Big Blue World issue 6 - December 2022

Big Blue World

The Global Newsletter of the Society for Underwater Technology Issue 6, December 2022

Welcome

Welcome

For many of us, the second half of December engages holiday mode - children off school on winter breaks, religious celebrations taking place in many faiths in December, bank Holidays in the UK, public holidays in many other countries. However, many people will be working full-time and away from home. We are all hoping not to see the next variant of Covid hitting the news and global health.

The end of the year makes us reflective on what has gone on over the last year and in the same breadth, look ahead to what is coming.

I am reminded that in ancient Rome, Janus was the god of beginnings, transitions and endings. He was depicted as having two faces; one looking to the future and one to the past. And so, we come to January.

For the SUT it has been a year of increased activity and return to face-to-face events. From SUT centre and in the Branches plans for 2023 are underway.

Training courses online and in live classroom environments are planned. The fact that SUT training courses had more delegates in 2021-2022 financial year than pre-Covid, is a great achievement. I would like to thank all those who organised, presented and delivered SUT training courses; and in particular David Saul, Training Committee Chair, David Brookes organising SUT’s Offshore Wind Course, those on the Aberdeen Committee delivering the Aberdeen Branch’s face-to-face Subsea Awareness Course and Jacqui Adams, SUT’s Events and Training Manager in her pivotal role.

2023 will also be busy with attendance at Ocean Business, AllEnergy, Offshore Europe, participating at Oceanology Americas via the Houston/SUT-US Branch. Branches and Special Interest Groups will be organising events, in person and online. The Defence SIG, Chaired by Nick Swift, is planning their first seminar/workshop for March. But it will be September when the International OSIG 2023 Conference takes centre stage on the SUT calendar. Although Covid lockdown and disruption have affected the timeline for this 3-day conference occurring every five years, the work of the organising committee lead by Toby Powell has produced an exciting programme which will draw an international delegation to London in the autumn. All of the OSIG group and all the Special Interest Group (SIG) volunteers are not only stalwarts of the SUT, but those who shape SUT events for members, non-members and the wider sectors.

I regularly say and write that we want the membership to tell us what types of events do you want? Particular subject matter and content. What will interest you to go to a technical meeting or social event?

Cheryl Burgess SUT CEO

Welcome from CEO | New Members

Do you prefer breakfast meetings to those at the end of the work day? What are the benefits you value? What benefits are meaningful to you? Please get in touch and let us know. Jane Hinton, SUT’s Membership & Finance Officer and I look forward to hearing from you.

For those who haven’t yet listened in to the SUT podcast produced by Andrew Connelly and Emily Boddy, I hope you join me in checking out what is new and what I have missed in the world of subsea and innovation, as well as getting to know some of our members.

My plans for the holidays include podcast downloads and reading The Ship Beneath the Ice; The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance. The presentations following the AGM by Mensun Bound and Nico Vincent were a treat for the attending audience. In the networking reception that followed I found that many of us shared an interest in the polar explorations of the early 20th century and historic shipwrecks.

2023 is looking busy for SUT. Wherever you are, however you spend your free time in the remaining days of 2022 or see the new year in; Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year from the SUT.

Welcome to our new Corporate Members

The Society offers enhanced communication with other companies, government, organisations and individuals working in the area of underwater technology in specialist disciplines.

Click here to find out how your organisation can join the SUT as a Corporate Member and what benefits you could get.

UT2/Underwater Robotics - The magazines of the SUT

Click to read the latest issues

Marine Technology Society Journal (MTSJ)

The Marine Technology Society Journal is the flagship publication of the Marine Technology Society. It publishes the highest caliber, peerreviewed papers, six times a year, on subjects of interest to the society: marine technology, ocean science, marine policy, and education. The Marine Technology Society has published the MTS Journal under its current title since 1969.

Click to read the latest issue.

JANUARY 2023

SUT-US New Year Networking Event

5 January 2023

Red Lion Pub, Houston, TX

Aberdeen Branch AGM

18 January 2023

Aberdeenshire Cricket Club

An Introduction to Offshore Geophysics & Geotechnical Engineering

18 January, 2023 - 19 January, 2023

University of Southampton

SUT-US Champagne & Conversation: Solving The Big Three Challenges for the Workforce in the Future

19 January 2023

Memorial Wine Cellar, Houston, TX, & Online

SUT | Astrimar Virtual Training Course –Qualification of New Technology

24-27 January 2023 Virtual Training Course

Middle East – Decommissioning –Technologies, Case Studies & Solutions to Challenges in the Middle-East

24 January 2023

Mubarak Marine LLC

Floating Wind Solutions

30 January - 1 February 2023

Marriott Marquis Hotel, Houston, TX

FEBRUARY

Offshore Wind Renewable Energy –Virtual Course

1-2 February 2023

Virtual Training Course

SUT US Networking Event 2 February 2023

Watson’s House of Ales, Houston, TX

Perth – February 2023 Evening Technical Meeting

8 February 2023

Parmelia Hilton Perth

SUT US Subsea Awareness Course 13-16 February 2023

Oceanology International Americas 14-16 February 2023 San Diego Convention Centre

Susbea Expo 21-23 February 2023

P&J Live, Aberdeen

MARCH

Aberdeen – Subsea Awareness Course 13-17 March 2023

Palm Court, Aberdeen

Perth – AOG Energy 2023

15-17 March 2023

Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre

MCEDD Deepwater Development 2023 28-30 March 2023

MCEDD Deepwater Development 2023

APRIL

Parmelia Hilton Perth Ocean Business 18-20 April 2023

NOC Southampton

MAY

Perth

1-5 May 2023

Parmelia Hilton Perth

Perth

All-Energy 2023

10-11 May 2023 SEC, Glasgow

SUT AGM, London

6 December 2022 | Institute of Physics, London

The SUT AGM took place on 6th December in London with SUT President Moya Crawford, chairing the AGM. Standard AGM agenda items include the Chair’s Report of the Year, the Honorary Treasurer’s report on the SUT accounts and financial statements, appointment of the SUT auditors and Council enabled to set the auditor’s remuneration. Newly elected members of Council were announced and thanks are given to out going Council members and all of those volunteers and staff who have contributed to the successes of the SUT over financial reporting year 1 July 2021 to 30 June, both volunteers and staff.

