marine ecosystems. 'Because they create structure on the sea bed they provide a habitat for lots of sea life. They're real biodiversity hotspots,' says Huvenne.

However, bottom trawling fishing boats, which drag heavily-weighted nets along the seabed, have damaged or destroyed many cold water coral reefs.

The newly-discovered cliff-dwelling corals could help repair those damaged areas. Corals need to reach a certain level of maturity before they can reproduce sexually. When they do, they produce free-swimming larvae which can repopulate damaged or destroyed reefs. The shelter afforded by the overhanging cliffs gives the coral the opportunity to develop undisturbed.

To make their discovery, the researchers modified the deep-water remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Isis. They repositioned its multi-beam echosounder, which is typically used to study the seabed, to point forwards. In this position it could map the canyon walls ahead of the ROV.

Yet the work was not without hazards. 'It was very complicated terrain,' says Huvenne. 'So there was a danger of getting the equipment stuck.'

An ROV like Isis usually finds its route using bathymetry (depth) data from the research ship on the surface but, because of the overhanging cliffs, this wasn't always accurate in the canyon. Instead, the skilled pilots had to rely on the ROV's own instruments to feel their way along. Isis also had to avoid discarded fishing gear in which it could have become tangled as it approached the cliff face.

Cold water corals are found in large reefs or mounds at depths from just a few metres to more than five kilometres. Most coral species need a solid substrate, such as rock, to grow on, and a regular supply of organic particles on which to feed.

The canyon habitat provides both. The rocky wall offers secure anchor points and the shape of the canyons means they funnel a steady stream of food past the corals.

Seven Havila Achieves World First in Number of Divers Working on Seabed

The state-of-the art diving support vessel, the Seven Havila, owned by Subsea 7 and Havila Shipping, and designed and constructed by the Herøy-based Havyard Group AS, has achieved a world first in the number of divers working on the seabed.

Gael Cailleaux, Vice President for Offshore Resources at Subsea 7, the seabed-to-surface engineering, construction and services contractor to the offshore energy industry, confirmed the achievement that eight divers were in action at the same time. He said:

“To our knowledge, there have never been so many divers on the seabed from one single dive support vessel simultaneously. We wanted to test having eight divers on the seabed at the same time. Both diving bells were in action together. While one diver stayed inside each diving bell, three divers from each diving bell worked outside.”

The diving test took place near Stavanger, Norway, in a depth of 30 metres.

The diving system, provided by the German company Dræger, includes a 10 chamber 24 men saturation suite, fully computerised, with double bell handling system, able to work down to 400 metres and up to 6m Hs.

The Seven Havila, considered by many as the most advanced diving support vessel in the world, was designed and fitted with the latest diving systems. In 2011 it was presented with the highly prestigious Support Vessel of the Year award at the OSJ Conference in London. It is designed by Havyard Design & Engineering in Fosnavåg, Norway and constructed at Havyard Ship Technology in Leirvik, Sogn, Norway.

Havyard Design & Engineering’s Design Manager Arve Helsem Leine said: “You feel a sense of pride and humility when part of designing and constructing such a vessel. This proves that when you have ship-owners, operators, designers, shipyard and diving company all involved from the start, the end result will be good. The Seven Havila is a great example of this.”

From conception, the Seven Havila was designed to comply with advanced systems of saturation diving. It is a modern diving support vessel, custom designed for subsea operations assisted by saturation divers.

CEO Njål Sævik of Havila Shipping is very proud of the vessel’s world record achievement.

“We frequently hear that the Seven Havila is the world’s most advanced and modern diving support vessel and this is further proof to that statement. For a shipping company like ours, it is a great advantage being a part-owner of a vessel of this type and having the opportunity to offer it to the market,” said Sævik.

The Seven Havila is designed with a focus on operating in challenging environments, while achieving maximum efficiency in carrying out its operations. In addition, there is an emphasis on a good working environment for the offshore personnel, along with quality and security during all operations.

Life Beyond Earth? Underwater Caves In Bahamas Could Give Clues

Discoveries made in some underwater caves by Texas A&M University at Galveston researchers in the Bahamas could provide clues about how ocean life formed on Earth millions of years ago, and perhaps give hints of what types of marine life could be found on distant planets and moons.

