Sonardyne International Ltd has received a major order for 6G acoustic positioning equipment worth £1m from Forum Energy Technologies, Inc’s equipment rental business, DPS Offshore.
The is the second order placed by DPS Offshore in as many months for Sonardyne’s sixth generation hardware platform and includes Compatt 6 transponders, RovNav 6 LBL transceivers and Lodestar GyroCompatt 6s for high update rate wireless attitude and acoustic positioning of any subsea object. The equipment will be added to DPS’ equipment pool in Aberdeen, ready to support a wide range of subsea positioning tasks including structure placement and spoolpiece metrology.
6G products utilise Sonardyne’s ultra-wideband width, digital ranging and telemetry protocols developed to increase the precision, speed and reliability of acoustic positioning and aided inertial navigation operations. The platform has been proven to deliver significant operational savings, allowing multi-user subsea construction survey tasks to be completed in less time than was previously possible.
Commenting on the deal, Colin Erskine, Forum’s global rental business director said, “From early this year, we’ve been witnessing high demand for 6G from across our region. This latest investment in Sonardyne technology ensures that we now have fully stocked shelves of 6G equipment ready to meet the needs of the rental market.”
Sonardyne’s Vice President Europe and Africa, Barry Cairns , commented, “DPS Offshore has been a major rental supplier of Sonardyne products for many years and we are delighted with the continued demand for 6G technology. This latest order further reflects the excellent performance, cost savings and versatility that 6G offers its users.”
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , May 24, 2012; Image: Sonardyne