Leaving Council this year: Frank Lim, Terry Griffiths and Bob MacDonald. Thank you for all your time, attention and service to the SUT.

Those newly-elected: Dr Julie Morgan, Terence Sloane, Michael Theobald, Martin Stemp and Steve Duffield. Congratulations to them all, and to Julie on election for her second-term on Council.

The AGM concluded with announcements and awards. Nick McNaughton has been elected as Fellow for services to the Perth Branch. Rustom (Rusty) Jehangir of California-based Blue Robotics was announced as the winner of the 2022 Gwyn Griffiths Underwater Robotics Award. Entries for the 2023 GGUR Award are now open. Click here to find out more and submit your nomination.

Moya announced Roger Scrivens as the winner of the Alan Greig Memorial Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Commercial Operational Oceanography. Covid restrictions at previous AGM made acknowledging the winner of this Award and displaying the Ekman flow meter impossible. Roger delighted the attending members explaining how the Ekman Meter, (which serves as the prize for this award) works and why it is important. After thanking the Society for the award Roger spoke of Alan Greig who was probably the first ‘commercial’ oceanographer in the UK. Roger’s portrait of Alan Greig, professional and personal, reminded us all of the friendships we make in our industry, the knowledge we gain through engaging in the SUT and the calibre of the individuals who make up the SUT.

Roger Scrivens and Moya Crawford L-R:

The President informed the AGM that this year there are two recipients of the 2022 President’s Award: The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and Mensun Bound. The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT) was awarded in recognition of their dedication to preserving the rich and varied seafaring history of the Falklands and those who have been associated with them. FMHT is recognised for its role in the search and discovery for Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance in 2022. Donald Lamont, Chairman of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (and former Governor of

Donald Lamont, Moya Crawford, Mensun Bound

the Falkland Islands) accepted the award on behalf of FMHT.

The President’s Award 2022 was also made to Mensun Bound in recognition of his career achievements to, and contributions in, the field of marine archaeology. As Director of Exploration for two expeditions to the Weddell Sea which led to the rediscovery of the Endurance, Mensun’s career and discoveries have illuminated maritime history, informed, educated and inspired his peers, the public, future generations of maritime archaeologists and all those fascinated by marine archaeology.

The meeting resumed after a short break with two excellent presentations on The Ship Beneath the Ice from Mensun and Nico Vincent which touched on the background of the search, finding the ship, some of the technology used, the wealth of data from the exploration. Questions had to be cut short to enable those present to network, catch-up and speak to Mensun and Nico in the reception that concluded the evening.

Click to see the latest Annual Report of the Society for Underwater Technology (2021-2022) including a foreword from SUT President Moya Crawford, reports from SUT Branches, Special Interest Groups, and an update on the Educational Support Fund.

Left: SUT’s Elected Officer’s of Council:

(L-R) Iain Knight, Hon Secretary, Sue John, Chair, Moya Crawford, SUT President, Nigel Carey, Hon Treasurer

Society for Underwater

Mensun Bound giving his presentation on finding Shackleton’s Endurance

Have you been looking for a volunteer opportunity? SUT-US in Houston has several available volunteer positions open for you to join!

Technical Coordinator

We are looking for someone who can help expand SUT’s presence and participation in 2023 regional industry conferences. Examples include organizing:

• a delegation of Young Professionals (YPs) and/or students

• a poster competition

• a pre-conference workshop

• any other creative idea you may have

School Touring Committee

Volunteers who join the School Touring Committee will have the opportunity to enthuse middle school and high school students about STEM subjects in Houston and surrounding areas. The outreach program will allow you to engage with students by talking about your personal career path, participating in classroom exercises, and presenting materials about ocean, earth, and space science topics.

SUT HQ Training Committee

The Training Committee, led by the UK branch, is currently seeking volunteers to join their board for upcoming years. The committee focuses primarily on finding ways to enhance and develop trainings offered within the various SUT branches. In addition, the board provides a forum to discuss training-related issues in greater detail.

For more information on the volunteer opportunities click here.

Would you like to stay

with upcoming SUT-US events? Join the mail list by scanning the QR Code or by clicking here

Click here to follow SUT-US on LinkedIn

up-to-date

Nominations Open for 3rd Annual Gwyn Griffiths Underwater Robotics Award (GGURA)

SUT’s International Panel on Underwater Robotics was honoured to announce the creation of the Gwyn Griffiths Underwater Robotics Award (GGURA) in 2020. The award recognises people in the early to mid-stages of their career (and under 40 years old) who have made outstanding contributions to their field in underwater robotics. The award may be for industry/commercial, research and/or creative activity in underwater robotics.

The winner will receive £500, a certificate and an engraved award.

Neil Bose, Chair of the Panel on Underwater Robotics stated:

“Members of the Panel on Underwater Robotics were excited by Professor Gwyn Griffiths’ generosity in supporting this award and were especially enthusiastic that it should be an early to mid-career award to encourage the up-and-coming generation of underwater robotics workers in their careers.”