Tom Iliffe, professor of marine biology at the Texas A&M-Galveston campus, and graduate student Brett Gonzalez of Trabuco Canyon, Calif., examined three “blue holes” in the Bahamas and found that layers of bacterial microbes exists in all three, but each cave had specialized forms of such life and at different depths, suggesting that microbial life in such caves is continually adapting to changes in available light, water chemistry and food sources. Their work, also done in conjunction with researchers from Penn State University, has been published in Hydrobiologia.

A typical Bahamian blue hole entrance pool. (Photo by Tamara Thomsen)

“Blue holes” are so named because from an aerial view, they appear circular in shape with different shades of blue in and around their entrances. There are estimated to be more than 1,000 such caves in the Bahamas, the largest concentration of blue holes in the world.

‘We examined two caves on Abaco Island and one on Andros Island,” Iliffe explains. “One on Abaco, at a depth of about 100 feet, had sheets of bacteria that were attached to the walls of the caves, almost one inch thick. Another cave on the same island had bacteria living within poisonous clouds of hydrogen sulfide at the boundary between fresh and salt water. These caves had different forms of bacteria, with the types and density changing as the light source from above grew dimmer and dimmer.

“In the cave on Andros, we expected to find something similar, but the hydrogen sulfide layer there contained different types of bacteria,” he adds. “It shows that the caves tend to have life forms that adapt to that particular habitat, and we found that some types of the bacteria could live in environments where no other forms of life could survive. This research shows how these bacteria have evolved over millions of years and have found a way to live under these extreme conditions.”

Thomas Iliffe passing through poisonous sulfide layer in Abaco blue hole. (Photo by Tamara Thomsen)

Iliffe says the microbes change where the salt water meets fresh water within the caves and use chemical energy to produce their food. They can survive in environments with very low amounts of oxygen and light.

There are tens of thousands of underwater caves scattered around the world, but less than 5 percent of these have ever been explored and scientifically investigated, Iliffe notes.

“These bacterial forms of life may be similar to microbes that existed on early Earth and thus provide a glimpse of how life evolved on this planet,” he adds. “These caves are natural laboratories where we can study life existing under conditions analogous to what was present many millions of years ago.

“We know more about the far side of the moon than we do about these caves right here on Earth,” he adds. “There is no telling what remains to be discovered in the many thousands of caves that no one has ever entered. If life exists elsewhere in our solar system, it most likely would be found in water-filled subterranean environments, perhaps equivalent to those we are studying in the Bahamas.”

Over the past 30 years, Iliffe has discovered several hundred species of marine life, and has probably explored more underwater caves – at least 1,500 – than anyone in the world, examining such caves in Australia, the Caribbean, Mediterranean and North Atlantic regions of the world.

More can be learned from his website at http://www.cavebiology.com.

Unique Maritime Group’s Marine Buoyancy Solutions Help Stricken Vessel and World’s Largest Windfarm

Highlights the diverse uses for Seaflex Buoyancy Systems

Unique Maritime Group, one of the world’s leading integrated turnkey subsea and offshore solution providers, has announced two key projects, involving buoyancy systems provided by Seaflex Ltd.

World’s Largest Offshore Windfarm

The London Array is an offshore wind farm under construction in the outer Thames Estuary in the United Kingdom. With 1,000 megawatt (MW) capacity, it is expected to become the world's largest offshore wind farm.
Seaflex products played a key role in three critical phases of the windfarm construction

Assistance with the float out of heavy gauge steel monopiles, on top of which each wind turbine is mounted

The installation of the export power cable to the onshore power management station in Kent

The final connection of the power cable to each wind turbine

Seaflex were contacted by Ballast Nedam B.V. with the request to supply bespoke buoyancy modules to be fitted inside mono piles prior to tow out to the site off the Kent coast from Vlissingen in Holland. Each monopile was of tubular steel construction at 4.5m diameter and up to 65m long. With a wall thickness of 75mm – 80mm each monopile weighed in the region of 400t.

