Fugro expands Gulf of Mexico fleet
Fugro, the Dutch survey conglomerate, is set to expand its Gulf of Mexico survey fleet with the addition of a new AUV, Echo Surveyor VII, and a new all-purpose vessel, Fugro Americas. Both are due for delivery later this year.
Echo Surveyor VII, in effect a Kongsberg Hugin 4500 model, will support acquisition of sidescan sonar, sub-bottom profiler and other data while deploying various environmental sensors to meet a wide range of offshore survey demands in depths down to 4,500 metres. Just launched by Thoma-Sea Shipbuilders in Louisiana, Fugro Americas will be capable of undertaking seismic, conventional, AUV and geotechnical surveys and at around 58 metres will be bigger and faster than the company’s other Gulf vessels. With just a single mobilisation it will be able to meet every client’s needs, says Jim Gray, Asset Manager of Fugro GeoServices Inc.
Meanwhile, further afield Fugro has been awarded a contract by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) for deployment of its specialist survey vessel, Fugro Equator, in further underwater searches for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (MH370) aircraft. It will carry out bathymetric surveys of the search area for production of maps of the seabed offshore Western Australia. The area is relatively uncharted and the maps will assist in planning any subsequent stages of the MH370 search.
By David Goodfellow