Gwyn Griffiths MBE, a Past President of the SUT added:

“As a vibrant, forward-looking learned Society the SUT is at the forefront of encouraging and facilitating international cooperation in Underwater Robotics. From my own career I know that peer-recognition of achievements through an international Award can make a substantial and lasting difference. These have been times for reflection, and by enabling this new Underwater Robotics Award I am delighted to support the innovators of today and tomorrow.”

Nominations or applications for a GGURA must consist of the following documents.

• A letter of nomination or application that describes how the candidate meets the criteria.

• The letter should be no more than two pages in length. Supporter(s) of the nomination/ application may add their signature to this letter or supply an email that indicates their support for the candidate

• A 100-word citation or appraisal of the candidate’s research describing their contributions in a way easily understandable to those outside the discipline

• A curriculum vitae

Previous winners

Tomaszek MBA 1 CSI Ltd Cofounder & COO, Strategic Subsea Business Partner (2021)

Nominations for the 2022 award are now open and will close in February 2023 www.sut.org/gwyn-griffiths-underwater-robotics-award-ggura/

Aleksandra

Rustom Jehangir Founder and CEO at Blue Robotics (2022)

SUT+ Aberdeen in 2022

With the world steadily opening up again following the pandemic, SUT+ has been delighted to engage with our members through a range of in-person and online events this year. We’re extremely grateful to the local industry for their support of our events, from hosting SUT+ members at site visits to presenting fascinating webinars to our wide audience. We’ve also been delighted to see so many students and developing professional members turn out for our events this year. Some highlights from the branch include:

Our annual chartership workshop returned, following a break during the pandemic. In October we were delighted to welcome representatives from the IET, IMechE, RINA, Energy Institute, and the AFBE-UK Scotland, who gave members a range of fascinating presentations on the route to becoming a Chartered Engineer.

We ran our job seeking support session at the University of Aberdeen, where members of the committee drew on their own experiences to provide tips and advice on all aspects of job hunting from CV building & interview techniques to job fairs & assessment centres. We had a good turnout, with a mixture of students and returning professionals attending.

Click here to follow SUT+ on LinkedIn

The National Decommissioning Centre

SUT + Aberdeen

We hosted 11 webinars on a diverse range of topics including the world’s most powerful floating tidal turbine, remote underwater LiDAR operations, innovative energy storage solutions, and many more to keep our members updated on the latest innovation within the industry.

We hosted 9 site visits where members were able to gain insight into the innovation currently going on in our local industry. We were lucky enough to be given detailed tours of company facilities such as Verlume Operations Facility, Fugro Remote Operations Centre, MacArtney UK Ltd and visited groundbreaking new research institutions such as the National Decommissioning Centre and National Subsea Centre.

We ran our final event of the year which was of course a festive one, in the form of an engineering themed pub-crawl, where members were set festive engineering challenges while networking within Aberdeen’s finest establishments.

We’d like to warmly welcome Andrew Plenderleith into his new role as SUT+ Aberdeen Chair in 2023 and wish to extend our gratitude to Shruthi Sivadasan for her hard work in the role over the past two years. We wish our members a very happy festive season and new year! Keep an eye out for upcoming SUT+ events over the coming months.

Fugro The National Decommissioning Centre

National Subsea Centre

Verlume

MacArtney UK Ltd

The BORA Blue Ocean Research Alliance® successfully tests ground-breaking BORAbox®

BORA Blue Ocean Research Alliance®, a partnership between the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and Subsea7 marked its first anniversary recently. The collaboration exists to improve access to the ocean for scientific research using Subsea7 vessels and other infrastructure. This week there was cause for more celebration following the successful completion of the prototype trial of their innovative sensor package BORAbox® west of Shetland.

About 25% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) added to the atmosphere has been taken up by the ocean. While this helps to mitigate increased atmospheric CO2 it changes the fine balance in the ocean carbonate system, causing the ocean to acidify. This ocean acidification is predicted to affect marine ecosystems and could result in shifts in the food web, including effects on commercially important species. In the deep ocean, the effects on the integrity of vulnerable marine ecosystems such as coldwater coral reefs that support a wide diversity of other species are of particular concern.

To identify predicted future change, long-term highresolution observations of the inorganic carbonate system are needed. Despite scientific advances in measuring Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), large areas of the planet, and the deep ocean in particular, lack measurements or any sustained observation programme. The aim of the BORAbox® project is to demonstrate the capability and value of integrating high quality scientific measurement of EOVs into the routine operations of a major offshore operator, with limited direct intervention by scientists. The BORAbox® has been designed to integrate the latest lab-onchip sensors to measure pH and alkalinity, as well as temperature, salinity and depth measurements in the locations where Subsea7’s vessels operate.

The BORAbox® prototype was integrated into a work-class ROV on the vessel Normand Subsea between November 2021 and September 2022 while operating west of Shetland. It recorded over 700 hours of accumulated deployment time. The collected data are now being reviewed and analysed by NOC scientists.

Following this successful test, the next BORAbox® which has been funded by Equinor is due to be deployed imminently off the coast of Brazil. Another will soon follow in Norway, and a further eight are expected to be deployed through 2023.

Liz James, Group Environmental Director of Subsea7, a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the energy industry, said “The BORA Blue Ocean Research Alliance® provides Subsea7 with a unique opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to international research of the oceans and seas that we work in, on topics of vital significance such as climate change and biodiversity. The alliance is founded on delivering meaningful scientific data for the benefit of society and a fantastic example of this is through the BORAbox® programme.

