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VIDEO: HLV Fairplayer Installs Suction Anchors and Bottom Chains
In the following video, Jumbo Maritime Heavylift shows transport and installation of suction anchors and bottom chains from the vessel HLV Fairplayer.
The Fairplayer is fitted with a Class 2 Dynamic Positioning system.
VIDEO: HLV Fairplayer Installs Suction Anchors and Bottom Chains| Offshore Energy Today.
- Germany: HeavyLift@Sea Presents New Heavy Lifter Design (worldmaritimenews.com)
Sonardyne, Oceaneering Demonstrate ROV Capabilities in U.S. Gulf
A recent trials partnership between Sonardyne International Ltd. and Oceaneering International, Inc. has resulted in the development of a Fly-By-Wire (FBW) system for ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) control in any water depth, allowing the vehicle to hold station indefinitely and navigate to real-world coordinates automatically.
A Sonardyne SPRINT system was installed on one of Oceaneering’s Maxximum ROVs and integrated with a Sonardyne Ranger 2 Ultra Short Baseline (USBL) system for acoustic aiding of the Inertial Navigation System (INS). The trials took place in the Gulf of Mexico in water depths of 3,057 metres (10,030 ft) and results showed that continuous hovering of the ROV in mid-water beyond Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) range was possible, as well as automatic navigation to waypoints.
The majority of ROV navigation systems utilize an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) and DVL to provide a relative or dead reckoned position. These systems are subject to time and distance based position errors and only operate close to the seabed, meaning mid-water operations are conducted via manual control so real world or relative coordinates cannot be easily used by the ROV pilot. To address these limitations, Sonardyne and Oceaneering have developed a novel navigation and control system solution utilising the dual output of INS and AHRS data from SPRINT to provide ROV Dynamic Positioning (DP) in all water depths with capabilities beyond current state-of-the-art, without affecting reliability or ease of use.
The system has two methods of ROV control: ‘Navigation’ and ‘Passthru’. In ‘Navigation’ mode, the ROV control system uses INS positioning optimised for DP with real-world position, velocity and attitude data at high output rates. This speeds up ROV operations by improving vehicle control precision, automating station keeping and delivering FBW capability. ‘Navigation’ mode is available continuously in all water depths when USBL data is available. If the INS solution should become degraded or is unavailable, the system automatically reverts to ‘Passthru’ mode. ‘Passthru’ mode is a dead reckoned solution using self contained AHRS data that is inherently robust and reliable when combined with DVL data.
The results of the trial showed that continuous hovering of the ROV in mid-water beyond DVL range was possible, as well as automatic navigation to waypoints. When the ROV was in DVL range of the seabed the ‘Navigation’ mode performed equally as well as the ‘Passthru’ mode but with the added benefit of real-world referenced positioning data from the USBL system. The faster update rate (20 Hz, compared to the 5 Hz rate of the DVL) has the potential to refine vehicle control precision.
Commenting on the development, Mark Carter, Business Development Manager for Inertial Systems at Sonardyne said, “Fly-By-Wire ROV control using real-world coordinates significantly improves operational efficiency compared to relative-only positioning methods. Faster navigation updates, automatic registering of waypoints and indefinite mid-water station keeping speed up ROV operations and ultimately save ROV and vessel time.”
Mark Philip, ROV Technology Manager at Oceaneering stated that, “Autonomous flight control is an increasingly important feature for ROVs. Oceaneering’s Fly-By-Wire system has greatly enhanced the efficiency of the service we provide to our customers since its introduction several years ago. The integration of the SPRINT inertial navigation system further enhances this capability by providing hands-free hovering and navigation throughout the entire water column. We place high importance on ease of operation and redundancy and are confident that our collaboration with Sonardyne satisfies these requirements.”
Sonardyne, Oceaneering Demonstrate ROV Capabilities in U.S. Gulf| Offshore Energy Today.
- Canyon Offshore’s Olympic Triton Returns to the Gulf of Mexico (mb50.wordpress.com)
Update: Floatel Superior Stable Again. Will be Towed to Land, Statoil Says
After the PSA Norway today informed of Floatel Superior stability incident which occurred this morning in the Norwegian Sea, Statoil has provided a more detailed insight into the matter.
The oil company announced on its website that, after a hole was discovered in the rig’s ballast tank, causing the rig to tilt 3-4 degrees, the crew of 374 have mustered at the lifeboat stations and evacuation by helicopter is taking place.
“The rig’s stability is now re-established” Statoil said and added that Floatel Superior would be towed to land in due course.
Statoil has set up a personnel reception centre in Kristiansund. Six helicopters and an emergency response vessel have been deployed in order to assist the rig. In addition, an anchor handling vessel will be dispatched to inspect the damage.
Owned by the Swedish company Floatel, the Floatel Superior is a dynamically-positioned (DP-3) semi-submersible facility with a living quarters module aft and an open work deck forward. The flotel can accommodate 440 people in single cabins when operating on the Norwegian shelf.
