Our News

Date: 23 January - 2012

Offshore Marine Management Developing Innovative Survey and Inspection Platform.

OMM has announced that it is developing a bespoke, remotely-operated underwater survey and inspection platform. Following identification of a requirement for an integrated vehicle to perform survey and inspection of assorted assets from depths of up to 100m, through the intertidal zone to
drying heights, OMM have conceived a unique approach to a problem which would usually require the deployment of multiple conventional ROV and diving spreads.

OMM has approached this problem from the perspective of a customer who wishes to minimise not only project costs but also risks. This, coupled with the ethos of producing a solution that is tailored to the task rather than employing an existing underutilised asset, has led OMM to develop an integrated vehicle which is capable of working both dry and submerged.

The vehicle is a four wheel drive, all terrain crawler which acts as a platform for conventional survey sensors and also has the facility to carry an onboard ROV. With full independent suspension supporting each drive system, the crawler is designed to provide the optimum platform for the onboard sensors. These will be used to track and survey both route corridors as well as fixed assets, including pipelines and cables. The ROV is also available to be remotely deployed for additional inspection of hazards, areas of particular interest or offshore installations which can be reached in a single journey from the shore.

Accurate positioning of the combined system is achieved using multiple technologies which ensure continuous navigation data is available, even through the harsh intertidal zone.

Rigorous design criteria were developed and adhered to during development, ensuring that the crawler platform will be capable of working in currents in excess of three knots, across all types of seabed terrain from soft sands, subsea obstacles to bedrock and up to 40° slopes.

System deployment to point of mobilisation will be achieved using a single HGV. From there, it may be loaded onto any vessel of opportunity from a multicat to a DP 2 vessel. Use of a crane based LARS ensures little or no modification of a host vessel is required, whilst control and monitoring will be undertaken from a standard ROV control van. The platform will be operated
using a bespoke software system which will provide both ROV and crawler control.

The all inclusive capabilities of this single package are designed to offer customers significant cost savings when compared with the use of multiple conventional packages to meet the survey and inspection requirements of key assets.

With flexibility being a keystone of the design specification, positive feedback has already been received from Energy and Telecommunications customers. The system is scheduled for delivery in 2012 and, commenting on the development, OMM’s Director of Survey & Subsea, Arron Burrows said:

“Importantly, this hybrid solution will remove the need for multiple vehicle mobilisations as is currently commonplace in the offshore environment. We believe that many operators will therefore see this as a cost-effective solution, avoiding the need for additional equipment and personnel. It will also be small enough to be easily-transported within a multicat or dynamic-positioning (DP)
vessel, yet remains highly adaptable and high-powered."

“As offshore work ramps up around the UK coastline, the need for such a vehicle is increasing almost by the day. However, rather than rush through a quick-fix solution we’ve taken great care to ensure that the vehicle will be useful for many years to come. Once the production and testing stages are complete, we expect it to be available for customers to use from Q3 in 2012.”

“OMM is also developing an innovative approach to expedite seabed asset protection. This system will be available for use in Q2 2012 and further details will be released in due course.”

 

 

Date: 13th December - 2011

Offshore Marine Management launches market leading maintenance service to marine renewables sector.

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has today announced the launch of a new maintenance support service for offshore renewables operators.

With little existing guidance and no legislation currently in place, operators may not be conducting the maintenance they need in order to guarantee the integrity of their assets – or they might be spending too much on completing unnecessary routine servicing. OMM’s new Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (‘IMR’) service can give operators the confidence they need in every aspect of their installation.

By studying best practice approaches to maintenance that exist in other markets, including the oil and gas industry, and building in a stage where maintenance plans are verified by a third party, OMM believes it has identified an approach that can be applied to any installation, regardless of size or age.

Stephen Bolton, OMM’s Operations and Maintenance Director, commented: “Renewables operators are currently exposing themselves to unnecessary and potentially serious risks – risks that could result in lengthier, more costly repairs if things go wrong and ultimately long periods of lost production.

“This new service takes a holistic approach to the problem. It examines every aspect of an installation, including the crucial sub-sea elements, and identifies those that represent the greatest risk to the project should they fail. In a first for our industry, it also ensures that the resulting maintenance plan is independently verified – giving operators and their backers the assurance they need that precisely the right level of maintenance is taking place.”