“By using our extensive fleet of vessels and ROVs for the BORAbox® we are able to help the NOC gather data on a global scale, to locations and depths not easily accessible, on Essential Ocean Variables. The programme provides our onshore and offshore teams, as well as the full range of energy industry stakeholders, with a unique opportunity to engage, support and be proud of a truly innovative and ambitious programme of world-leading international research.”

With innovation at its core, the BORA Blue Ocean Research Alliance® will bring new evidence and information that can help push the limits of scientific knowledge, setting the standard for comanagement of our seas.

To learn more about partnering with the BORA Blue Ocean Research Alliance® or the BORAbox® programme, please email philip.bishop@noc.ac.uk or visit www.blueoceanresearchalliance.com.

Written by Eleanor Stanton & Asya Patleeva, RS Aqua

Image: YUCO-PAM deployed from a small boat. (Credit: Seaber)

Due to Seaber’s unique navigational technology INX©, YUCO-PAM and easily planned using Seaber’s proprietary SEAPLAN software, During a recent trial, YUCO-PAM was used to showcase these capabilities. mission. It also stopped to take recordings at predetermined locations, micro-AUV can kill its engines and slowly resurface offering completely

The above spectrogram demonstrates how clearly identifiable marine Overall, the YUCO’s navigational capabilities coupled with the PAM Available as ‘off-the-shelf’, the YUCO-PAM can be used for a wide pollution such as pile driving and shipping.

YUCO-PAM: An innovative autonomous solution for passive acoustic monitoring

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an important tool for monitoring and understanding marine mammals and their behaviour. There is a variety of ways to do this, from handheld hydrophones to moored or towed PAM systems, each with different applications. With the advancement in ocean science technology in the last two decades and particularly in autonomous vehicle development, new solutions for marine mammal monitoring are making data collection far easier and less resource intensive. One such solution are Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and their smaller siblings micro-AUVs

Micro-AUVs provide a PAM solution which can cover large survey areas while remaining unintrusive. They also benefit from being able to switch their engines off at monitoring locations. In comparison, towed arrays continually emit vehicle noise which can mask the calls of and/or disturb any marine mammals in the area. Where strategic deployment is required to improve spatiotemporal coverage, a micro-AUV can be easily redeployed in the same location.

YUCO-PAM is an innovative autonomous solution for passive acoustic monitoring, equipped with RS Aqua’s Porpoise acoustic recorder. With a selectable sampling rate up to 384kHz and storage capacity up to 8TB, the Porpoise can be programmed separately or activated by the AUV, synchronising its recordings with YUCO-PAM. This micro-AUV is designed for operation in coastal environments, reducing the need for larger vessels in the shallow, potentially challenging waters that are often a sticking point for autonomous systems.

YUCO-PAM can navigate incredibly accurately e.g. with less than a 1% error over a 1000 km range. Missions can be quickly software, which supports a number of navigation patterns adapted to noise monitoring. capabilities. It carried out continuous noise recording while navigating more than 25 nautical miles in a single locations, with its embedded pressure sensor and DVL enabling it to maintain a fixed depth or altitude. Importantly, the completely uninterrupted recording and follow that with a precise GPS position of each recording.

marine mammal noise is using the YUCO-PAM.

PAM features of the Porpoise offer a smart, non-intrusive and highly-customisable solution for noise monitoring. wide range of applications from marine mammal and fisheries monitoring through to measuring anthropogenic noise

Image right: Spectrogram showing dolphin whistles heard during navigation in a recent YUCO-PAM deployment test. (Credit: Seaber)

Updated OSIG Guidance Notes available now

(FREE for SUT Members!)

Since the first publication of these Guidance Notes, in 2014, there has been a significant increase in the scale and number of offshore renewable energy projects.

Download your copy now by clicking here.

If you are an SUT Member you may download this publication for free by logging into your SUT Member Area, then clicking on ‘Access Media and Publications’.

Forthcoming Events

Registration now Open!

The SUT’s Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics (OSIG) committee is pleased to announce that its 9th international conference, ‘Innovative Geotechnologies for Energy Transition’, will take place from 1214 September 2023 at Imperial College in London, with the ISSMGE 6th McClelland Lecture, and the Conference Dinner at the Natural History Museum.

Early-bird rates, SUT Member rates, and student rates available. Go to www.osig2023.com to register now!

Sponsor the 2023 International SUT OSIG Conference

12-14 September 2023 | Imperial College, London

Sponsorship opportunities are detailed on the OSIG2023 website and in the brochure (click below to read). There are many opportunities to support the conference, and we are also happy to discuss other suggestions.

Should you wish to support this ‘best in class’ international conference and discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact osig2023@sut.org or go to www.osig2023.com

SUT Middle East DecommissioningTechnologies, Case Studies & Solutions to Challenges in the

Middle-East

Tuesday 24th January 2023

18:00 at Mubarak Marine DMC, Dubai

Registration Fees

This event is free to attend, but booking is essential See www.sut.org to book your place or contact me@sut.org

The complete focus of the offshore industry is naturally geared toward designing, fabricating, and installing our assets for the sole purpose of supporting production. But what about the end of life, when the assets are too old, or can no longer support, or are too old for production? The decommissioning options must be considered before an asset ends its production life. There are many options for this operation from the P&A through the removal process. The SUT Middle East is pleased to have Claxton, Ashtead, and James Fisher Decommissioning, three companies working in the region, who specialize in the removal of subsea infrastructure, structure and jacket removal, well severance, and subsea well abandonment with a long track record in the Middle East Region.

James Fisher Decommissioning – Jacket and subsea infrastructure removal. Technologies and Decommissioning case studies from the Middle East region.

Claxton – Well Plug & Abandonment case studies and lessons learned from well abandonment and end-of-life projects.