Seaflex were contracted to manufacture 6 x 88t Inflatable Buoyancy Units with a diameter of 4.5m and 6m in length to suit a standard pile. Each buoyancy unit was double skinned for added protection against the inner wall of the monopiles. It was decided two sets would be needed to enable one set to be in use while the other was on it's return trip to Vlissingen, keeping the project on schedule.

The project was a complete success with all piles installed without incident.

Visser and Smit contacted Seaflex for the remaining two phases, to connect the export power cable from the cable lay vessel Spirit to the power management station ashore, and to patch in each wind turbine to the offshore hubs – or subsea junction boxes in layman’s terms.

The main export power cable has a diameter of 208mm and weighs over 80kg/m in the water. Seaflex supplied over 3km of SeaSerpent cable buoyancy system in 50m and 100m lengths, each section delivered on a steel deployment reel. SeaSerpent was the perfect product for this installation due to the extremely shallow water (0m to 6m over 3km) and because due to tidal variations, the cable route dried out for 8 hours in every 12.

SeaSerpent allows for a high rate of lay meaning the 4 operational hours

were used to maximum efficiency.

All Visser & Smit deck personnel attended SeaSerpent training at Seaflex premises with Seaflex also supplying two field engineers ensuring the shore pull went smoothly.

At the offshore end of the power cable a hub was installed in the midst of the turbine array, with cable spurs running to each turbine. As the spurs approach each turbine, they cable lay vessel performs a zig zag course, laying the cable in what is know as a lazy ‘S’ over the last 500m or so. After detailed engineering analysis with Visser & Smit, Seaflex were asked to provide 3 x 120m lengths of 33kg/m SeaSerpent and 25 x 250kg Air Lift Bags, not to lift the cable, but to lighten it in preparation for the cable end to be winch up inside each turbine’s J-Tube. During the winching operation, Hughes Sub Surface Engineering divers were employed to peel off the SeaSerpent and remove the 250kg Air Lift Bags at the J-Tube’s bell mouth.

Graham Brading MD Seaflex Ltd comments - “To be involved at so many levels with this prestigious windfarm project was a great privilege for Seaflex, and demonstrates the versatility of our products which historically have been associated with the salvage and oil & gas industries, but now more so with the renewable energy sector”

Vessel Floatation

During a power outage, The Jean Ricciardi, a 25 meter, 250gt vessel ran aground and damaged her hull reulting in her sinking close to Sete harbour, in France. Due to the water depth and the close proximity to the harbour entrance a rapid solution was required.

The local diving & salvage contractor, Prodive of Monaco, contacted Seaflex to supply the necessary equipment - 12 x 20t ALB (Air Lift Bags). The bags were packed and despatched from stock the same day from Seaflex head quarters on the Isle of Wight and arrived on site two days later.

The salvage was completed by the contractor within a week of the call to Seaflex and the Jean Ricciardi has now been safely removed from the water to be broken up for scrap. (A video of the salvage is available here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_c-oBKhysg&feature=colike)

Ray Hughes, Managing Director of Unique System (UK) Ltd. commented on both projects saying “These are perfect examples in the diverse use of buoyancy systems and the flexibility UMG is able to offer its customers. With the Jean Ricciardi we were able to offer a rapid response solution and with the London Array we were able to provide bespoke products to provide a solution for a niche requirement.”

Adding to this, Harry Gandhi, Group CEO UMG said “We are delighted with these contracts. By integrating Seaflex into our global network of operations, we are now able to offer Seaflex solutions to a much larger customer base. We anticipate great growth in the buoyancy industry and are permanently looking to strengthen our offering in this arena with the goal of being the market leader.”

Luva May Herald Start Of Deep-Water Development In Norwegian Sea

Statoil, together with its Luva field partners, has selected a Spar platform to develop the field. As a gas transport solution has also been decided, a major step has now been taken towards deep-water production in the Norwegian Sea.

The Luva field, which is a deep-water pioneer in the Norwegian Sea, may be the first to have a Spar platform on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The field is located outside of existing infrastructure and has a water depth of 1,300 metres.
Illustration: SPAR platform

“This development may represent the start of deep-water production in the Norwegian Sea, and it will enable the tie-in of other discoveries in the same area”, says Ivar Aasheim, senior vice president for NCS field development in Statoil.