OMM is currently in discussions with a number of renewables operators regarding IMR, and is now looking for further opportunities with companies around the world, including those developing wind farms in the North Sea and off the coast of northern Germany.

Bolton continued: “This is not a one-size fits all approach – what we are advocating takes careful consideration of the nature of the project and is a technique that is thorough while remaining entirely flexible. With maintenance of high value offshore assets becoming a more important issue as further wind farms are installed, now is the time for operators to ask if the processes they have in place right now are fit for purpose.”

 

Date: 29th November - 2011

Offshore Marine Services GmbH completes first successful cable storage task for Siemens and Prysmian

Offshore Marine Services, the German arm of UK-based Offshore Marine Management, has successfully completed its first cable storage task for the consortium Siemens Energy and Prysmian Powerlink, the companies responsible for the BorWin 2 and HelWin 1 export cable systems including Offshore Sub Stations.

Making use of OMS’s dedicated cable storage facility at Nordenham, the company has safely stored 15 drums of cable for the consortium. The cable, along with joint kits, piece parts and hang-off kits that are also being stored at Nordenham, will be taken out of storage in 2012 when the two planned projects commence installation.

John Grimmond, Business Development Manager at OMS said: “It’s makes practical as well as economic sense to plan well ahead in the development of cable installation projects, especially those the size of the export cable projects at BorWin 2 and HelWin 1 – although this is by no means standard practice in the domestic market right now.

“Our facility in Nordenham opened earlier this year and offers Siemens Energy and Prysmian Powerlink a convenient location where wind park components and connector cables can be stored safely and securely, ahead of their deployment as the projects are developed.”

Stephen Bolton, Director of Operations and Maintenance added: ““What makes the facility special beyond the convenient location is the unique relationship we have developed with the Rhenus Group who provide a complimentary set of skills and competences from the physical cable handling requirements through vessel logistics to the required security arrangements.”

OMS’s Nordenham plant opened in March 2011, as part of a phased agreement with European logistics specialists, Rhenus Group. The facility which is actively being developed in close cooperation with key potential users, currently offers renewables operators an immediate capability to store cables on reels and in the future will include a carousel and several cable cages.

 

 

Date: 10th November - 2011

Offshore Marine Management Secures TenneT Contract Win

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has won a four year contract with TenneT, the electricity grid operator based in Germany, to provide support for their offshore wind farm connection work. OMM will provide project management and strategic consultancy, as well as client representative support and guard vessels.

OMM was successful in following a highly competitive EU tender process, where the company was up against a considerable number of other organisations. The EU tender process demanded that companies adhere to strict regulations and provide detailed case studies and examples of management procedures.

Eckhard Bruckschen, Operations Director, OMM said, ‘We are delighted to have won this contract with TenneT. The fact that our company is seen as a market leader in Germany is a real testament to the work we have done over the past years. OMM is not just about providing personnel but sharing our expertise and experience in the offshore wind market with our clients. OMM will use its local office in Bremen (and shortly also in Hamburg) to liaise with TenneT on a day to day basis’

OMM will provide project management and strategic consultancy to TenneT prior to the offshore work on several wind farm interconnectors commencing in 2012. The contract will continue throughout these projects, where OMM will provide Client Representatives and guard vessels during the installation phase, along with expert offshore project management.

With Germany moving away from nuclear energy, the German government considers wind energy a key technology for a future carbon-free energy mix. There are several large grid connection projects due to start work in the next year and OMM will be working closely with TenneT to provide the connection for a multitude of offshore wind farms.

 

 

Date: Wednesday, 12, October - 2011

Offshore Marine Management completes cable work at Greater Gabbard

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has completed a contract with Fluor for the installation of 36 inter-array cables at the Greater Gabbard wind farm.

Originally contracted to install 29 cables, the remit of OMM’s work was expanded during the course of the project to encompass provision of a full range of installation services for 36 inter-array cables, including front end pre-engineering support, installation and the delivery of a final report using in-house survey capabilities.  Work was completed using the 122m vessel Deep Cygnus.

Greater Gabbard is a 504MW offshore wind farm, located 25 kilometres off the Suffolk coast.