Ashtead Technology – Subsea Infrastructure decommissioning techniques & case studies. thank you to our sponsors

www.sut.org

Innovation and technology are key to any industry’s success – this has never been more true than now, as we face the challenges of achieving the energy transition to Net Zero. Confidence in technology can be a barrier to investment and its acceptance into the market. However effective technology qualification can help address these barriers and overcome them. The course will provide an overview of industry best practice for qualification of technology and how to select and design appropriate testing and analysis regimes to demonstrate functionality, reliability and durability for novel and modified technologies. The assurance that can be gained from adopting these best practices are key to enabling successful commercialisation.

This online course is aimed at engineers, in any stage of their careers, who are involved in the development of new technology or who need to accommodate new or existing technology in new or more challenging applications. Examples will be drawn both from traditional subsea technologies and newer net-zero technology solutions.

A combination of presentations, discussions and group break-out sessions will be used and will cover: • The Technology Qualification Process • Defining Qualification Goals and Requirements • Use of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) • Types of testing and analysis to support qualification at each TRL • Qualification of extended/modified technology • Application of FMECA for technology qualification • Techniques for demonstrating technology confidence and reliability • Residual technical risk and uncertainty • Qualification assurance

As a strategic partner of Oi Americas the SUT has negotiated a fantastic deal on Conferences Badges for Members. Oi Americas is the trade show dedicated to all those who involved in exploring, protecting and sustainably operating in the world’s oceans and waterways. Oceanology International Americas delivers access to comprehensive, innovative solutions, content and expertise. The show floor will offer the full spectrum of technology designed to move forward data acquisition, so that decisions and solutions are reached more efficiently.

Attendees will be able to get their hands on imaging devices, sensors, survey tools, AUV’S SUV’s Robotics, connectors, software… the list goes on, plus they’ll have the

and technical sessions lead by the foremost thought leaders

(Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Futures Theatre plenaries talking about the Blue Economy.

This is your chance to unlock the Blue Economy & Market developments, find new to market solutions from tech - accelerators, access the latest energy transition potential and discover new and innovative products on the exhibit floor.

Single day conference badges are usually $300, and 3-day badges are usually $650, however as a member of the SUT you pay just $255 for a single day, and $552.50 for a 3-day Conference Badge if you use this code when prompted SUTOIA2023. There are even greater saving to be had if you buy multiple badges on the same transaction. It’s easy to get your discounted badge, go to www.oceanologyinternationalamericas.com/ en-gb/enquire.html and fill in the registration form and when you come to payment details, simply pop the code in the promo box.

This offer gives fantastic value as it not only gives you access to the show floor, the premium conference sessions, but also a deli lunch and coffee. We at the SUT are committed to offer you value for your subscription and this is just one of the ways that we endeavour to do this. We should say that free badges are also available as well.

opportunity to attend world class conferences

in their field. Key Note Speaker Dr Rick Spinrad

Administration) will be leading off the Ocean

Forthcoming Events

“Climate of Change”

Decom Week Calls for Abstracts

Decom North Sea, the membership organisation focused on the global late life and decommissioning sector, has launched Decom Week 2023 with a call for abstracts.

A fixture in the industry calendar for over ten years, 2023’s event, entitled “Climate of Change: Opportunities in Decommissioning” will take place in Aberdeen 15 – 19 May.

Sam Long, CEO, Decom North Sea

DNS Chief Executive, Sam Long, says the agenda has been created to provide a balanced view of future opportunities in decommissioning, reflecting feedback from its member companies and broader trends in the energy sector.

“As a membership organisation, with a duty to develop and sustain the decommissioning supply chain, Decom Week’s agenda will address the balance between demand and supply. Whilst the recent OEUK Insight Report predicts increased activity in offshore oil and gas decommissioning, this is one of many expectations, challenges and opportunities that are available to the supply chain in the current market.

“We are looking for abstracts and case studies which clearly illustrate work already undertaken and provide realistic vision into the future of a cross-sector decommissioning supply chain working in competing technical, commercial and risk environments.

“Late life and decommissioning provide a critical pathway to the energy transition and following on from that will continue to feature across the whole energy sector. There is significant longevity here, but there are questions to answer to ensure our supply chain remains sustainable and truly exportable; these are the topics that must be raised during Decom Week 2023.”

The organisation is looking for the submission of abstracts across a number of themes, including, but not limited to:

• Joining the dots in decom through industrial diversification

• Supply chain opportunities in decarbonisation of decommissioning services

• Squaring the circular economy

• Improving outcomes through technology, research and development, innovation and collaboration

• Models for delivery: contracting and best practice in existing and new markets

• People and skills: recruitment and retention, development, training and workforce of the future

• Continuing challenges in oil and gas, nuclear and renewable decommissioning

• The emerging “decade of wells”: a focus on well abandonment

Submissions should be made no later than 30th January 2023. Visit Decom Week 2023 | Decom (decomnorthsea.com) for further details.

Forthcoming Events & Training - SUT US

SUT-US Champagne & Conversation Event

19th January 2023 | Virtual & in Houston, Texas

Join us at the Memorial Wine Cellar in Houston, Texas from 5:30 – 7:30 pm on January 19th for our newest Champagne & Conversation Series: Solving The Big Three Challenges for the Workforce in the Future. Our speaker, Helen Stewart, will begin her talk by discussing “The Big Three” existing health and safety challenges that women are facing in the offshore industry and how The Empowering Women in Hydrography Project is working to improve current practices. In addition, Helen will introduce a 60-day challenge, a method that organizations can utilize to improve the health, safety, and dignity of your women working offshore in just 60 days!

Can’t make it in-person? No worries, we will be having a virtual option as well.

