Dan Levett

MacArtney introduces new Managing Director for their Asia Pacific Operations

MacArtney announces a change at the top for their Singapore office, serving the APAC area.

Steen Frejo, the outgoing Managing Director of MacArtney's regional hub in Singapore, was responsible for proposing and setting up a local presence in the APAC area, concentrating on servicing the regional markets in 2013.

The move was a success, and MacArtney now has well-established offices and 21 employees in Singapore, Australia and China with an expanding and loyal customer base.

He will be succeeded by Anthony Gleeson, former Regional VP Asia of Sonardyne.

One of the pioneers
Steen is among the first MacArtney employees and joined on 2 May 1984 as employee no. 7.

In his new position as Sales Director, he will be based at MacArtney headquarters in Denmark and be responsible for sales out of Denmark, including new distributor and regional operation start-ups. Steen gained a wealth of experience for his new role, building up business in the APAC area.

"I wish to say a huge thanks to all the employees, partners and customers all over the Asia Pacific, helping and supporting MacArtney over the last eight years to also become a key player in the subsea industry in Asia. I am eternally in their debt",

are the words of Steen Frejo upon announcing his move. He will start his new position on 1 January 2022.

Experienced successor
Anthony Gleeson is taking over as Managing Director of MacArtney Asia Pacific on 1 November 2021. He joined Sonardyne in 2009 as Regional Sales Manager based in Singapore with previous experience in the subsea industry gained from Teledyne TSS. Anthony's brief at Sonardyne was to focus on China in particular, which was achieved with considerable success, rising to become Regional VP Asia. A position in which he and his team focused on oil & gas, defence and ocean science, with renewables becoming more and more prominent in recent years.

"I probably used a MacArtney connector on my very first day working offshore in the mid-90s. I believe there is a high degree of synergy in the subsea technology industry, and I look forward immensely to working at MacArtney, a truly progressive and innovative market leader",

said Anthony upon being appointed Managing Director of MacArtney Asia Pacific.

MacArtney Group CCO Rasmus Frøkjær Bonde concludes:

"We look forward to welcoming Steen back to Denmark, benefiting from his substantial knowledge and experience. His homecoming is considered a focal point in further pursuing global growth. At the same time, we are excited to continue to grow our Asia Pacific presence and market development with a strong profile as Anthony at the helm."

The MacArtney Group is a leading supplier of underwater technology products and system solutions to the renewable energy sector, oil & gas offshore operators, ROV, diving, survey contractors, ocean science institutes, and navies worldwide.

Caption: Managing Director Steen Frejo – MacArtney Asia Pacific Operations – hands over the helm to successor Anthony Gleeson.

by Dan Levett

XOCEAN Continue Global Expansion of USV Operations with Opening of Norwegian Entity

International ocean data company XOCEAN has today announced the opening of a new entity in Norway to service growing demand in the market for the company’s pioneering, carbon-neutral, data collection services using remotely controlled Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USV).

The company uses its unique robotic technology to collect ocean data sustainably across a range of industries, including offshore wind. Already a respected player in the market, XOCEAN has operated in 16 jurisdictions across the globe, accumulating over 35,000 hours of operation and delivering over 100 projects successfully, including on over 20 offshore wind farms for clients such as Ørsted, SSE Renewables and bp.

With offices already in Ireland, the UK and North America, the expansion into Norway will allow XOCEAN to continue with their ambitious growth plans, forecasting another year of significant revenue growth and expanding their team from over 100 staff to 350 in the next 24 months, whilst also tripling the size of their fleet to over 60 USVs.

XOCEAN’s pioneering USV platform offers significant benefits including safety with operators remaining onshore, efficiency with 24/7 operations and environmental with ultra-low emissions (emitting 1,000 times less carbon than traditional survey vessels) which together leads to significant economic savings. The business will continue to push the boundaries of technology with an ambitious roadmap, integrating new capabilities and maximising efficiency.

Commenting on the opening, Tomas Frafjord, Norway Country Manager at XOCEAN, said:

“This is an exciting time for the business. The opening of this new Norwegian entity supports our large-scale market growth and I’m thrilled to be leading XOCEAN into a new phase. Our world class technology already supports clients globally and a new base in Norway will help us continue to facilitate the successful delivery of projects worldwide.”