OMM’s Managing Director, Rob Grimmond said:

“I’m delighted to announce the project’s successful completion.  Given the difficult conditions experienced at the site, the project’s successful completion is an important development for the offshore wind industry in the UK.  The successful installation of 36 cables, our largest installation project to date, also marks an important milestone for the business as we continue to expand.”

OMM’s Operations Director, Eckhard Bruckschen added:

“Throughout the last six months we’ve employed a very flexible approach, developing close working relationships with a number of organisations in order to provide vessels, equipment and personnel, often at short notice.  I’m sure the capability we’ve demonstrated at Greater Gabbard will set us in good stead for associated work in the future.”

 

 

Date: Wednesday 3^rd August 2011 

Continued Expansion and Operational Base for Offshore Marine Services GmbH

UK based Offshore Marine Management (OMM) is significantly expanding its business in the German sector via the establishment of its first Operational Support Base at Cuxport. OMM’s German subsidiary; Offshore Marine Services GmbH (OMS) is also investing in its headquarters in the City of Bremen by recruiting new permanent staff  including John Grimmond as Business Development Manager.

The Operational Support Base will support OMS’ aspirations to be a key supplier of Installation along with Operations and Maintenance services to the German offshore wind sector. The base at Cuxport is an average sailing time of four hours to the German Bight’s wind farms and includes 12,000 m² of prime quayside land, a minimum quayside water depth of 8m, ample public quay wall and office space.  A long term agreement ensures OMM’s position within the German market for many years to come.

Eckhard Bruckschen, the Director of Operations for OMM and OMS summed up the development by saying “With the Bremen Office, Operational Support Base at Cuxport and the Nordenham cable storage facility all in place this means OMS is ready to react for its clients with a flexible range of services.”

This significant commitment to the German market from OMS enables them to offer full personnel processing from onshore to offshore, stores handling, logistics handling, and vessel management.

The initial phase of the base development will include significant covered and uncovered storage for components and spares, as well as the establishment of a bespoke crew vessel transfer system.  As part of the agreement OMS has secured a handling contract from Cuxport itself and a marine vessel agency agreement with Rhenus Logistics.

Stephen Bolton, Director of Operations and Maintenance said the intention at Cuxport is to develop a world class O&M facility utilising OMM’s unique mix of bespoke marine management software, new build vessels and an independently verified Inspection, Maintenance and Repair solution for proactive sub-sea O&M, building a long term future within the German offshore wind industry.

 

 

Date: Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Subsea construction services joint venture launches in the Middle East

A joint venture company offering a comprehensive range of onshore and offshore construction services to subsea cable operators in the Middle East has been launched by Abu Dhabi-based Controls and Applications Emirates (CAE) and the UK’s Offshore Marine Management (OMM).

Called CAOMM, the joint venture will work with clients in the region’s oil and gas, utilities and telecoms industries. It will capitalise on CAE’s position as the United Arab Emirates leading engineering, procurement and construction contractor and OMM’s international experience as a marine solutions management company. CAOMM has opened an office in the strategic oil and gas port of Abu Dhabi and appointed a new General Manager, Rob Warner. 

“The office is a first step as we plan to develop strategic assets and an operational base in Abu Dhabi in the near future,” Mr Warner said. “CAOMM aims to take advantage of the combined experience of its owner companies and be recognised by clients for its commitment to quality in every service delivered.”

Both CAE and OMM bring the joint venture significant know-how and extensive technical expertise in construction and subsea-related services covering all the market sectors targeted by CAOMM. The owner companies’ expertise is supported by reputations for delivering complex projects on time and within budget.

CAE Managing Director, Carlos Marques, said that the synergies between the two companies worked as a catalyst to ensure the smooth establishment of the joint venture.

“The launch of CAOMM will expand the range of services offered to our long–term CAE clients and will consolidate the recently established Control Applications Group in the region,” Mr Marques said.

OMM’s Managing Director, Rob Grimmond said that this joint venture represents a strategically important step into the Middle East region for the company.

“Working with an already strong CAE, who have been in the region since 1977, can only increase the range of services available to our Middle Eastern clients and enable them to take advantage of the complete package of services for their onshore and offshore works.”