Luva concept

The Luva field is planned for development with a Spar platform, which consists of a large-diameter, single vertical cylinder supporting a conventional deck with processing facility, accommodation quarters, etc. The installation is fixed to the seabed.

The choice of concept is in line with the study presented in March 2011. It will be the first Spar on the NCS, and one of the largest of its kind worldwide.

Sonardyne Takes First Drillship Order For DP Inertial Navigation System

Sonardyne International has taken its first order for a Dynamic Positioning Inertial Navigation System (DP-INS).  Vantage Drilling’s new 12,000 feet-rated drillship, Dragonquest, is set to become the first deep water drilling unit in the world to be equipped with the new system when it begins operations in the Gulf of Mexico for Petrobras later this year.  

Sonardyne DP-INS aids vessel positioning through the integration of acoustic and inertial technologies and has been developed to meet regulatory requirements which state that deep water drilling units must be equipped with three independent position reference inputs to their DP system.

Traditionally, an acoustic positioning system and two separate DGPS systems are used. However, a vulnerability remains should the acoustics be affected by aeration and noise and both GPS systems be simultaneously affected by signal disruption. The latter is particularly common around equatorial regions and during periods of high solar radiation. Solar activity is currently increasing and is forecasted by NASA to peak in 2013.

Consequently, there is a recognised need amongst operators for a third, independent DP reference that would allow safe rejection of a positioning error in one of the other two reference types

DP-INS combines the complementary characteristics of Sonardyne’s Long and Ultra-Short BaseLine (LUSBL) positioning technology, with high integrity inertial measurements from its Lodestar AHRS/INS platform. The resulting output is resilient to short-term acoustic disruptions and completely independent from GPS.

A single navigation solution is computed and output to a display with intuitive status and quality metrics. Standard output telegrams are available for Converteam, L3 or Kongsberg DP systems.

In addition to the system’s deep water positioning performance and safety benefits, Sonardyne DP-INS delivers valuable costs savings. It can be used with fewer acoustic transponders deployed on the seabed, significantly reducing set-up time following a vessel’s arrival on location. The system also only needs occasional aiding from the acoustic system, extending transponder battery life and reducing maintenance operations.

Spencer Collins, Senior VP International Sales said, “We are delighted to be installing DP-INS onboard Dragonquest. The trials over the last year have successfully demonstrated to vessel owners and operators like Petrobras, that Sonardyne can now offer acoustically aided INS tailored for safe and efficient dynamic positioning operations.”

Expro Wins Important Five Year Multi-Discipline Contract With Shell In Europe

Leading international oilfield services company Expro has been awarded an ‘extremely important’ multi-million pound multi-discipline five year contract with Shell UIE.

Expro has won the primary Slickline/Multiline contract across Shell UIE, which includes the UK, Ireland, Norway and the Netherlands.

Additionally, Expro has been awarded a contract to provide well testing, drill stem testing (DST) tools and tubing conveyed perforating (TCP) services in the UK Northern North Sea, as well as the North Sea sectors of Ireland and Norway.

Both multi-million pound contracts will be for a period of five years with each having an option for extension for a further two years. Expro and Shell have had a long and productive relationship in Europe spanning more than 20 years. This award further cements this relationship well into the future.

Keith Palmer, Expro’s Europe CIS director, said: “This award is a significant and extremely important success for Expro and is a testament to the hard work and commitment the team has shown in delivering a world class service to Shell throughout the region.”

Expro is a leading global provider of well testing & commissioning services and completion wireline services. Focusing on well performance and service, Expro provides a comprehensive range of services for cost-effective operations.

Global Tech I Offshore Project, Powered With AREVA M5000 Turbines Is “Wind Deal Of The Year”

AREVA welcomes the announcement that the Global Tech I (GTI) offshore wind project, powered with the group’s turbines, has received the “Wind Deal of the Year” distinction.

The award was given by internationally-renowned magazine, Project Finance International (PFI), during an official ceremony held on January 25, in London.

Global Tech I, for which the group will supply 80 M5000 wind turbines, is the only offshore wind project to have raised debt financing in excess of 1 billion Euros.

It is the second AREVA-powered offshore wind project to be awarded such financing. In 2008-2009, Willi Balz, initiator of GTI and CEO of Windreich AG had raised 800-million euro equity.