XOCEAN’s Founder and CEO, James Ives, said:

“We’re delighted to take this important step into the Norwegian market, especially at a time when offshore wind projects in Norwegian waters are gaining momentum. Our vision is to transform ocean data collection and support the sustainable and economic growth of our oceans. Moving into new markets allows us to deliver data in a safe, economic and low-impact way; serving clients across multiple industries.”

XOCEAN serves the growing demand for carbon-neutral data collection using in-house developed remotely operated USVs. As the offshore wind sector continues to accelerate, XOCEAN's work will contribute to that development, empowering the global shift to renewable energy and enhanced understanding of the oceans.

by Dan Levett

Fugro to update Cayman Islands hydrography for UKHO with carbon-neutral survey

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has selected Fugro to survey a 515 km² area over the Cayman Islands in November. The project will support updated nautical charting and improved coastal zone management. To accomplish the work, Fugro will deploy their Rapid Airborne Multibeam Mapping System (RAMMS), a solution that meets International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) quality and accuracy standards, while also contributing to UKHO’s goals for carbon neutral operations.

Fugro has successfully used RAMMS on four projects for UKHO since commercialising the system in 2018. Compact and weighing only 30 kg, it is an efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional airborne lidar bathymetry (ALB) systems. Fugro estimates that using RAMMS on the Cayman Islands project will reduce carbon emissions by 80 % compared to legacy ALB sensors. The company will apply additional carbon mitigation strategies to bring the project’s total environmental impact to ‘net zero’.

“UKHO helped inspire Fugro’s development of RAMMS by challenging industry to improve the efficiency and quality of ALB data, so we are proud to take these gains a step further with delivery of our first carbon neutral survey,”

said Edward Saade, President of Fugro in the US. “We look forward to celebrating the results of this collaboration in the months to come and we thank UKHO for their leadership and partnership in moving the hydrographic community forward toward a more sustainable future.”

by Dan Levett

Ashtead Technology starts new growth chapter after successful IPO

Ashtead Technology has announced that it has secured strong support from new institutional investors and will become a publicly listed company on Tuesday 23 November when its shares begin trading on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM). Current owners Buckthorn and APICORP will remain significant shareholders in the business.

The IPO marks the latest stage in the growth journey of the Aberdeen-headquartered company, which provides subsea equipment rental solutions, advanced technologies and support services to the global offshore energy sector.

Over the past four years, Ashtead Technology has expanded its operations with five acquisitions which have helped drive strategic growth through geographic expansion and enhanced product and service offerings across its three service lines – survey and robotics, mechanical solutions and asset integrity.

So far this year, Ashtead Technology has invested £8 million in new subsea equipment and technology to expand its extensive equipment rental fleet. It has also increased its workforce by 34 taking employee headcount to 204.

The company is experiencing strong momentum across its end markets, with increasing customer activity helping to drive revenue growth of approximately 25% in the six months to 30 June 2021 compared to the first half of 2020. It has continued to win new contracts for offshore wind developments and recently secured a series of awards to support the construction and installation of the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore windfarm, in the Firth of Forth. The offshore renewables energy market now accounts for 30% of Ashtead Technology’s revenue.

Three highly experienced Non-Executive Directors have been appointed to the Group’s Board, with Bill Shannon joining as Independent Non-Executive Chair, and Thomas Thomsen and Tony Durrant as Independent Non-Executive Directors.

Allan Pirie, Ashtead Technology’s CEO, said:

“This development marks another exciting milestone in the evolution of Ashtead Technology. As a newly listed company, we plan to continue to grow and strengthen our core business in subsea technology rental and solutions both organically and through acquisition to further broaden our range of complementary equipment and services and expand our geographic presence.

“Our IPO will allow us to continue supporting the energy transition and capitalise on the significant expected increase in expenditure in the global offshore wind market, while maintaining Ashtead Technology’s position as a leading independent subsea equipment rental business.

“We are delighted to welcome our new shareholders in Ashtead Technology after receiving an excellent reception during our IPO. This is clear recognition of the progress we have made building the business in recent years and I would like to thank our hardworking people and current shareholders for their support and dedication throughout.