The PSA Norway in July 2012 granted consent to Statoil to use the flotel at Njord Field in the Norwegian Sea.
Update: Floatel Superior Stable Again. Will be Towed to Land, Statoil Says| Offshore Energy Today.
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- Breaking News: Floatel Superior Tilts. Statoil Evacuates Workers (Norway) (mb50.wordpress.com)
Breaking News: Floatel Superior Tilts. Statoil Evacuates Workers (Norway)
Norwegian energy giant Statoil has evacuated workers from Floatel Superior accommodation rig due to a serious stability incident, the PSA Norway informs.
The operator informed the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway of the incident this morning explaining that an anchor had punctured one of the ballast tanks causing the flotel to tilt approximately 4 degrees.
There were 374 people on board when the incident occurred. The watchdog has set up an emergency response center in order to overview Statoil’s management of the situation.
Floatel Superior is located in the Njord A installation on the Njord field in the Norwegian Sea. It is a dynamically-positioned (DP-3) semi-submersible facility with a living quarters module aft and an open work deck forward. The flotel can accommodate 440 people in single cabins when operating on the Norwegian shelf.
Breaking News: Floatel Superior Tilts. Statoil Evacuates Workers (Norway)| Offshore Energy Today.
Helix ROV Support Vessel Ready for North Sea
Helix Energy Solutions Group’s newbuild charter ROV support vessel, Grand Canyon, recently completed sea trials and is ready to begin operations in the North Sea. During the sea trials the vessel’s propulsion system, dynamic positioning system and all her cranes were tested.
The vessel recently completed its outfitting in Norway after the initial hull construction was completed in Turkey. Grand Canyon is capable of launching five ROVs at once and will be operated by Helix ESG’s robotics subsidiary, Canyon Offshore.
The vessel will be the new home for another recently completed asset, the T1200 trenching unit. Used primarily to bury large diameter power cables leading from offshore windfarms, the T1200 is also capable of working on oil and gas projects to bury production pipelines.
The Grand Canyon was designed to provide a high capacity, stable working platform for lay, burial and general offshore construction work while still retaining a shallow draft, which is crucial when operating close to the coastline, and common in the renewable energy sector.Grand Canyon’s DP3 capability allows her to operate in any sector, providing offshore support in a wide variety of roles.
The vessel’s deck structure is specifically designed to accept trenching and flexible pipe or cable lay systems for safe and efficient mobilizations. A key focus throughout the design and build of Grand Canyon was to optimize the vessel and equipment design to facilitate efficient mobilizations.
Helix ROV Support Vessel Ready for North Sea | Offshore Energy Today.
- ROV Support Vessel Grand Canyon Completes Sea Trials (Norway) (worldmaritimenews.com)
- North Sea Rig Rates May Push Higher as Midwater Market Heats Up (gcaptain.com)
- UK: Helix Well Ops Charters Skandi Constructor from DOF Subsea (mb50.wordpress.com)
Pacific Drilling Orders Kongsberg IMS System for its Drillship
Kongsberg Maritime will deliver a sophisticated new Information Management System (IMS) as part of a ‘Full Picture’ Integrated Automation System (IAS) delivery to the Pacific Drilling owned Samsung 12000 design dynamically-positioned drillship, Pacific Santa Ana.
The IMS, which will be shown on the Kongsberg Maritime stand at ONS is a new development, which uniquely, facilitates consolidation of all control system data into a single, role-based secure web-portal. In practice, the IMS enables enhanced information sharing and better insight into operations for offshore and shore-based teams. This will result in improved decision support and safety of operations in addition to better troubleshooting of systems on board, maintenance planning and a reduced need for service personnel aboard service vessels.
Based on a suite of integrated applications offering improved information management and sharing possibilities, the new Kongsberg Maritime IMS is a modular system with a highly scalable infrastructure, enabling it to be deployed to very specific operational requirements. The Pacific Santa Ana delivery features a datalogger covering all datasources on board the drilling rig and replication of data to an onshore fleet database.
All data can be accessed in a role based web portal for offshore and onshore users. The core application is the user-defined dashboard in the web portal, which allows users in different roles to customise their views according to their specific needs and job roles. Uses for this application range include domain-specific information views and management fleet KPI views.
The new Kongsberg maritime IMS will join the already installed Kongsberg Maritime K-Pos Dynamic Positioning, K-Chief 700 automation, K-Safe safety system and K-Thrust thruster control already installed. The Pacific Santa Ana commenced drilling operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in Spring 2012 under a 5 year contract with a Chevron subsidiary. The IMS project started at the beginning of April 2012 with a Factory Acceptance Test at Kongsberg Maritime in June. The Customer Acceptance Test is at the end of August. The system is expected to be fully operational during September 2012.