For more information on Offshore Marine Management: please contact John Davis on 0844 921 0001 or email johnd@offshoremm.com. Alternatively please visit the website www.offshoremm.com

For more information on Controls and Applications Emirates: please visit the website www.caeme.com.

 

 

Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Offshore Marine Management obtains cable storage facility at Nordenham

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has entered into a phased agreement with European logistics specialists, Rhenus Group to develop a dedicated subsea cable storage facility on the German coast at Nordenham, on land adjacent to Rhenus Midgard´s facility with immediate capacity available.

OMM will immediately offer a carousel and a cable cage to the market and the agreement includes plans for a significantly larger facility that will most likely include multiple carousels.

OMM, who will provide the specialist cable expertise and market the facility, is a global independent provider of bespoke marine solutions offering an extensive range of products and services to the offshore renewables, subsea telecoms and oil and gas industries.

Rhenus, who will provide the physical asset base and handling services, specialise in port handling and shipping among other services.

This agreement will increase OMM’s cable storage capacity, adding to its facility on the East coast of the UK that is under development. Such dedicated facilities enable OMM to correctly store developers’ infield and export cables, maintaining and verifying their condition and improving their lifespan - which is often not the case in the industry.

OMM’s Operations and Maintenance Director, Stephen Bolton said this agreement strengthens the company’s ability to provide a tailored operations and maintenance service to clients who own cables, allowing them to react quickly when repair or replacement is required.

“With cable storage facilities in the UK and now Germany as well as more in the pipeline, OMM continues to offer the broadest possible range of sub-sea operations and maintenance solutions for clients working in both the North Sea and the German Bight,” Mr Bolton said.

Combined with OMM’s structured approach to sub-sea operations and maintenance - including cable repair and vessel supply – these storage facilities are expected to significantly reduce the time and cost of subsea cable repairs. Critical to OMM’s choice of locations has been the suitability of partners such as Rhenus, a market leader in its field with skills that complement OMM’s perfectly.

For more information on Offshore Marine Services GmbH: please contact Stephen Bolton on 0844 921 0001 or email o&m@offshoremm.com. Alternatively please visit the website www.offshoremm.com.

For more information on Rhenus Midgard GmbH & Co. KG: please contact Bjoern Wittek on +49 421 64301 85 or email bjoern.wittek@de.rhenus.com. Alternatively please visit the website www.rhenus.de.

 

 

Tuesday, 05, 2011

Offshore Marine Management launches Survey and Subsea business

Marine solutions leader Offshore Marine Management (OMM) announces the launch of a new survey and subsea business this week, to cater for a growing demand from clients worldwide for the full range of subsea cable services to be available from the one supplier.

The new business will focus on the three strategic areas of survey, cable and structural subsea inspection and subsea engineering.

Recently appointed Director of Survey and Subsea, Arron Burrows said this new business offers clients an all-inclusive “one stop shop” for cable solutions - with survey, inspection and final deliverables - and will mean an overall better service.

“Having these key services in-house sets OMM apart from our cable solutions competitors who tend to rely on subcontractors for this work,” Mr Burrows said.

“OMM is now well positioned to take advantage of a growing number of standalone opportunities in the offshore renewables, subsea telecoms and oil and gas industries.”

The new business offers data analysis and management using the latest hardware and software technology to support cable-related works both onshore and offshore. This includes a fully integrated state-of-the-art geographic information system (GIS) suite complete with digital video data integration for annual inspection data integrity and remedial activity monitoring.

“Thorough research and development combined with top subsea engineering skills will enable us to provide innovative solutions for clients’ operations, inspection, repair and maintenance requirements,” Mr Burrows said.

The engineering specialties includes design, modelling and build programmes for a new subsea operation and maintenance vehicle and innovative subsea tooling for cable protection and remedial activities.

The business is based at the company’s recently expanded Cambridge offices, which feature a dedicated engineering workshop and delivery suites, enabling the team to produce in-house the quality of final deliverables expected by clients.

OMM’s survey and subsea department currently has eight employees, most of whom are International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) and International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), Category A surveyors.

“We are also developing a pool of highly competent and experienced onshore and offshore survey and inspection personnel to ensure we set the industry benchmark.”

OMM’s survey and subsea assets business will exhibit for the first time next year at Oceanology International 2012 in London.

