Global Marine Systems Limited has successfully completed a complex, subsea installation project for Ocean Networks Canada on their NEPTUNE ocean observatory off the West coast of Vancouver Island.
An initiative of the University of Victoria, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) monitors ocean environments off the west and east coasts of Canada and the Arctic for scientific research, society, and industry. One of these observatories is NEPTUNE, a subsea system that comprises of an 815km loop of fiber optic cable, which connects a number of instrument sites that undertake monitoring across a wide range of ocean environments. Global Marine’s remit included the installation of four fiber optic cables with associated subsea plant on each end (mudmats).
The first phase of the project, which involved some cable recovery, was completed in October 2015; whilst the second phase that has just been completed; it presented a far greater engineering challenge. This required positioning the eight mudmats, each weighing approximately 1.8 tons with great precision in water depths ranging from 1,240 to 2,320 metres. This challenging project relied on the skill and experience of the officers and crew of the Wave Venture, who worked in combination with a second exploration vessel, Nautilus, who used its deep water ROV, Hercules, to provide touchdown monitoring of the mudmats and then connected them to the nodes and other instruments. Thanks to a high level of pre-project engineering planning and solution design, Wave Venture required only a single voyage to install the four cables and undertake some other related work.
“On behalf of Ocean Networks Canada we would like to extend a large thank you to the Wave Venture crew for their efforts and professionalism, as well as the Global Marine support team” said Ian Kulin, Associate Director, Marine Operations at ONC. “Working with the Wave Venture and the Nautilus, all planned work was completed successfully.” As a result, ONC’s top goals for 2016 were achieved.
John Walters, Director, Maintenance at Global Marine added, “This project required extensive planning by Ocean Networks Canada and Global Marine, all credit to the shipboard teams on Nautilus and Wave Venture who implemented those plans very well indeed. The outcome is testament to the versatility of Wave Venture and the North America Zone; it is not often offshore cable repair vessels are mobilized to handle mudmats and scientific nodes. We are delighted to have played our part in the reinstatement and expansion of the NEPTUNE observatory.”
Within the same voyage as the NEPTUNE cable installations, Global Marine also successfully completed an operation to reinstate connectivity to ONC’s Barkley Canyon Node under the North America Zone cable maintenance contract. This work firstly saw the Barkley Canyon spur cable recovered with the assistance of Hercules, before Global Marine experts jointed it to the 75m tail of the Barkley Canyon node, which was also on board Wave Venture having been previously recovered.
The node itself is housed inside a protective Trawl Resistant Frame (TRF), which weighs approximately 9.2 tons in total, and this was then deployed to the seabed approximately 12m from the Hydrates cable frame in 640m of water, and subsequently plugged into the node by Hercules. Next, the Upper Slope Science cable was recovered ready for ONC technicians to re- terminate. Once terminated, this was then redeployed to within the required 20m range of the node, and also plugged in by Hercules. The successfully completed maintenance operations by Global Marine have reconnected scientific instruments, which had been out of action as a result of suspected trawl fishing activity since January 2015.
