Page 10: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2006)

10 MTR January 2006

Oi06 Set for London

Show organizers report that the exhibition space for Oceanology International 2006 is more than 95 percent sold, as the exhibi- tion sets to take place in London in March.

The exhibition and conference will be held at the ExCeL (Exhibition Center London) in the Docklands, beside the Thames and the Royal Victoria Dock. Scheduled for

March 21-23, 2006, it is expected to attract a global audience of policy makers, industri- alists, senior government representatives, decision-makers, researchers, directors, managers, scientists, engineers and manu- facturers involved in every aspect of the oceanographic community.

The Oi06 Conference Chairman is Dr.

Richard Spinrad, Assistant Administrator of

NOAA's National Ocean Service. Full details can be found at: www.oilondon.com/conference/

The organizers intend for Oi06 to be a forum for ocean scientists, engineers, end users and suppliers, researchers, and policy- makers to present their latest research results, state-of-the-art technologies, future ideas, and innovative concepts to the global ocean community. "This year's theme will examine the excit- ing integration and interplay between sci- ence, technology, policy, data management and society," said Dr. Spinrad. "This cut- ting-edge conference program will include plenary presentations and discussion panels spanning the issues: Ocean Resource

Management and Global Stewardship,

Natural Hazards, Security and Safety, and

Precision Position and Navigation.

These four themes will provide an unequalled opportunity to think about spe- cific ocean-related issues from the societal perspective. Presenters will highlight aspects of science, technology, policy, and/or data management in each of the four tracks." www.oi06.com news

Bulk Carrier to be Converted to Pipe Layer

Keppel Verolme BV signed new contracts totaling $134 million from Swiss-based Allseas

Group and Sevan Production. One of the

Allseas contracts is for the conversion of the 2005 Panamax bulk carrier Geeview into a pipelay vessel Audacia, capable of operating in ultra-deep water in the range of 3,000 m water depth. New engine rooms, thrusters, additional cranes and accommodations are included in the workscope. Geeview was to arrive at the Keppel

Verolme shipyard in early December 2005. The delivery of the completed pipelay vessel is expected in October 2006.

Keppel Verolme also received a contract from Sevan Production to carry out the outfit- ting of the Sevan Stabilized Platform SSP Piranema, a Floating Production Storage

Offloading (FPSO) vessel with oil storage capacity of 300,000 barrels, an oil processing capacity of 30,000 bpd and a gas injection capacity of 3.6 million cubic meters per day.

The SSP Piranema hull and accommodation block are currently under construction in a yard in China and are expected to arrive at the Keppel Verolme during first quarter of 2006. The completed unit is scheduled to reach offshore Brazil in mid-2006.

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