Attempting to relocate underwater objects in open ocean or a low visibility environment can be a difficult and time consuming task. Acoustic pingers and transponders solve this problem. These acoustic beacons are attached to an underwater site or instrument package and transmit a sonar signal. A gun-like device, either carried by a diver or deployed from a boat, detects the signal and guides the operator directly to the beacon. Today these acoustic devices are being employed by many marine scientists and researchers to keep track of expensive oceanographic equipment allowing instruments to be quickly relocated and retrieved.

Xodus Group AS has been awarded a framework agreement by Lundin Norway AS to provide engineering studies and verification services for its developments on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The agreement is for four years with potential extension for two years. It will draw on Xodus' expertise from across the company's wide ranging technical capabilities as it calls for concept screening, feasibility studies, concept selection and pre-engineering, subsea and facilities including modifications, debottlenecking and process optimisation studies.

SUVA, FIJI – Research vessel (R/V) Falkor will return to port today after 28 days at sea conducting pioneering studies including mapping the Earth’s newest island landscape in the Kingdom of Tonga (Southwestern Pacific). NASA has partnered with Schmidt Ocean Institute and Columbia University to produce a high resolution submarine topographic map of the undersea portion of a volcano that first appeared in January 2015 as a result of a “surtseyan” style eruption involving the dynamic interaction of hot volcanic materials and sea water.

The challenges surrounding the delivery of safe and efficient marine operations throughout the offshore energy and maritime industries will be the focus for a major conference to be held in Aberdeen on 9 and 10 of June. Measures to enhance safe operations, minimise costs and maximise economic control and loss prevention will be examined during the two-day event, organized by the leading global international representative body for maritime professionals, The Nautical Institute. The step change in competencies, efficient operations and appropriate manning required to achieve this will also be discussed. Aberdeen was chosen to host the AGM conference due to its role as the European operations centre for the oil and gas industry and the significant change occurring within the industry due to the lower for longer oil price environment.

Global-leading energy services company Proserv has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract from Apache Corporation for work on the UK Continental Shelf. Proserv will supply a subsea control system and associated topside and subsea interface equipment for use on the new Callater wells located south of the Beryl Alpha platform. The latest award comes after Proserv successfully completed work for Apache on the Bacchus and Aviat extension wells for the provision of subsea control modules and services in the Forties field. The design, manufacture and supply of the workscope will be carried out by Proserv’s team of subsea experts in Great Yarmouth, UK.

Leading procurement services specialist, Craig International, has launched a ‘win-win’ platform to help oil and gas companies off-load surplus stock worth billions of pounds and buy products and equipment they need at competitive prices. Craig Collaboration connects companies looking to sell stock with those looking to buy. Oil and gas companies around the world have billions of pounds of surplus stock, much of it sitting in costly storage and Craig Collaboration will allow them to realise value from this.

A team from the Royal New Zealand Navy has recently finished an intensive ROV training course, delivered by The Underwater Centre at the Naval Base at Devonport, New Zealand. The nine-day course focused on in-water operation training of the Saab Seaeye Falcon ROV, which is regularly used by the Navy for reconnaissance and security missions.

Subsea IMR provider, N-Sea, has been awarded a new contract with Galloper Offshore Wind Farm Ltd (GWFL). The contract for pre-construction unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance works commenced in April 2016 and includes UXO risk management, target investigations and clearance on the Galloper Wind Farm, off the coast of Suffolk.

Aker Solutions and ABB agreed to build on their combined strengths in subsea, power and automation technologies to develop solutions that will improve oil and gas production for the global energy industry.

Technip has signed a four years extension of its five-year initial contract signed in January 2011 with Petrobras S.A. for its Flexible Pipes Logistic Base (BAVIT), located in Vitória, Brazil.

Technical Program Chairmen for the MTS/IEEE OCEANS'16 Conference, to be held in Monterey, California, 19-23 September 2016. OCEANS'16 will be a tremendous opportunity to focus on topics of interest to you in all fields of Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering. We are trying to develop a Technical Program that will appeal to the significant interests.

Wood Group has recently won four subsea contracts with Statoil on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The latest award is a study to deliver subsea field concept engineering for the Snorre expansion project.

Fugro has been awarded a Supply Arrangement by the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) to provide vessel based hydrographic survey services.

Subsea Technology and Rentals (STR), a leading provider in the rental of marine equipment to support the offshore survey, IRM, subsea construction and renewable sectors, has chosen to place its trust in iXBlue once again: it has increased its portfolio of specialised subsea rental equipment with the purchase of iXBlue’s OCTANS NANO.

Oceanology International is pleased to announce that the OI China 2016 and OI North America 2017 Call for Abstracts are now open.

Subsea technology company, Sonardyne International Ltd, has become the newest Associate Member of the National Oceanography Centre’s (NOC) Marine Robotics Innovation Centre. Sonardyne and NOC have a long history of working together, with Sonardyne acoustic positioning equipment currently installed on the NOC’s deep-diving Remotely Operated Vehicle and fleet of Autosub autonomous underwater vehicles, and an Innovate UK funded project currently underway. This new collaboration is expected to see further ground-breaking ocean science projects take place.

Douglas-Westwood (DW) forecasts subsea hardware expenditure to total $94.3 billion (bn) between 2016 and 2020, with a 3% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) over the forecast period. Expected expenditure growth for subsea hardware has been tempered by the prolonged low oil price, causing a 19% decline in expenditure compared to the 2011-2015 period.

Tritech International Ltd, [Tritech], announces that Rotech Subsea Ltd [Rotech] has purchased Gemini Narrow Beam Imager (NBI) systems.