 

Monday, May 9, 2011

Offshore Marine Management Relocates Cambridge Office to Accommodate Expansion

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) is pleased to announce the opening of a new office in Cambridge. Located at Conqueror House, Vision Park, Chivers Way, Histon, Cambridge, CB24 9NL the expansion was necessary to accommodate the company’s continued growth. This growth is driven by a growing client base and a diverse range of sub-sea projects including the inter array cabling at the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm.

The new office is more than four times the size of the previous one and now comfortably incorporates the submarine cable installation and maintenance, operations and maintenance, survey and inspection, subsea engineering and R&D departments. The new office also includes the space required to accommodate planned growth in 2011 and 2012.

The substantially increased office space allows OMM to setup a dedicated survey and inspection engineering workshop and storage area including an asset management suite, final deliverables preparation, compilation and delivery area and a new subsea engineering development section.

OMM is a global independent provider of marine solutions with a flexible approach, offering an extensive range of products and services to the offshore renewables, subsea telecoms and oil & gas industries.

Conqueror House is a popular and established business location surrounded by landscaped grounds and a natural choice for OMM who have chosen the area as a location for its international reputation in science, technology and R&D.

OMM’s Managing Director, Rob Grimmond is delighted with the new office in Cambridge and the opportunity it offers OMM to expand further into key areas of the business such as cable installation, sub-sea inspection and operations and maintenance.

 

Date: Tuesday 3, May 2011

Offshore Marine Management to installGreater Gabbard array cabling

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has recently secured a contract with Fluor for the installation and subsequent trenching of 29 inter-array cables at the Greater Gabbard wind farm 14Nm from Felixstowe, East Anglia.

OMM will start work immediately on the 500MW Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm project, which is the most prestigious cable installation project the company has been involved with and a great achievement for the rapidly expanding operation. Both OMM’s independence and its unique approach to providing flexible solutions for projects are crucial to its on-going success.

Under its contract with Fluor, OMM will provide a full range of installation services, from front end pre-engineering support, burial trials and installation of the inter-array cables to delivery of the final reporting using in-house survey capabilities.

Fluor is a Fortune 500 company that delivers engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management to governments and clients in a variety of diverse industries around the world.
 
OMM is a global independent provider of bespoke marine solutions, offering an extensive range of products and services to the offshore renewables, subsea telecoms and oil and gas industries.

OMM’s Managing Director, Rob Grimmond stated that this was an important step for Offshore Marine Management and more crucially the industry, given the current situation with the number of cable installers available in the market place.  OMM understands the tough conditions and the importance of this project and is working closely with the client and its offshore team to ensure successful completion.

OMM’s Operations Director, Eckhard Bruckschen said that success in securing this contract had been because of OMM’s independence and its ability to deliver at short notice the exact solution required by sourcing the correct vessels, equipment and personnel.

 

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Offshore Marine Management obtain cable storage facility at Nordenham

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has entered into a phased agreement with European logistics specialists, Rhenus Group to develop a dedicated subsea cable storage facility on the German coast at Nordenham, on land adjacent to Rhenus Midgard´s facility with immediate capacity available.

OMM will immediately offer a carousel and a cable cage to the market and the agreement includes plans for a significantly larger facility that will most likely include multiple carousels.

OMM, who will provide the specialist cable expertise and market the facility, is a global independent provider of bespoke marine solutions offering an extensive range of products and services to the offshore renewables, subsea telecoms and oil and gas industries.

Rhenus, who will provide the physical asset base and handling services, specialise in port handling and shipping among other services.

This agreement will increase OMM’s cable storage capacity, adding to its facility on the East coast of the UK that is under development. Such dedicated facilities enable OMM to correctly store developers’ infield and export cables, maintaining and verifying their condition and improving their lifespan - which is often not the case in the industry.

OMM’s Operations and Maintenance Director, Stephen Bolton said this agreement strengthens the company’s ability to provide a tailored operations and maintenance service to clients who own cables, allowing them to react quickly when repair or replacement is required.
 
“With cable storage facilities in the UK and now Germany as well as more in the pipeline, OMM continues to offer the broadest possible range of sub-sea operations and maintenance solutions for clients working in both the North Sea and the German Bight,” Mr Bolton said.

