International Events Generates New Contracts
No OI event would be complete without its customary spate of contract announcements and this year's round of awards proved no exception.
Svitzer of Great Yarmouth in the meantime said it planned to install an SDP11 dynamic positioning system from Kongsberg Simrad aboard its 72.5m survey vessel berthed alongside the main exhibition, Svitzer Meridian, while a similar unit would also be commissioned for Svitzer Mercator. The vessels form part of a fleet of five Svitzer ships operating worldwide for seabed and sub-seabed survey data acquisition and management operations mainly on behalf of oil and gas organisations.
At the same time another vessel supplier, Chelsea Technologies Group, recorded an order for three of its SeaSoar towed vehicles for installation aboard two new oceanographic survey ships, HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise, presently being completed for the Royal Navy by Vosper Thornycroft. As part of the contract, newly-established CTG will also supply training, trials support and 25-year life maintenance for the systems which are reportedly capable of undulating from the surface to 500m at tow speeds of up to 12 knots.
OI 2002 also marked the official launch of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST), a derivative of the London-based Institute of Marine Engineers with a sizeable international membership. 'It's an expanding and forward-thinking international organisation and will be the natural choice for those working in the maritime world due to its high standards and considerable worldwide influence', said the President, Simon Rickaby, in the presence of guests from parliament, academia and industry. He added that it will be the only professional institute empowered to award Chartered Marine Scientist, Chartered Marine Technologist and Chartered Marine Engineer status to those working in offshore, subsea and underwater technology, renewable oil and gas, shipping, oceanographic and hydrographic disciplines.
Formation of the IMarEST was one of the more interesting organisational developments during OI and it will be even more interesting to see how it has fared at this established four-day biennial event when it returns to the ExCel Centre from 16-19 March 2004 with an extended portfolio of topics covering commercial marine, renewable wave and wind energy, and maritime defence activities.
