Nauticus Robotics, a developer of ocean robots and artificial intelligence for autonomous services to the offshore industries, today announced its entry into a service contract with Shell. The initial scope of work includes inspection services on a Shell subsea field development in the Gulf of Mexico, and the contract contemplates visible future inspection service projects. The contract follows Nauticus’ successful qualification phase for autonomous methods of subsea operations for inspection services. The new contract acknowledges Nauticus’ successful transition to a fully operational offshore services provider.

January 11, 2018 — Houston, Texas — Oceaneering International, Inc. (“Oceaneering”) is pleased to announce that is subsidiary, Oceaneering Australia Pty Ltd, has formed a partnership with Australian owned and operated NDT Tech Ops to provide asset integrity services, including integrated inspection, non-destructive testing, and evaluation services, in the country.

Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV) are used throughout the world for a variety of projects by many different entities. From military, police, fire, and rescue teams searching for lost evidence or drowning victims to commercial diving companies performing inspections on various types of tanks and ship hulls, ROVs have become a staple in underwater search and survey operations. JW Fishers’ Seaotter-2 and SeaLion-2 are the ROVs that many agencies purchase when they need the right tools for the job. A variety of options are available from a mountable sector scanning sonar (SCAN-650) to a Remote Metal Detector (RMD-1). Using an ROV in tandem with a SCAN-650 allows the end user to drive the vehicle around a target area shooting video while also scanning the area using sonar to create a detailed computer image of the surrounding environment. This proves to be quite useful when operating in dark water where video feed doesn’t quite do the job. The RMD-1 is another indispensable accessory that turns an ROV into a metal detecting machine and is interchangeable on ANY manufactures vehicle!

UK-based start-up Rovco has taken its firsts steps into international waters and made significant progress towards growing its global footprint following the completion of two subsea survey contracts in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The contract awards saw Rovco perform advanced subsea survey work in Fiji and Oman, utilising its state-of-the-art SubAtlantic Mojave, Seaeye Falcon and VideoRay Pro 4 ROVs. Launched in September, the company has also been awarded its first ROV consultancy project with one of the UK's leading engineering solutions providers and recently employed two new ROV pilots. It is now looking to appoint a chief technology officer as it continues to grow its UKCS position and gear up for further overseas expansion. With an increasing pipeline of work, the firm aims to become a leading ROV and inspection company within the next three years, with expertise and capacity to carry out underwater inspection projects across the globe. Currently tendering for work in the Gulf of Mexico, the Middle East and across the UK and Europe, Rovco is poised for further success both at home and further afield.