A subsea support and construction vessel Seabed Constructor was at the weekend called back to port by the Icelandic Coast Guard under suspicion it had engaged in illegal research in the Icelandic exclusive economic zone.
The Coast Guard spotted the vessel after it had been stationary for some time about 120 nautical miles southeast of the country claimed to had been looking into a World War II shipwreck.
Coast Guard’s helicopter and patrol vessel intercepted the Seabed Constructor following reportedly vague clarification on the vessel’s activities.
The vessel was afterwards directed to Reykjavik port for further police investigation as it doesn’t have any permits for research in Icelandic waters.
Seabed Constructor (formerly known as Olympic Athene) was bought last year by Norway-based subsea operations specialist Swire Seabed, a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Offshore, and contracted for six years by UK-based Ocean Infinity for AUV based survey and construction support operations.
Subsea World News Staff