Click to visit our website for more information and to register

SUT US - Subsea Awareness Course

13th – 16th February 2023 | Houston, Texas

Our next Subsea Awareness Course (SAC) is scheduled to take place from February 13th – 16th 2023 in Houston, Texas. You won’t want to miss out! This is a great opportunity for you to network and gain knowledge over subsea operational perspectives and technologies from a variety of industry professionals. Those who are new to the field, engineers, managers, financial analysts, or professionals who would like a refresher over the subsea industry would benefit greatly from our 4-day course.

Click to visit our website for more information and to register

Subsea Expo

21-23 February 2023 | P&J Live, Aberdeen

Subsea Expo is the world’s leading annual subsea exhibition and conference, held annually at P&J Live in Aberdeen, and also includes the industry’s prestigious awards ceremony, the Subsea Expo Awards. The exhibition and conference are completely free to attend.

The exhibition is a quality-focused event showcasing the capabilities, innovations and cutting-edge technologies of the underwater sectors, with over 185 exhibitors and 6,500 delegates attending the latest show. The conference runs multiple parallel sessions and attracts a broad range of experts to discuss the challenges facing the industry, new and transformational technologies, digitalisation, clean energy and the path to net zero, among other topics.

The Subsea Expo Awards dinner is an opportunity to join friends, colleagues and peers in celebrating the accomplishments of the industry’s standout individuals and companies and is held at P&J Live in Aberdeen.

Subsea Expo is organised by the Global Underwater Hub.

Underwater Technology Podcast

Click to listen to the Underwater Technology Podcast

Since April 2020, the SUT has been producing regular podcasts featuring news and an interview with an expert on underwater technology, engineering, science, history & policy from across the international subsea world.

Recent episodes

(click to listen now!)

Pod 75 - Fugro’s Vertical Boring Machine (not boring at all!)

Peter Richards, Designer and Chief Engineer and James Amos Business Development Manager for Marine Infrastructure Solutions talk about Fugro’s development of a vertical boring machine (VBM™), a tool that accelerates the subsea construction phase of fixed wind turbines.

Pod 76 - The Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) with Sarah Brown

Sarah Brown, manager of the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF), tells us about fresh new opportunities and approaches to funding projects in the marine and coastal environment.

Coming soon! Out on Thursday 22nd December 2022!

Pod 79 - Rusty Jehangir, CEO of Blue Robotics

Pod 77 - Ashtead Technology’s Optical Chain Measurement System with Tyler de Gier

Tyler de Gier, Engineering Manager for Ashtead Technology’s inspection and integrity engineering business speaks about development and operation of their optical chain measurement system, and why it is critical to be able to provide accurate, reliable, and repeatable monitoring of mooring chains.

Pod 78 - Tidal Range Energy with David Kerr

David Kerr, Director with Tidal Engineering and Environmental Services Ltd speaks about tidal range initiatives and the benefits that this can bring to the energy mix of the UK national grid.

In this episode with talk with Rustom “Rusty” Jehangir, founder of Blue Robotics and winner of this year’s SUT Gwyn Griffiths Award for Underwater Robotics. Rusty speaks about his appreciation of receiving the award, and how he founded Blue Robotics to be a forward-looking, innovative supplier of robotics components enabling the future of ocean exploration.

Andrew Connelly, Host Emily Boddy, Editor

Reports of Recent Events

SUT-Perth Subsea Controls Downunder Conference 2022

Perth | 25th-27th October 2022

Having been unable to hold the bi-annual conference since 2018, the levels of expectation and wish to get back together for the SUT Subsea Controls Downunder Conference 2022 was very apparent amongst all of the delegates in attendance. Returning in its full format the City of Perth was again a perfect backdrop for over 110 attendees to the conference which had representation from 36 different subsea related organisations and from 8 different countries.

The Icebreaker, kindly sponsored by Yokogawa, was held at an interesting venue, The Raft – a floating functions pontoon, situated on the Swan River overlooking the city which as daylight fell away the lights of the city kicked in and gave a fantastic backdrop for the evening. Old contacts were renewed and new ones made as the evening progressed and set the scene for much networking throughout the conference as a whole.

After a fascinating Welcome to Country performed by Vaughan McGuire which held the audience to his every word, two full days of subsea controls related technical presentations took place along with two enlightening panel sessions which got the audience engaged with many a question and opinion being shared. Local issues being the panel theme on day one certainly got everyone interested, sharing experiences, discussing potential solutions and could have easily gone on for longer than the allocated hour.

With networking opportunities a plenty with the lunches and end of day conference drinks being kindly sponsored by Chevron, Baker Hughes and OneSubsea collectively, the discussions had and contacts made were very worthwhile and feedback being very positive from the attendees keen to continue the bi-annual conference with all looking forward to coming back to Perth for 2024.

With much thanks to major sponsors Woodside Energy and Viper Innovations; Icebreaker sponsors Yokogawa; Drinks sponsors Baker Hughes and OneSubsea; Lunch sponsor Chevron and to all exhibitors C-Kore, Clampon, Pressure Dynamics, Proserv, Sensorlink, Viper Innovations, Woodside and Yokogawa. Without the support from the above the conference would not be able to go ahead. Also thanks to all on the conference organising committee – Mark Casey (Santos), Ned Chapman (Baker Hughes), Julien Levadoux

Reports of Recent Events

(OneSubsea), Harry Mackay (Woodside), Norman O’Rourke (Inpex), Harvey Smith (Woodside), Derek Thomson, Minh Vo (Chevron) and Paul Upjohn (ATV/Viper Innovations). Last of all much thanks to Ian Wilson in helping with the Slido platform that was used for conference questions and of course the SUT Perth Branch staff - Jade Melville, Suzanne Thien, Renae Drew and Fiona Allanwhom put the conference together spending numerous hours in doing so.

