Current News

6000m LARS November 2005

All-Oceans Engineering Limited and Sub-Atlantic Limited, both internationally acknowledged as leading companies in the ROV industry, have facilitated a substantial order from Subsea Resources Plc for a 6000m ROV system for the survey and recovery of valuable sunken cargo and treasure.

Sub-Atlantic's 6000m innovative Comanche ROV was selected as it perfectly met the requirements designated by Subsea Resources. It then followed that All Oceans' were the preferred partner to cover all aspects of the Launch and Recovery System (LARS) deign, manufacture and vessel integration.

All Oceans are an approved supplier of all types of umbilical handling systems and LARS to Sub-Atlantic and for Sub-Atlantic submersibles, whilst, All Oceans had worked with some of Subsea Resources' key people on deep ocean studies and equipment evaluations several years ago.

All Oceans and Subsea Resources understand the many and not insignificant issues associated with launching, recovering and supporting what is not only a substantial equipment investment but also a tool fundamental tool for realising rewarding salvage operations.

The culmination of technical knowledge and expertise of All Oceans and Sub Atlantic, has resulted in this high profile successful sale. This unique business partnership is evidence that a strategic alliance of resources can result in a competitive edge within the subsea industry. It is also evidence that companies working primarily within the oil and Gas industry can successfully succeed out with traditional target markets.

Concept ROV February 2004

Introducing the patented AC-ROV Concept Vehicle, a vision of the future?

www.ac-cess.com

See AC-CESS, the AC-ROV and ALL OCEANS at OI 2004, Excel Centre, London, 16^th-19^th March, STAND No. 546

Instrument Winches February 2004

With more than 20 years experience in the detailed design of Winches and Marine Handling Equipment, All Oceans Engineering Limited have developed experience in the custom design and manufacture of a variety of Instrument cable winches. All winches are designed, built and tested in house at their facility on the outskirts of Aberdeen.

OPTIONS

• Electric, Hydraulic, Pneumatic or Manual Drive
• Multi-core Cable, Wire Rope or Fibre Rope
• Electrical, Optical, Slip Rings or Rotary Fluid Unions
• "Plug and Play" (no slip ring)
• Automatic or Powered Level Wind

ZERO MAINTENANCE

ALL OCEANS have more than a decade of experience in the design and manufacture of underwater winches and equipment. The marine market is now benefiting from this experience in that many winches are built in material combinations for no / low corrosion with dry / water lubricated bearings, sealed drives etc. Many solutions, like those shown, only need periodic visual inspection.

A Tall Order February 2004

If not the heaviest, then certainly the tallest, design and build project undertaken by ALL OCEANS from their Aberdeen facility to date. The picture shows an "ILUC" handling system standing at its full height of 15m (50 feet)alongside the workshop.

An "ILUC" is an Internal Line-Up Clamp, simply described as a torpedo shaped device that fits inside a pipe, and as its name suggests, is used to align two pipe ends prior to welding. The "Tall Order" was from the Deep Blue Project Team to design and build the handling system for various sizes of "J-Lay" line-up clamps.

The handling system had to get the ILUC into the open pipe end, however, the pipe end can be anywhere between 44m and 56m (184 feet) above the deck, and its angle to the deck could be anything between 30 and 90 degrees.

This required the development of what is called the "feeder tube". It is guided along the centre line of the pipe until it lands on the pipe end. The feeder tube stops and the clamp carries on being lowered down the pipe bore on the load rated handling umbilical.

The system is installed 60m (200 feet) off the deck. As such, one of the principal design requirements was that the solution had to be "minimum maintenance". Apparently, technicians need notice so that they can take motion sickness tablets before going up the tensioner tower, to where the system is located!

The system was assembled and tested at ALL OCEANS works prior to delivery complete with the umbilical, slip ring assembly, hydraulic drive and integrated remote control system.

Pull-In Winches January 2004

BONUS or PENALTY?

ALL OCEANS, have been designing and manufacturing underwater winches since 1991, delivered two more custom designed units to a local customer in June 2002

The requirement was one of those "time is of the essence" orders. Even so, ALL OCEANS accepted and delivered on time. Both systems were assembled, commissioned, tested and delivered inside 6 weeks, and yes, the paint was dry.

The programme was roughly 2 weeks design, 2 weeks manufacture, 2 weeks assemble, paint and test. Considering that no part of the winch design pre-existed, meant that there was no margin for error. In this respect, ALL OCEANS acknowledge the support of their many suppliers and workshop resources in helping to get this job out on time.

Although the "time is of the essence" term were accepted, the customer's proposed late delivery penalty was not.

At the risk of being controversial, ALL OCEANS add any penalty risk 100% to the bottom line price. Unless supply is totally controllable, such as a supply from stock, then penalties are very difficult to pass down a supply chain. So Customers, what about a Bonus option as opposed to a Penalty option?

