Flange Pulling System for Optimus 6 Range by Tentec Ltd.
Tentec Ltd. (West Bromwich, England) recently announced the availability of its new hydraulic flange pulling system (FPS) as part of its recently launched Optimus 6 range. The FPS cylinders can each pull with a force of up to 259 kilonewtons and up to four cylinders can be used together for a total pulling force of 1,036 kilonewtons, the company said. The system can be configured in various modes to achieve the desired level of control and pulling force for different applications.

Two wire ropes are available with the system. High-flexibility Tentec wire enables the system to pull to a force of 129.5 kilonewtons, whereas strand cable can withstand a much higher pulling force of up 259 kilonewtons, the company said.

Diver teams can choose whether the controls are mounted directly on each cylinder or whether a control panel is used for remote operation, which Tentec said provides added safety and ease-of-use. The system also features automatic collet release, eliminating the need for diver intervention between each pulling stroke. The FPS is manufactured in high-grade, anti-corrosive stainless steel.

Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Command Orders Three Hydroid MK 18s
Hydroid Inc. (Pocasset, Massachusetts) announced on May 13 that the U.S. Navy had placed three orders for MK 18 Mod 1 Swordfish variants of the REMUS 100 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) under an existing Navy contract. The three REMUS 100s will go to the Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Command (NOMWC), headquartered at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, in partnership with the PMS-408 Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division. The company expects delivery in early 2011.

"NOMWC has been using older REMUS vehicles, some original Navy prototypes, for the last couple of years, so we are very pleased that they've elected to acquire the newest and most capable of the REMUS 100 systems," said Hydroid president Christopher von Alt.

The systems will be used to help safeguard vital U.S. ports and harbors against maritime terrorist threats, von Alt said. NOMWC operates UUVs in support of the Navy's operational mine warfare force. The new systems will provide NOMWC's UUV platoon the capability to measure physical characteristics of the underwater environment and identify submerged objects, primarily in confined harbors and restricted waterways, the company said.

NOMWC commanding officer Cmdr. Matt Borbash said that UUVs have proven to be a force multiplier for mine countermeasure operations, with the added benefit of environmental data collection.

Department of Interior Plans to Split Minerals Management Service
Ken Salazar, secretary of the Department of the Interior, announced plans on May 11 to split the Minerals Management Service (MMS) into two divisions, one focusing on gathering royalties from oil and gas companies and the other focused on safety inspections. The reforms are the first of several potential changes the department is considering, according to a member briefing sent out by the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA).

The change would make the MMS safety and environmental enforcement entity independent from the agency's leasing, revenue collection and permitting functions. Currently, MMS collects energy revenues on behalf of American taxpayers and enforces laws and regulations that apply to offshore energy operators.

"The job of ensuring energy companies are following the law and protecting the safety of their workers and the environment is a big one and should be independent from other missions of the agency," Salazar said. "We will responsibly and thoughtfully move to establish independence and separation for this critical mission so that the American people know they have a strong and independent organization holding energy companies accountable and in compliance with the law of the land."

According to the NOIA briefing, the oil spill response legislation that the White House plans to submit to Congress will propose an additional $29 million, with approximately $20 million for increased inspections of platforms, engineering studies and enforcement of safety regulations; $7 million for more comprehensive evaluations of policies, procedures and actions that may be needed in light of the Deepwater Horizon incident; and $2 million for the Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey and others to conduct general environmental studies. MMS's current inspection budget for fiscal year 2010 is $23 million.

The final proposed change is to expand MMS authority to review exploration plans. President Barack Obama's administration is proposing to eliminate a 30-day congressionally mandated deadline for MMS to act on exploration plans that oil and gas companies submit. The deadline would switch to a 90-day timeline that can be further extended to complete environmental and safety reviews, which Salazar said would provide MMS more time to conduct additional environmental analysis.

In its member alert, NOIA said it would support any change that leads to safer offshore operations, saying that its members remain committed to protect the safety of workers and the environment.