Look forward to seeing all again in 2024!

International Energy Industry Unites towards ‘Maximum Energy, Minimum Emissions’ at Record Breaking

ADIPEC 2022

• ADIPEC 2022, the world’s most inclusive energy conference and exhibition drew to a close today with a record attendance of more than 160,000 visitors

• The exhibition and conference witnessed the signing of historic agreement between the UAE and the US to catalyse $100 billion of investment in renewable energies and clean technologies in the UAE and US

• ADIPEC’s new Decarbonisation Zone and Conference showcased latest innovations in decarbonisation and the role of industry in delivering the future of energy

ABU DHABI, 3 November 2022 – ADIPEC 2022, the world’s most inclusive energy conference and exhibition, ended today after witnessing record attendance of 160,549 energy professionals from more than 160 countries who gathered in Abu Dhabi to participate in one of the most important events in the energy calendar.

Taking place in the week before COP27, ADIPEC’s strategic conference sessions helped shape climate discussions, as the leading voices from the energy industry tackled issues at the heart of the sector, with a strong focus on the energy trilemma of sustainability, affordability, and security of supply.

In his opening keynote address, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, set the theme for the following four days of the conference and exhibition stating, “the world needs maximum energy, minimum emissions.”

How the sector could achieve this was discussed across a range of high-level ministerial panels attended by the UAE’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, His Excellency Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al-Saud, US Senior Advisor for Energy Security, Amos Hochstein, Egyptian Energy Minister, Tarek El Molla, and India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri. ADIPEC 2022 featured over 28 country pavilions,

facilitating international cooperation, including the signature of an historic new deal between the UAE and the US. UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy for Climate Change HE Dr Sultan Al Jaber and US Special Presidential Coordinator Amos Hochstein signed the Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy (PACE), which will catalyse $100 billion of investment in renewable energies and clean technologies in the US, UAE, and emerging economies around the world by 2035.

Tayba Al Hashemi, Chair of ADIPEC 2022 and CEO of ADNOC Sour Gas, said: “The best minds from across the energy sector convened in Abu Dhabi this week to focus their efforts on developing a new, bold, realistic, and pragmatic energy transition pathway that benefits humanity, the climate, and the economy. With the COP27 meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh next week, and as the UAE prepares to host COP28 next year, the ideas we have discussed, the solutions we have explored, and the commitments we have made at ADIPEC 2022 will help advance an energy future that is secure, affordable and sustainable.”

The technology and challenges around decarbonisation were at the heart of ADIPEC 2022. The new Decarbonisation Zone enabled energy leaders to explore the latest low-carbon technologies and to showcase the work that the industry is doing to accelerate the transition to low-carbon emissions.

Christopher Hudson, President of dmg events, organisers of ADIPEC 2022, said: “ADIPEC 2022 has shown the world that it is so much more than a hydrocarbon show. It is the leading strategic platform for energy and technology that provides the industry with a platform to demonstrate the fundamental role that it will play in the transition to Net Zero.

“It is important to acknowledge that the energy transition looks different in different markets. A successful energy transition cannot happen without key industry players from these markets having the opportunity to come together and agree a path forward that ensures populations across the world have access to safe, reliable, and sustainable sources of energy. ADIPEC is proud to enable this.

“At a time when energy is at the top of the global agenda, ADIPEC has laid the groundwork for the discussions that will be had, decisions that will be taken and partnerships that will be formed, and not just at COP27 next week, but for the next year of industry discussions.”

Reports of Recent Events

London & South of England Branch –Return of the Annual Pub Quiz

11 October 2022

Ye Olde Watling, London by Iain Knight

The question on the Denmark Strait Cataract never came up; nor did anyone ask where Point Nemo is; but on Tuesday 11th October, after three long years, we had the long-awaited return of the London and South of England Branch Pub Quiz.

We met in our usual venue, Ye Olde Watling, still one of the nicest pubs in the centre of town. We had our usual Quiz Master, Bob Inglis, returning to baffle and entertain us in equal measure. We had teams comprised of some of the keenest minds in the subsea industry. We had cheese, sausage rolls and other savoury items. We had premium beer at premium prices. We had all the ingredient for a great night.

At the end, after many rounds and many more beers, the result was surprisingly close... At the end of the normal time, Petrofac led by one point but with the bonus Wordle round added Consub drew even. There was no time for a tie breaker round so we were happy to declare two winning teams (double the joy and happiness).

We are grateful to all who turned up to support this event and to Wood for their generous sponsorship. This has been a difficult year for the London and SE Branch of the SUT but with a new committee in place we look forward to 2023 with renewed optimism.

Reports of Recent Events

11th International SUT (China) Technical Conference

28-31 October 2022 | Qingdao, China

International SUT (China) Technical Conference in Qingdao, China, on 28-31 Nov 2022, in conjunction with China University of Petroleum (Beijing). The conference was hosted by China University of Petroleum (East China).

Vice President Dai Caili of the Host University attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Frank Lim, Chairman of the China Branch of the International Society for Underwater Technology & Principal Advisor of 2H Offshore, and Professor Chang Yuanjiang of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering served as the Chairman and Executive Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Conference, respectively.

With the theme of “Ship and Marine Engineering” this technical conference focuses on underwater technology, marine engineering equipment, marine resource development and utilization. From the United Kingdom, the United States, Malaysia, Australia, Nigeria and other countries, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, China Ship Scientific Research Center, ABS Classification Society (China), China Classification Society, nearly 20 domestic maritime colleges and universities more than 30 units of more than 400 experts and scholars, graduate students participated in a combination of in-person and online presentations.