Imtech Marine Receives Multi-Year Contra
NOAA Releases Draft Proposal to Expand T
New Technology for Harvesting Energy fro
Scientists Discover New Marine Life in A
Caspian Sea Under-Ice Studies
Predicting Australia's Future Marine Env
A World of Ocean Research Awaits RV Inve
Polarstern Expedition Team Departs for t
MBARI Research Shows Where Trash Accumul
Live Feed from the E/V Nautilus: ECOGIG
Marine Research Can Solve Some of Europe
Robertson Completes First Phase of Inno
UTEC Geomarine Completes First North Ame
New Short Film Highlights the Increasing
Reef Subsea Dredging & Excavation Comple
JW Fishers: Marine Industry Employs Boat
Aquatic Introduces Additional Operationa
CGG Appoints Arnaud Surpas as Executive
Willard Marine Delivers Solas Rescue Boa
Next Generation Treasure Hunters; Global
World Authority Leads Ocean Energy Resea
Why are Some Corals Flourishing in a Tim
Breathing Underwater: Scientists Find E
Imtech Marine Provides Complete Heating,
Seaborn Networks Receives Coface Guarant
Uninett Contracts with Global Marine Sys
Marine Teknikk AS to Design Subsea Supp
Marine Research Application Puts the Ree
Drones Open Way to New World of Coral Re
New Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences
Saab Seaeye Re-launches Sea Owl ROV
New Earth and Marine Science and Technol
More Female Marine Scientists in Leaders
Marine Conservation Institute Announces
UCLA Report Urges New Global Policy Effo
Speedcast Expands Its Global Maritime VS
Research Into the Best Ways to Arrange O
WOC and the Nautical Institute Launch Ne
Maine Marine Composites Wins Federal Gra
MAKAI Awarded $3.6M to Continue Work on
Breakthrough for Marine Energy with 'Und
Research Finds More than 50 Fish Species
Coastline Surveys Completes Submarine As
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Annou
University Researcher Grows Oyster Reef
NOAA Announces Regulations to Protect Ma
CSA GeoSpatial Services Maps the Environ
Installed Submarine Electricity Cables W
Statoil and NASA Finalize Research Agree
Imtech Marine Extends Service Reach to A
Completion of Deep Water Pipeline Equipm
Milestone Cleared for Second Wind Energy
TAQA Receives Government Approval for No
Willard Marine Wins Contract for 42 Sola
BOEM and Louisiana Coastal Marine Instit
U.N. and Marine Companies Get Help from
Science Team Member Describes U.S. Arcti
Long Endurance Marine Unmanned Surface V
Major Reductions in Seafloor Marine Life
Yara Acquires German Company Specialized
Surprises on ROV Expedition in the Norwe
Palau Telecoms Selects Xtera for the Tur
Ocean Networks Selects Xtera for the Tu
Global Ocean Commission Welcomes Carol B
Secretary Jewell Honors BOEM and Two-Doz
Global Ocean Commission Welcomes Carol B
BioSonics Appoints Global Sales Agency-
Novacavi Cat 6 Data Cable Tested and App
Keppel Offshore and Marine Joins World O
Tallinn University of Technology Selects
Greenaway Marine High Speed Camera Housi
Teledyne RD Instruments 2014 Academic Gr
Proteus and TCarta Marine Team to Offer
Expro Wins the Subsea UK Award for Globa
100% Data Return as Metocean Services Co
Chinese Build-Up in Offshore Wind Gains
Prysmian Group Completes Operations in V
Reflex Marine Launch Newly Developed FRO
Scientists Call for New Stewardship of t
The Clean Our Ocean’s Refuge Coalition A
Pilbara Marine Health Check - Good and B
Marlink Helps French Ocean Research Team
Unstable Atlantic Deep Ocean Circulation
Scientists Train the Next Generation on
C-Enduro completes Scotland trials
LinkQuest Delivers a TrackLink 5000HA Sy
NASA: Warm Rivers Play Role in Arctic Se
Optech to Exhibit Coastal and Marine Sol
Turbulence in Marine Environments (TIME)
DeepWater Buoyancy Delivers Flotation Te
New Industries, Inc. Completes 173-ton M
BOEM to Conduct Environmental Review of
National Oceanography Centre Wins €1.8 M
Scientists to Revisit Wellhead Site in L
BMT Nigel Gee Provides Advanced Windfarm
Newly Upgraded Alvin Sub Passes Scientif
Greater Atlantic Region Expected to Rece
Deep Ocean Current May Slow Due to Clima
Two Global Leaders Join Forces in Brazil
Global AUV Fleet to Increase 42% by 2018
Ocean News & Technology is a publication of TSC
7897 SW Jack James Drive
Suite A, Stuart, FL 34997
(772)-221-7720