Press Release, August 28, 2012
Pacific Drilling Orders Kongsberg IMS System for its Drillship| Offshore Energy Today.
- Two Unique Developments from Kongsberg Up for Prestigious Prize (Norway) (worldmaritimenews.com)
- Arctic Dynamic Positioning R&D Project Gets $3.2 Million Go Ahead (gcaptain.com)
- UK: Kongsberg Underwater Cameras for SMD Trencher (worldmaritimenews.com)
GL to Provide DP Services to Hornbeck Offshore (USA)
USA’s Hornbeck Offshore Services (HOS) has selected GL Noble Denton to undertake dynamic positioning (DP) assurance services across the company’s technologically advanced fleet of vessels.
GL Noble Denton’s team of DP engineers will support HOS to further develop internal dynamic positioning operating standards across 55 DP-capable offshore service vessels and a fleet of new-build platform services vessels that HOS has announced will be delivered in the second quarter of 2013.
Dynamic Positioning (DP) is a computer-controlled system that automatically maintains a vessel’s position and heading. GL Noble Denton offers DP testing and assurance services to operators across the global offshore industry ensuring the safety, upkeep and proper function of this state-of-the-art technology and the application of the procedures necessary to support safe DP operations.
In addition to developing a robust set of DP operating standards in conjunction with HOS, GL Noble Denton’s Houston-based marine warranty engineers and assurance team will deliver a major package of failure mode and effects analyses (FMEA), proving trials, annual DP trials, and capability analyses to the Hornbeck fleet.
Carl Annessa, Hornbeck Offshore Services’ Chief Operating Officer, said: “Hornbeck Offshore Services has a clear vision to remain at the forefront of the dynamic positioning quality assurance sector. GL Noble Denton is widely regarded as a thought leader in this sector, and we are pleased to partner with them to maintain our position as the premier operator of DP-equipped offshore petroleum support and service vessels.”
Craig Reid, GL Noble Denton’s Dynamic Positioning Services Manager for the Americas, added: “Hornbeck Offshore Services has taken a proactive approach to ensuring its fleet sets the benchmark for operational best practice in dynamic positioning. We are delighted that GL Noble Denton has been selected to help them achieve this.
“By sharing our expertise in this rapidly-developing sector, we will help to ensure that the DP systems onboard the company’s fleet of vessels adhere to industry-leading standards in safety, integrity and performance.”
GL to Provide DP Services to Hornbeck Offshore (USA)| Offshore Energy Today.
GC Rieber Shipping Orders Subsea Vessel from Ulstein (Norway)
GC Rieber Shipping has today ordered a new high capacity subsea vessel from Ulstein Verft with an option of one additional vessel. The new building, to be delivered in the first quarter of 2014, represents a total investment of approximately NOK 800 million.
“The market for this type of vessel is expected to be attractive going forward. This investment is consistent with our strategy to strengthen our position in the high end subsea segment. We have an attractive and flexible ship design with interesting potential also in the SURF market as well as a favorable delivery date,” says CEO Irene W. Basili in GC Rieber Shipping.
GC Rieber Shipping concluded 2011 with a fully booked fleet and significantly improved operational performance. The company expects a strong demand within advanced subsea operations in the coming years, which has been the basis for making this investment now.
The vessel is a construction support vessel “CSV” designed to operate in harsh and deep waters with length of 130m and beam of 25m. It is built to the highest standard for dynamic positioning DP-3 and equipped with a 250t AHC offshore crane. Furthermore, the ship is designed to operate in the SURF market, with capacity for pipe loads below deck and on main deck, and a vertical pipe lay system above the moon pool.
The vessel will carry two ROVs; one is to be launched from the starboard side and the other through a moonpool. The ship has a large cargo deck for OCV work. She will have diesel electric propulsion and three main azimuth thrusters. The vessel can accommodate 130 persons and will be constructed in accordance with the latest international environmental regulations.
Basili looks forward to a positive partnership with Ulstein Verft. “GC Rieber Shipping has over many years developed considerable competence in the design of specialized vessels, and the constructive cooperation we have experienced with Ulstein to accommodate for our requirements , has been important. GC Rieber Shipping positions itself in the more challenging niches of the offshore market, and I am very comfortable that we will receive a top-class vessel from Ulstein,” says Basili.
”GC Rieber Shipping is a solid and experienced shipowner, and we are pleased that they have chosen ULSTEIN for this project. Subsea is one of our focus areas, and we will deliver a state-of-the-art offshore construction vessel (OCV) that will serve the shipowner well in the years to come,” states Gunvor Ulstein, CEO in Ulstein Group.
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- Norway: Captain Praises Ulstein-built ‘Blue Fighter’ Supply Vessel (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Norway: Ulstein Launches Blue Prosper PSV (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Norway: Eidesvik Sells 50 pct of Newbuild Subsea Vessel (mb50.wordpress.com)
- ULSTEIN Delivers in Brazil (gcaptain.com)
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