The transaction, signed with a consortium composed of 16 commercial banks, the European Investment Bank and KfW, covers both construction and operation for the GTI project.

Louis-François Durret, CEO of AREVA’s Renewables Business Group, said: “We are delighted that the Global Tech I project has received the “Wind Deal of the Year” award. It confirms the financial community’s confidence in AREVA’s wind technology and in GTI shareholder’s ability to successfully carry out a complex large-scale project. This recognition will also facilitate financing of new projects that Windreich AG and AREVA may develop together in the future.”

BOEM’s Science Advisory Committee to Meet

First Meeting for 12 New Members of Distinguish Scientists

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced on Friday that its Outer Continental Shelf Scientific Committee will hold its first meeting since Secretary Salazar appointed 12 new members in October 2011. The public meeting will take place in Reston, Va., Feb. 8 – 9, 2012.

“BOEM is guided by a robust science program to move our nation forward with offshore energy development in a responsible manner,” said BOEM Director Tommy P. Beaudreau. “This committee of distinguished scientists provides critical input on our research priorities to ensure we are appropriately addressing the information needs of the bureau and the department.”

The OCS Scientific Committee is a public federal advisory committee of 15 scientists representing diverse fields. The group advises BOEM on the agency’s offshore environmental studies, which inform policy decisions regarding development of Outer Continental Shelf energy and mineral resources.

This will be the first of two meetings taking place in 2012 and will serve as a venue to introduce the newest members to the BOEM Environmental Studies Program and meet headquarters and regional staff. The committee will also elect new officers.

GE Energy’s New Communications Platform Provides Increased Broadband Capacity for Industrial Networks

MDS Mercury™ 5800 Offers Highly Secure, Highly Flexible and Standards-Based Networking for Industrial-Grade Communications in the Global 5800MHz Frequency Band

GE (NYSE: GE) has  announced the new MDS Mercury™ 5800, an industrial-grade wireless network communications platform for mission critical applications. Designed for ruggedized environments, the MDS Mercury 5800 meets customers’ expanding needs for data intensive applications by providing higher throughput for increased network reliability, quality of service for data prioritization, enhanced security features and extended range to reduce network infrastructure costs.

“GE’s MDS business has been providing industrial strength, wireless network communications solutions for over 25 years,” said Tom Mueller, general manager, Industrial Communications for GE’s Digital Energy business. “Industrial customers are striving to improve their operations by obtaining performance information on the diverse range of devices in their network. They need to accomplish this in an environment that is demanding more reliability and security. GE designed the Mercury 5800 to provide wireless broadband networking to customers’ global communications infrastructure where 5800 MHz is an accepted band for private networks.”

The MDS Mercury 5800 solution serves applications in the energy, oil and gas, heavy industrial, water/wastewater and mining industries, helping to ensure that mission-critical applications have a reliable, flexible and secure communications network platform to rely on. MDS Mercury 5800 features include:

Connectivity through multiple Ethernet, serial and WiFi interfaces for system solution flexibility across a company’s service territory.

Outdoor options such as an integrated antenna unit as well as an easily maintained enclosure for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and Distribution Automation (DA) deployments.

Designed for industrial applications and deployment in remote harsh environments.

Developed to the IEEE 802.16e standard to support interoperability and mobility.

Advanced networking features such as multiple-in multiple-out (MIMO) antennas for base and subscriber units.

Robust security features such as encryption, authentication, address filtering and VLAN tagging for segregation of sensitive data.

GE’s Digital Energy business is working around the globe to modernize the grid with advanced technologies to increase reliability and efficiency and meet the world’s 21^st century energy challenges. For more information on GE’s MDS Mercury 5800 product, visit www.gedigitalenergy.com.

Hyperdynamics Resumes Drilling Offshore Guinea

Hyperdynamics Corporation (NYSE: HDY) has announced it resumed drilling operations on the Sabu-1 exploration well on January 29th in its concession offshore the Republic of Guinea in West Africa.

Drilling recommenced from a point 2,304 meters subsea. The well is expected to encounter prospective upper Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs while drilling to a total subsea depth of 3,600 meters.