• Is there a difference between a % BONUS rather than on a % PENALTY contract?
• Does one option have a different effect on attitudes and the progress of the work?
• How far can a Bonus option be passed down a supply chain compared with a Penalty?
• Would we feel different about a "Bonus" project even if the end price were the same as for a "Penalty" project?

Tank Camera Handling January 2004

FISH PEN and TANK INSPECTION SYSTEM

Do you have a test tank with equipment in it that you would like to check or inspect, but don't want to mobilise an ROV system or don't have one available ? Then the following tank inspection system may be what you need.

Developed and proven for handling pan and tilt camera units in salmon farm fish pens, the two-winch system is ideal for simple tank inspection work. A pan and tilt camera on its own can only be moved manually, however, using two winches they can be moved over the full width and depth of a pen or tank.

The pan and tilt camera is suspended on lines from the two winches. Operating the winches together or separately greatly increases the tank viewing options.

The problem that fish farms had was that they could only set their pan and tilt cameras a fixed depth and location within their fish pens.

Operators need to watch the fish feeding so that they can control the feed supply rate and in some cases the feed specification.

At the start of a feeding session, the fish are frantic at the surface, but as the session progresses, the fish move down and progressively more and more of them stop feeding.

The operator wants to control the feed supply rate by watching, not so much the fish, but the feed pellets to see how much is falling past the fish. Feed is expensive and the pellets are quite small, they also come in different "sink" rates.

With the winch system, the operator can follow the fish down or across the tank when a current is running. The objective is to keep feeding for as long as possible, whilst wasting as little feed as possible.

DEEP SUBMERGENCECAPABILITY September 2002

Based at Southampton Oceanography Centre, the ROV will also be available for use by researchers from across the UK, as part of the marine science technology pool.

Professor Priede of the Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen said: 'This is a long overdue development that will greatly
enhance the ability of researchers in British Universities to make direct observations, retrieve samples and carry out experiments in deep water. There are areas of the continental slope which are too steep to be surveyed by conventional towed gear and nets. They are no go areas in which we know important species of fish are likely to spawn and rear their young. The ROV will make these areas accessible for the first time.'

The Tether Management System for the project is to be supplied by ALL OCEANS Engineering Limited of Aberdeen, who are obviously delighted to be involved in such a prestigious British project.

Function testing of the TMS is scheduled to take place in Aberdeen in the last quarter of 2002. 0nce complete it will be despatched for ROV and Launch and Recovery System integration and testing. The first sea trials are understood to be scheduled for the second quarter 2003.

The SOC web site has more details and information about the Project including technical specifications of some of the hardware. www.soc.soton.ac.uk/OED/ROV/index.php

The large range of various TMS building block components that ALL OCEANS have developed over the years allowed a near proven solution to be offered to the Project.

This was a major advantage when it is appreciated that what the Project called for was a TMS not much bigger, or heavier than what would normally be used with an "Inspection" class ROV, but with a load rating appropriate to a heavy "Work" class ROV.

The winch module is one of the smaller units in the All Oceans' range and will provide 260m minimum ROV excursion on the Project supplied special tether cable.

The TMS is rated for a maximum 4000kg ROV and has a proof load rating of 12,000kg but in air will weigh less than 1000kg.

ALL ELECTRIC in ARGENTINA December 2000

All Oceans and Argus worked closely with the Norwegian customer to supply a fully vessel integrated system that would support the saturation diving and well work-over facilities and be a stand along ROV capability suited to the harsh environment of the South Atlantic.

The all electric and field proven TMS option that has been available from All Oceans for many years now combines well to make a very capable and compact all electric ROV package.

ARGUS complimented All Oceans on the simplicity, ease of operation, integration and service aspects of the TMS. This is the third All Oceans TMS that has been married to an Argus ROV and their experience is that they just keep on getting better.

Also part of All Oceans supply was the umbilical winch, electro-hydraulic power pack, local and remote controls for the winch and crane, and the TMS to crane load latch. All of the equipment was designed, assembled and tested in Aberdeen at All Oceans works, prior to shipment and installation on the vessel in Norway mid November.

Acceptance trials went very well. A number of hitch free trial dives were carried out to prove the various systems before the final test of rigging a lift line to the diving bell was done. This emergency intervention capability was identified early on in the project and has an importance associated with the level of diving support capability in Argentina.

In a matter of minutes, the ROV was in the water unlatched from the TMS, had located and picked up on the crane wire and hook, then located the bell and the emergency lift sling. Then, in only two attempts it had safely hooked the bell lift sling. The 10Te bell was then cross-hauled to the vessel deck all without incident.

The ease and precision with which the operation and other manoeuvres was carried out is testament to a very capable and well designed ROV system.