"There is a trend internationally to separate the enforcement and revenue generating arms of energy agencies, so that certainly bears a closer look, as should other recommendations," NOIA said in the statement. "At this stage, it is worth noting that efforts to uncover the true cause of the Deepwater Horizon are still under way, so it may be premature to start implementing fixes. That said, the Interior Department is in the best position and is the one who has to make the determination about how it is best organized. We look forward to working with the department as the details of the reorganization are fleshed out. Appropriate funding, structure, placement of inspectors and the framework are all issues that need to be fully addressed. We fully support the concept that such a reorganization will involve Congressional, industry and public input."

U.S. Senate Passes Coast Guard Authorization Act
The U.S. Senate passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 on May 7, a bill that authorizes funding levels, changes oversight over the U.S. Coast Guard's modernization program and provides new tools for the service's homeland security, marine safety, fisheries and environmental protection missions.

The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on October 23. The House and Senate versions of the bill will now be combined, after which the final bill will be sent to President Barack Obama.

The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee applauded the passage of the bill. The committee said the bill would reform the service's major acquisitions processes and procedures by establishing a leadership structure, direct accountability and clear roles and responsibilities for major acquisitions throughout the Coast Guard's chain of command.

The bill would also prohibit the use of a "lead systems integrator," the mechanism by which private contractors on the Coast Guard's Deepwater program were essentially allowed to manage themselves and approve their own work. Use of lead systems integrators would be prohibited throughout the entire Coast Guard on the date of enactment, except in limited circumstances where it would be phased out by the end of 2012.

The committee said the bill would grant important new statutory authority for the Coast Guard to complete its sweeping organizational restructuring, as well as a number of other key provisions related to the Coast Guard's organizational, administrative and personnel needs.

The bill will authorize new tools that will help the Coast Guard and NOAA deal with oil pollution prevention and response, provide improved authority for Coast Guard coordination with state prevention and response authorities, extend responsibility for oil spills from single-hull tank vessels to the actual owners of the oil, and give new authority for the Coast Guard to track and report instances of human error, the committee said.

Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation Board Holds Hearings
The Deepwater Horizon joint investigation board began the Marine Board of Investigation on May 11 and 12 with two days of public hearings investigating the circumstances surrounding the explosion, fire, pollution and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The joint investigation has the powers of both convening agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Minerals Management Service (MMS), and is co-chaired and staffed by representatives of both agencies.

The facts collected at this hearing, along with the lead investigators' conclusions and recommendations, will be forwarded to the Coast Guard and MMS and, once approved, will be made available to the public and the media. The 13 witnesses who testified on May 11 and 12 were sworn in and gave testimony, covering topics regarding the search and rescue aspects, accounts and actions of the vessel involved in giving assistance to the evacuated crew and all aspects of the safety net.

According to the joint investigation board, they plan to hold two or three more public proceedings. Subsequent proceedings will examine the corporate safety culture of the Deepwater Horizon owner and operator, leaseholders and the recovery, examination, analysis and evaluation of the critical drilling and blowout prevention equipment, according to a release from the joint investigation board.

The second public proceeding is scheduled to take place May 26 to 29 in Kenner, Louisiana. Raw video footage of Tuesday's and Wednesday's hearings will be available on the joint investigation Web site before the next set of public proceedings. Transcripts of all hearings will be made available to the media and public when the final report is released sometime in January 2011.

The board has been given nine months from the convening date of April 27 to submit its final report to the MMS and the Coast Guard.

RAE Systems Mobilizes to Support Gulf Spill Cleanup
RAE Systems Inc. (San Jose, California) has mobilized personnel to assist private companies and government agencies with the toxic gas and hazardous materials associated with the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the company recently announced. The company has placed personnel on scene and is providing continuous support to private, federal and state environmental management responders with technical experts to deal with the byproducts of the spill, including volatile organic compound monitoring and benzene detection.

"In anticipation of needed equipment, we have moved critical inventory into position to be prepared to respond," said Ryan Watson, RAE Systems vice president of Americas sales. "Our technical specialists are standing by on scene and in our U.S. support center to support the cleanup efforts from this oil spill."

Spill responders and operations managers on neighboring drill drigs and platforms are using AreaRAE™ wireless networks, UltraRAE™ 3000 benzene monitors and handheld colorimetric detection tubes to provide protection and detection of benzene and flammable gasses from the oil slick, the company said. Most of the neighboring platforms are still in production and have not been evacuated, the company said, so operations managers still require monitoring.