Hyperdynamics operates the Guinea concession with a 77 percent participating interest, with the remaining 23 percent held by Aberdeen-based Dana Petroleum. The well is operated through AGR, a well management company.

Reservoir Group Appoints Chief Operating Officer And Announces 60 Percent Rise In Revenue

McCutcheon steps up to the role from his previous position as vice president responsible for the Group's formation evaluation activity.

This latest announcement comes as Reservoir Group reports more than a 60 percent rise in revenue during 2011.

This success reflects a number of significant strategic decisions, including the addition of 11 new member companies, the formation of the surface logging company, Empirica, and the creation of a new coiled tubing intervention business.

With plans for similar expansion this year, McCutcheon will oversee all operational matters, accelerating the Group’s organic growth and maximizing synergies between existing member companies.

Reservoir Group chief executive, Pascal Bartette, said, “The last 12 months have been significant in terms of the company’s evolution and we plan on a similar increase in our revenue once again this year.”

“I am pleased to announce Wade’s appointment as chief operating officer. This is a key step towards the pursuit of an aggressive growth goal.”

“While we will continue to look outward for development opportunities, the primary focus will be on organic growth. Industry confidence is high, offering enormous opportunities for our member companies. We want to provide the tools that will enable them to realize their individual goals by increasing their market share and entering new geographies.”

“My career to date has been dominated by operational roles within the service industry and I have always had a passion for technology. I enjoy establishing more efficient ways of doing business and am delighted to have been given this opportunity,” McCutcheon said.

“With our current size and impressive global footprint, my ambition as chief operating officer of Reservoir Group is to further capitalize on the success of our member companies. Through the development of new technologies and their rapid deployment, improving geographic market share penetration, and a greater focus on accessing the synergies within the Group, I am confident that we will achieve even greater success in 2012.”

“Ultimately, we want to be known for what we do and the services we provide, therefore client perception and the satisfaction of each employee within the Group will be the real gauge of performance.”

ClassNK Issues Certification for ECDIS Training Course and Manning Services Provided by the “K” LINE Group

Tokyo - ClassNK has announced that it had issued generic training course approval to an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) course offered by K Line Maritime Academy (Philippine) (KLMA (Phili)), a group company of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. The approval, which certifies that this course complies with International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards and the leading classification society’s new Standard for Maritime Education & Training, is the first of its kind issued by ClassNK in the Philippines.

ClassNK also issued certification for seafarer recruitment and placement service providers in line with the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) to another member of the “K” LINE Group, Manila-based manning company Ventis Maritime Corporation (VMC). The approval confirms the company’s conformance with the standards set forth in Regulation 1.4 (Recruitment and Placement) of the MLC 2006 which was adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2006 to help ensure the safety and protect the rights of seafarers.

New requirements for the installation of ECDIS systems are due to be phased in from July of this year. Under these requirements, it will become mandatory for vessels to use ECDIS as their primary means of navigation. In line with these same requirements, masters and deck officers will be required to undergo training in the use of ECDIS and demonstrate a clear understanding of and proficiency in these new systems.

In recent years, calls for greater professionalism and improvements in quality are driving the demand for third party certification in the global manning industry. The MLC 2006 requires that shipowners who recruit crew through seafarer recruitment and placement services in countries or territories that have not adopted the MLC confirm that the service providers they use conform to convention standards. However, concrete guidelines for confirming such compliance are not provided in the text of the MLC. In order to assist both shipowners and recruitment and placement service providers in meeting the MLC’s requirements, ClassNK has developed a new certification standard, as well as approval procedures for verifying the compliance of seafarer recruitment and placement providers.

Koichi Fujiwara, Executive Vice President of ClassNK presented the official certificates to Masami Sasaki, Managing Executive Officer of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. and Satoru Kuboshima, President of “K” Line Ship Management Co., Ltd. at ClassNK’s head office in Tokyo on 23 January 2012.

“The maritime industry is facing a number of new challenges, of which training and maintaining skilled crews is among the most important. ClassNK is dedicated to providing solutions to these challenges. Be it through the certification of training courses such as that offered by KLMA (Phili), or the approval of recruitment and placement services, such as those provided by VMC, our Society is developing a full range of services that leverage our decades of certification experience in these new, emerging fields”.