Combined with OMM’s structured approach to sub-sea operations and maintenance - including cable repair and vessel supply – these storage facilities are expected to significantly reduce the time and cost of subsea cable repairs. Critical to OMM’s choice of locations has been the suitability of partners such as Rhenus, a market leader in its field with skills that complement OMM’s perfectly

 

Wednesday, February 3, 2011

Offshore Marine Services GmbH appoints Rhenus as German Vessel Agency

Offshore Marine Services GmbH (OMS) has appointed Rhenus Midgard GmbH & Co. KG as its exclusive vessel agency in Germany.

Bremen based OMS has signed an agreement with Rhenus to act as vessel agent to all vessels under OMS charter or contract operating in German waters and ports. It is a rolling contract with an initial twelve month period from January to December this year.

OMS is part of Offshore Marine Management (OMM) who are an independent provider of managed marine solutions to the offshore renewables, subsea telecoms and oil & gas industries.

Rhenus, one of Europe’s leading logistics service providers, was chosen by OMS to facilitate the company’s ongoing and future workload in German waters.

OMM’s Operations Director, Eckhard Bruckschen said the German Bight sector is becoming an increasingly important market for the whole of OMM, which significantly extended its activity in the area during 2009/2010 with work for major renewable energy players such as TenneT Offshore GmbH.

“This agreement not only prepares us well for our expected vessel requirements but further strengthens our position in the German market, helping solidify our position as a preferred supplier to the leading renewable energy companies operating in the region,” Mr Bruckschen said.

“Our track record in the sector means we will be looking to increase our vessel support needs in all our key business areas – marine survey, provision of guard, personnel transfer and other vessels, services and support, cable installation, and operations and maintenance,” he added.

 

Date: November, 2010

P&O Maritime Services enters power cable installation market with OMM

P&O Maritime Services, owner and operator of specialist science and cargo vessels, has entered the power cable installation market with its vessel "CS European Supporter".

The company has signed a long-term agreement with UK-headquartered subsea cable specialists, Offshore Marine Management (OMM), for the provision of a suite of capabilities to be marketed with the entrant cable installation vessel.

The "European Supporter", formerly "Oceanic Viking", is due to enter the European and international power cable market in March 2011 after undergoing a major conversion from a submarine fibre optic vessel to a state-of-the-art power cable installation and trenching vessel.

The agreement means that P&O Maritime Services will operate the vessel and OMM will provide a full cable spread to the industry - cable equipment, trenching, operations and maintenance, remedial and survey.

The 106m, DPII vessel will be equipped with modern cable installation equipment, work-class ROV, ROV trencher and survey spread. All ancillary cable equipment and cable lay deck operations are enclosed, allowing for a 24-hour all weather working area. A further extensive open working deck is atop which will be utilised for mattressing operations.

The vessel will boast DPII capability along with cable coiling arms within her three tanks. She will have capacity for 5000 tonnes of power cable, 60 tonne SWL active heave compensated crane, 20 tonne linear cable engine (20 wheel pair) and a 35 tonne A-frame, amongst other engineered additions and equipment solutions to expand the  vessel's capabilities portfolio. The "European Supporter" offers spacious, comfortable living and recreational facilities for up to 60 personnel.

Andrew King, Managing Director of P&O Maritime Services said that P&O Maritime Services, as part of its strategy to deliver high quality, long term cost effective solutions to the renewables market, is delighted to partner a company of OMM's pedigree.

"We are committed to growing our presence in Europe and in this renewables market," he said. "The "European Supporter" will offer a unique opportunity to key players in the sector to drive efficiencies and reduce costs whilst still ensuring that the highest safety and operating standards are maintained."

Rob Grimmond, Managing Director of OMM said that the ability to offer project specific solutions with a vessel that is converted to do that job is a very exciting opportunity for both P&O Maritime Services and OMM.

"The strength of P&O Maritime Services and the experience gained by OMM will forge a strong partnership to supply the industry - both clients and cable installation companies - with a total cable installation solution.

"This will improve the quality of power cable installations by sheer design," he added.

The "European Supporter" will be equipped to conduct all aspects of cable project work including installation, cable burial, mattressing, post installation cable surveys and hold terminations teams with deployable platform vessels.