"I’m also very pleased to be welcoming Bill, Thomas and Tony to the Board. They bring high calibre public company and energy sector experience that will be invaluable as we seek to deliver our growth ambitions for our existing and our new shareholders.”

by Dan Levett

British Antarctic Survey selects DriX USV to enhance its scientific capabilities

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), a world-leading centre for polar science and operations, adds iXblue DriX Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) to its advanced robotic survey means. Deployed from polar research stations and from the British polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough, the DriX USV will help BAS conduct multi-disciplinary sciences such as surveying the impact of ocean currents on melting ice flow or mapping the seabed in the polar regions.

A versatile platform able to deploy various sensors with multiple missions’ capabilities, the DriX USV will be equipped with CDT, ACDP, MBES and MetOcean sensors and will help BAS capture data from the extreme polar environments.Pierre Dutrieux, Ocean and Ice Research Scientist at BAS, explains:

“DriX offers a mix of excellent sea-keeping and mission endurance to observe treacherous near-glacier ocean and seabed processes repeatedly with high data accuracy, opening new perspectives for polar discoveries. We would like to thank the British Antarctic Survey for trusting our DriX USV as they turn to unmanned systems for their cutting-edge scientific operations in the challenging environments of polar regions”

Regis Blomme, Sales Director at iXblue comments.

“We’re very proud to have been selected by such a leading-edge research institute and it is an honor for iXblue to be part of the BAS ocean exploration operations.”

by Dan Levett

UTEC deploys Sonardyne’s Fusion 2 to support offshore construction in Australia

Combined long baseline (LBL) acoustic positioning and inertial navigation system (INS) software from energy technology company, Sonardyne, has helped to support the latest phase of an offshore project northwest Australia.

The project is the first full use of Sonardyne’s Fusion 2 software and associated 6 ‘plus’ (6+) hardware in Australia, cementing the global adoption of  the new survey and construction technology in the wake of field development projects across Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Asia.

In this latest deployment, geo-data insights firm UTEC, the lead brand for Acteon’s Geo-services segment, used Fusion 2 software and 6+ hardware in support of full and sparse LBL operations to position and install a new subsea well gathering system being tied back to an existing facility.

“Fusion 2 vastly simplifies topside interfaces and simplifies use, because it does the job of three systems, in one,” says Edd Moller, Sonardyne’s Head of Energy. “When used with our latest generation 6+ hardware, including the industry standard Compatt 6+ transponders and vehicle-installed ROVNav 6+ transceiver, it enables more to be done with less equipment in the water. It can operate in full LBL arrays, where required, but, using the latest fast LBL mode, it can also reduce time on task. That’s because it can take advantage of the combined ranging and telemetry functionality of our 6+ hardware, which is enabled by our Wideband 3 digital signal protocol.

“Fusion 2 can also operate in sparse LBL arrays, reducing the amount of subsea hardware required during these operations, saving project costs but still with the same LBL positioning accuracies. Fusion 2 can also be operated in USBL-aided INS mode, allowing improved and fast updates of the vessels USBL system. It’s a truly flexible system for supporting any offshore construction or survey operation.”

Quote from UTEC:

Paul Barry, Country Manager – UTEC said; “Following installation of five drill centre arrays for future structure installation we were able to use the SLAM calibration routine to integrate the wider area cut-to-length arrays using fewer Compatts than we would have normally. The SLAM calibration on the cut-to-length Compatts was done in parallel with the pre-lay survey as the ROV was passing along the route, therefore saving vessel time and reducing the carbon footprint of the project.

Using various combinations of Sparse LBL aided INS and full LBL aided INS a total of 29 structures were installed. The ROV was docked onto the structures and the much faster and smoother aided INS position updates made for efficient structure installation operations.

Our successful, and continuing, use of the system was built on the comprehensive training in Fusion 2 and 6+ of our field personnel by Sonardyne and the supply of the Compatts and ROVNAV’s from Seatronics, the lead brand for Acteon’s Electronics and Tooling segment. The Seatronics supply required them to upgrade their Compatt and ROVNAV 6’s to 6+ functionality plus perform rigorous pre-mob testing.

UTEC’s use of Fusion 2 and 6+ hardware to generate vessel time-savings on this project is just one example of UTEC’s objective to safely manage the introduction of new technologies to benefit our clients on future projects around the world.

Image Caption: UTEC have become the first operator to fully deploy Sonardyne’s Fusion 2 software and associated 6 ‘plus’ (6+) hardware offshore Australia.

by Dan Levett