(Washington, DC): Filling a needed niche in the oceans science and technology space, a new international industry association launched today to provide programs, services, and a unified voice on Capitol Hill and in the regulatory agencies to companies that sustainably and commercially utilize the oceans.

THE energy industry is embracing the new realities it faces in the age of a lower-for-longer oil price and rising costs, according to representatives of every facet of the sector attending SPE Offshore Europe 2017.

C-Kore Systems recently expanded the application of their subsea testing technology to down-hole testing. The new application was tested on Total’s K5F field off the coast of the Netherlands. The C-Kore units helped located the source of low IR on the down-hole system by plugging directly into the subsea Christmas tree, eliminating the need to use down-lines. The hand-held, pre-programmable units were easily installed by divers who located the fault quickly with limited diving time.

Dedicated deck equipment engineers at Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) have successfully completed work on an electric drive dual-purpose winch and Launch and Recovery System (LARS) to accompany an order from Shanghai Salvage for a Quasar Work Class ROV. The equipment will be used for salvage operations in deep waters around the world, with an assured maximum working depth up to 6000m.

The world’s largest manufacturer of e-robotic underwater systems, Saab Seaeye is further expanding its operations in Houston, USA. This comes as interest grows in the region for Saab Seaeye’s advanced smart robotic systems. Offshore operators and other users of underwater vehicles are seeing considerable savings coming from Saab Seaeye’s latest innovative robotic technology.

Xodus Group has delivered a decommissioning ‘trend survey’ to JOGMEC (Japan Oil & Gas and Metals National Corporation) to provide Japanese oil and gas companies with a better understanding of the decommissioning process and how to manage their global asset and abandonment liabilities. Xodus spent six months researching and collating international decommissioning best practice and presented the findings to over 100 operators and businesses at JOGMEC’s Technology Research Centre in Chiba, east of Tokyo.

A consortium of organisations has set out to tackle one of the most enduring challenges in the North Sea: the non-destructive testing (NDT) of corroded pipes under insulation and engineered temporary pipe wraps. The group – which includes TRAC Oil & Gas; the University of Strathclyde; and CENSIS, the Scottish Innovation Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems – will methodically audit the tools, capabilities, and approaches currently used by industry to look at the steel surfaces of assets; often obstructed by layers of material.

This September, Phoenix International Holdings, Inc (Phoenix) celebrates two decades of innovation as a premier provider of underwater solutions worldwide. Formed in 1997 with six underwater operations experts dedicated to the waterborne repair of US Navy ships, the company has evolved into an international underwater solutions provider with a staff of almost 250 personnel and multiple service lines including offshore oil and gas IRM, ship repair, engineering, submarine rescue, and deep ocean search, survey, and recovery operations

Aberdeen based asset integrity and performance management company Asset Integrity Group Ltd (AIG) have successfully been awarded a contract by global drilling contractor Huisman in Netherlands.

Subsea Technology & Rentals Ltd (STR) are delighted to announce the opening of its Aberdeen Office.

The Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF) boasts a growing and diverse group of prominent industry players dedicated to working together to solve complex technical challenges in the oil and gas sector. Premier Oil, which has been a member since 2011, is extending its membership to the organisation by three years.

“New York is a diamond Iceberg floating in river water” – Truman Capote. New York State is richly endowed with freshwater lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, as well as portions of two of the five Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams. These inland bodies of water serve as drinking water, provide flood control to protect life and property, and support recreation, tourism, agriculture, fishing, power generation, and manufacturing. They also provide habitats for aquatic plant and animal life.

Language no barrier to obtaining global diving certification A group of Korean commercial divers have obtained their HSE (Health & Safety Executive) diving certification on the first ever Korean-language HSE diving course at The Underwater Centre, Fort William.

ENGenious: 4-6 September 2018, Aberdeen A new three-day biennial global symposium and exhibition aimed at driving radical digital and technological transformation across the upstream oil and gas industry has been launched by SPE and Reed Exhibitions, the partners behind SPE Offshore Europe. ENGenious has been conceived in response to demand from the upstream oil and gas community for an event focusing on emerging products, services and techniques with the ability to transform the efficiency of exploration and production activities. The first edition will be held at AECC, Aberdeen, Scotland from 4 – 6 September 2018. The event will run on alternate years to SPE Offshore Europe.

With global offshore wind expenditure expected to rise to over £350bn between now and 2026, there is a huge opportunity for subsea companies to step up and play their part in helping to meet the world’s renewable energy targets. This will see a significant number of developments taking off over the next few years, and with world renowned experience in offshore oil and gas engineering, the UK has the skills and expertise to lead the way - delivering investment and creating jobs. Subsea UK will be running an event on 20 September, to explore the offshore wind developments that are currently underway, while offering practical help and advice to companies looking to access the rapidly growing offshore renewables market.

Subsea IMR provider, N-Sea, has begun work in the Cameroonian offshore market, via a contract win with Dutch offshore lifting and transportation company, Jumbo Offshore. With phase one completed in mid-July, the project takes place off the shores of Cameroon’s South Province, as a part of the Hilli Episeyo Subsea Soft Yoke Installation. N-Sea’s workscope comprises diving and ROV support, performing all subsea installation of the soft yoke system.

ECA Group extends capabilities of its Unmanned Surface Vehicle INSPECTOR MK2 to provide faster data transfer linked to other unmanned systems. Premium equipment has been selected and tested in real user conditions to complete and qualify ECA Group radio communication solutions for its USV range.

Global subsea equipment specialist, Ashtead Technology has boosted its Singapore operation with the appointment of Ankit Munjal as regional sales manager. Ankit will be instrumental in driving forward the firm’s sales and business development activities in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region in support of both existing and new clients.