Sun Jinsheng, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the Academic Committee of the University, made a keynote report entitled “Research Progress on Drilling Mechanism and Regulation of

Derrick Zhang of DMAR Offshore Engineering, Li Qingping of CNOOC Research Institute, Chen Guoming of China University of Petroleum (East China), Wan Decheng of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Yan Jun of Dalian University of Technology, Zhu Hongjun of Southwest Petroleum University, Shahir Liew, Vice President of Malaysia University Technology Petronas, Shen Yijun of Hainan University, Chen Nianzhong of Tianjin University, Professor Cui Weicheng of West Lake University and others made special presentations on underwater installation engineering, subsea dream factory, risk management and control of offshore pipelines and terminals, wave induced fluid structure coupling method, key structural mechanics of flexible pipes and umbilical cables, flow induced vibration of marine risers, wave characteristics of the South China Sea, deep-sea mining system, floating offshore wind turbine digital twin technology, “Rainbow Fish” deep-sea submersible.

The second day of the conference was devoted to engineers, teachers and students sharing their latest research achievements in four technical sessions.

The Annual General Meeting was held on 30 Nov 30 2022, and Zhang Yu from China University of Petroleum (Beijing) was elected as the new Chair of SUT China Branch and the SUT China Branch 202223 Committee was elected, too. After discussion, all the committees agreed that The 12th SUT (China) Technical Conference is going to be held in Haikou, China, dates to be announced.

Reports of Recent Events

MASTS 12th Annual Science Meeting: Supporting Delivery of the Blue Economy Vision

9-10 November 2022 | Technology & Innovation Centre, Glasgow

How do we navigate the Blue Economy through the Climate Emergency? What does “good” look like? How do we achieve joined up thinking? So many questions!

This year the SUT Decommissioning & Wreck Removal Committee (part of the wider International Salvage & Decom Committee) celebrated the 10th year of its partnership with MASTS (Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland), in running the annual Salvage, Decommissioning and Wreck Removal workshop at the MASTS Annual Science Meeting in early November.

Titled “ Navigating the Blue Economy through the Climate Emergency: How do we achieve joined up thinking and improved decision making?”, as usual we tackled a range of, at times, tough topics in an open forum, across the triple helix of industry, academia and policy makers, with delegates from a wide range of disciples, including scientists, engineers, salvors, fishers, policy makers, insurers and lawyers.

After two years of the workshops being online, excitingly, we were back in person in Glasgow, discussing the need for better decision making regarding the use and impact of energy infrastructure; asking what are we protecting the marine ecosystem for – prevention rather than cure; we explored the depths with talks on the latest expedition to the Titanic, Finnish legacy wrecks, and how state of the art visualisation and simulation can inform responsible decision making; and took a look at the differences between explosives and UXOs, and how efficiencies in decommissioning can be driven with the right decom toolbox.

For the first time, we also held an additional workshop – Sustainable Responsible Impact Investment, which was titled “Custodianship of Marine Life: Ecosystems Impact of Anthropogenic Activity in the ‘Blue Space’ What does ‘Good’ look like and How do we Explain it to Others?” We looked at environmental governance in the blue space, asking what is best practise; data as a currency, asking are we measuring the right things; and the much discussed energy transition, asking are we really transitioning?

Over our 10 years we have tackled many topics and we took a retrospective look at how we have contributed to the debate on Anthropogenic Matter, Material, Object, Structures and Substances (AMMOSS) in the marine ecosystem, taking a holistic, lifecycle approach.

We have looked at the differing approaches to decommissioning around the world, e.g. comparisons between the highly regulated North Sea, with its OSPAR requirement to remove practically everything, and the Gulf of Mexico which regularly practises the rigs to reef approach. In relative terms, Asia Pacific and Australia regions are at the start of their decommissioning journey, and are looking to more mature markets for lessons learned.

SUT President, Moya Crawford

Reports of Recent Events

A key area of interest and focus, has been the impact of man-made infrastructure and structures such as wrecks, on the marine environment – asking whether removal (whether full or partial) was indeed the right thing to do? A number of these structures have been in the environment for many years, and are themselves now part of the ecosystem, supporting an abundance of marine life – so is it the right things to remove them? This is quite an area of debate from all perspectives, whether academic, industry, or regulatory.

The start of our workshops coincided with the launch of INSITE, an independent science programme examining the effects of man-made structures on the ecology of the North Sea. A number of our committee members are part of the projects which it funds. It has been exciting to see and hear its progress.

In 2018, we introduced the topic of the use of explosives for decommissioning and removal purposes – “To blow or not to blow” being a key question! Due to the level of interest, we have now set up our XCOM Special Interest Group, which provides a platform for the various perspectives and views to be discussed and debated.

Showcasing and discussing state of the art technology has always been a key interest area –addressing the Underwater Technology element. More recently simulation and visualisation has really come to the fore, where we have had the most amazing demonstrations from members. This technology is now so advanced it now routinely informs decision making, which is crucial for reducing risk.

The circular economy, that is the reuse through to recycling of infrastructure and materials, is also much discussed. For those who work in this area, it is frustratingly, in practice, highly challenging, not least because the key driver is economics.

And this leads us rather nicely onto a much discussed topic which impregnates every aspect of our lives – the global impact of climate change. From reduced resource consumption through the reuse of materials, to trying to understand the greenhouse gas emissions released from sectors operating in the marine environment. As our colleague, ISDC Chair, and current SUT President Moya Crawford has said, this is just one leg of a long, tough relay race - we have a long way to go!

Karen Seath, Chair of the SUT’s Decommissioning and Wreck Removal Committee