Page 52: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2011)

people & companies

Tekdata, SEA Succeed in Subsea Wiring Project

Tekdata Interconnections com- pleted custom wiring for an under- water analysis pod designed to oper- ate up to 100 m depth, enabling its customer, defense contractor

Systems Engineering and

Assessment Ltd (SEA), to deliver the completed pod within tight con- straints on time and cost. SEA chose

Tekdata for its expertise in areas such as hermetic feed-through con- nectors, high-performance sealing, signal grounding, thermal design, and specialist wiring skills to achieve robust and reliable interconnections within the confines of the pod’s compact, lightweight chassis.

Engaged to complete integration and assembly of the pod, SEA had been supplied with a number of subsystems, such as a potted trans- ducer array that had been tested at depth of only two meters and was supplied without full documenta- tion. To connect this array to the pod, Tekdata identified the exact interconnect arrangement using x- ray analysis and subsequently devel- oped a corresponding feed-through.

Five-level sealing prevents water ingress at extreme depths and cre- ates a robust waterproof connection able to withstand any individual failure mode.

CARIS Offers DNC

CARIS is introducing a solution to the problems of converting

Digital Nautical Charts (DNC’s) to

Electronic Nautical Charts (ENC’s) and vice versa. CARIS, with S-57

Composer 2.2, now offers a DNC

Plug-in available through an option- al license. The DNC Plug-in has a unique capability of automatically converting, with a reported first- pass success rate of 80%, DNC to

ENC and vice versa. “Not only do we believe that this capability is unique, but we have designed it to be simple to use. A couple of simple steps are all that is required,” said

Cameron McLeay, product manager for S-57 Composer.

Email: info@ caris.com

Technip Wins Key Deal

Technip won a lump sum contract by Enbridge Offshore Facilities

L.L.C. (Enbridge) for the develop- ment of the Walker Ridge gas gath- ering system in the Gulf of Mexico, at a water depth of 7,000 ft. (2,130 m). This award reinforces Technip’s leading position in the Gulf of

Mexico ultra deepwater market. It covers the engineering, fabrication and installation of 160 miles (270km) of steel catenary risers and pipelines as well as the installation of subsea equipments.

Technip's operating center in

Houston, Texas will perform the overall project management.

Marport Spins Off

Robotics Division

Marport Deep Sea Technologies

Inc., said its Board of Directors has unanimously approved a decision to spin off its underwater robotics divi- sion. The division will be transferred to a new wholly-owned subsidiary company called Marine Robotics

Inc. "Over the past two years, our busi- ness has strengthened considerably,” said Karl Kenny, Marport’s

P&O Maritime Services

Entering the Power

Cable Install Market

P&O Maritime Services, owner and operator of specialist science and cargo vessels, has entered the power cable installation market with its vessel “CS European

Supporter.” The company has signed a long-term agreement with

UK-headquartered subsea cable specialists, Offshore Marine

Management (OMM), for the pro- vision of a suite of capabilities to be marketed with the entrant cable installation vessel. The European

Supporter is due to enter the

European and international power cable market in March 2011 after undergoing a major conversion from a submarine fiber optic vessel to a state-of-the-art power cable installation and trenching vessel.

The 106m, DPII vessel will be equipped with modern cable installation equipment, work-class

ROV, ROV trencher and survey spread. All ancillary cable equip- ment and cable lay deck operations are enclosed, allowing for a 24- hour all weather working area. A further extensive open working deck is atop which will be used for mattressing operations.

The vessel will boast DPII capabil- ity along with cable coiling arms within her three tanks. 52 MTR January/February 2011