Bowtech Releases Alternating Current LED Light
Bowtech Products Ltd. (Aberdeen, Scotland) recently released the LED-3200-AC, the company's first commercially available 120-volt alternating-current underwater light in its AquaVision range, which features a remotely dimmable light-emitting-diode (LED) array. The 3,200-lumen white light is appropriate for color-video inspection or viewing tasks. The shock-resistant light draws 350 milliamps and has an effective lifetime of more than 100,000 hours, the company said. The housing is manufactured from hard anodized aluminium, with options to use titanium or stainless steel. Standard operating depth is 3,000 meters, with options available for 6,000 meters.

Peters & May Ltd. Appoints New Managing Director
Peters & May Ltd. (Eastleigh, England) recently appointed Angus Bruce Jones managing director. He will assume responsibility for the company's non-U.S. operations. He joined the company as a marine sales and logistics manager in 2009 when Peters & May acquired his company, Complete Freight. The company also announced three other recent personnel changes. Shaun Robinson was promoted to operations director, with specific responsibility for motorboat manufacturers, brokers and dealers; Craig Stanbury has been appointed marine manager, sail and events; and Simon Judson has taken on the role of marine manager, project cargo.

Oil Flow Rate Estimate Jumps
To 35,000 to 60,000 Barrels Per Day
U.S. government and independent scientists recently updated their estimate of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill's flow rate to be between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels per day. Officials said the estimate, released on June 15, was based on more and better data, which helps increase scientific confidence in its accuracy.

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and others convened a group of federal and independent scientists on Monday to produce the updated flow-rate estimate.

The new estimate puts the oil flow significantly above BP Plc's (London, England) ability to capture oil; the current "top hat" containment device can only handle up to 18,000 barrels of oil per day. At the direction of the federal government, BP is deploying a second containment option, called the Q4000, which could expand total leak containment capacity to 20,000 to 28,000 barrels per day. Future plans call for expanding capacity to 40,000 to 53,000 barrels per day by the end of June and 60,000 to 80,000 barrels per day by mid-July.

Chu called the new estimate a "significant step forward" for determining the quantity of oil escaping the well. He said the flow rate estimates are likely to change as more data is collected.

"In particular, the upper number is less certain, which is exactly why we have been planning for the worst case scenario at every stage and why we are continuing to focus on responding to the upper end of the estimate, plus additional contingencies," Chu said.

The flow rate estimate brings together the work of several scientific teams and is based on a combination of analyses of high-resolution videos taken by remotely operated vehicles, acoustic technologies and measurements of oil collected by the oil production ship together with pressure measurements inside the top hat.

Over the weekend, pressure meters were added to the top hat to assist with these estimates. The scientists stressed the need for continued and refined pressure measurement, but emphasized that today's improved estimates have a greater degree of confidence than estimates that were possible prior to the riser cut.

Triton Secures Australian Contract for XLX ROV
Total Marine Technologies (Bibra Lake, Australia) has contracted Jupiter, Florida-based Perry Slingsby Systems (PSS) to supply them with a Triton XLX ROV system.

PSS is scheduled to supply the 3,000-meter-rated remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in August. The system will be equipped with ICE^® net controls, a heavy-weather launch and recovery system and a 650-meter excursion tether management unit for enhanced operational capability.

The ROV will be deployed in Total Marine Technologies' global operations and will be supported by PSS from its network of service centers, which are located in Scotland, Singapore, Texas, and Brazil.

Austal Wins Industrial Product Award For Trimaran
A 102-meter high-speed trimaran ferry built by Austal (Henderson, Australia) recently won the Manufacturer's Monthly Industrial Product of the Year Award at the 2010 Endeavour Awards held in Sydney, Australia.

Launched in late 2009, the high-speed vehicle ferry was built with Austal's trimaran technology, which combines the softer roll of monohulls with the low resistance, stability and carrying capacity of catamarans. Award judges praised the vessel's ability to use less power than other high-speed craft operating at similar speeds, noting the lower fuel consumption and improved operating economy.

"Austal has showcased an impressive application which uses less fuel to gain higher speeds, which is an imperative feature for transport in both commercial and defense applications in today's day and age," the judges noted in the award.

The trimaran's lower roll speed means passengers experience lower accelerations, significantly reducing passenger seasickness, Austal said. The company said studies have found that motion sickness from vessel roll on the trimaran will be approximately 56 percent lower than on a typical 100-meter catamaran operating in head seas, a feature that Austal said could increase passenger satisfaction and loyalty. The vessel, which is nearing completion at Austal's Western Australian shipyard, is currently available for sale.