"This will be the most versatile vessel in the industry," Rob concluded.

 

Date: November, 2010

TenneT HVAC connector project successfully completed by OMM

Subsea cable specialist, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has successfully completed operations to install the HVAC cables connecting the Bard Offshore 1 and BorWin alpha platforms (BorWin1 project) for TenneT Offshore GmbH (formerly transpower offshore gmbh).

BorWin1, the world's first HVDC connector for offshore wind farms, is 120 km off the coast of Germany, and OMM's role was to install the two one kilometre long HVAC cables (208mm OD) between the principle platforms at a water depth of approximately 40m. From the BorWin alpha platform the DC-export cables run to the Island of Norderney and onward cables to Diele where power will enter the German grid.

All operations were conducted between late August and early November 2010 from the MV Seabed Worker, a state-of-the-art and multi purpose DP2 vessel with OMM survey, cable and pull-in teams and sub-contracted WROV and trenching spreads, bringing new partners into the renewable energy sector. Hallin Marine, Modus and Aquatic were chosen as OMM's partners for the supply of the specialised vessel, Seabed Group, subsea vehicles (CT1 and Triton XLX35) and cable equipment.

The scope of work included the inspection of the J-tubes, mudline dredging, visual route surveys, pre lay grapnel runs and full preparatory topside works on both platforms for the J-tube pull in operations. This was followed by cable installation with associated pull-ins, trenching and post trench depth of burial surveys.

Both cables were installed and buried to protected depth to the satisfaction of TenneT, with a 1.5m burial criteria and three trenching passes..

Additional extensive work included a total of 150km of WROV depth-of-burial inspection operations on the BorWin1 DC export and the alpha ventus AC export cables. Also a general visual inspection of the BorWin alpha connector platform jacket structure and mudline scour survey.

Benjamin Hühnerbein, TenneT Project Manager said that OMM proved to be a flexible and capable partner for offshore cable installation.

"The company has worked according to high industry standards from engineering to final reporting and of course the installation itself," he said.

 

Date: November, 2010

EPOCH Launched by OMM

Offshore Marine Management, subsea cable specialists, are proud to announce the launch of their in-house developed EPOCH (Enhanced Project & Offshore Cable History) suite. The marine cable based and O&M software solution provides live cable/ survey vessel data during offshore project operations via a client tailored web viewer. This provides the wind farm operator, Marine Coordinator, cable Installation/ trenching/ inspection client with a total solution to manage wind farm/ submarine cable project past, current and future events/ requirements and offshore operations.

The bespoke web based software solution has been developed by OMM’s survey and software department in conjunction with MariSoft  (Cairo, Egypt). OMM are supported by MariSoft for all their data processing, digital video and charting software, GIS and bespoke software solutions/ programming requirements. 

Offshore wind farms are increasingly becoming busy environments with vessel traffic even after installation. Due to constant O&M requirements and the need to not be QHSE complacent, the Marine Coordinator/ Project Manager requires to daily monitor wind park activity with respect to O&M (IRM) operations, crew boat locations and technician transfers to turbines or sub stations, as well as local fishing activity. The EPOCH suite provides this information in one combined GIS engine driven visual aid for both operational aspects as well as vessel monitoring.

Wind farm topside and subsea asset (export and inter-array cables) data management on an annual or continual basis is becoming an increasing requirement for operators with respect to O&M (IRM). The need to be able to integrity monitor and analyse subsea remedial action and intervention requirements is critical if the operator is to maintain the life cycle of an operational wind farm or subsea cable asset. Operators are requiring continual subsea security and confidence checks.

The suite can equally be utilised by submarine cable installers and clients to monitor pre surveys, RC, PLGR, installation, burial/ trenching, inspection and guard vessel movements during a live project.

The EPOCH suite allows for multiple vehicles to be displayed for any one vessel setup (i.e. Vessel with ROV) and also multiple vessels to be displayed. The system utilises a web interface and displays certain vessel & survey parameters, such as position, heading,  speed, tow tension, depth of burial, KP and others, in near real time.  The data is delivered to the host server  (via the onboard marine satellite communication system) by a send module onboard the operational vessel interfaced to and receiving the required string format from the survey/ navigation software or remote devices where it is then overlaid onto a client web viewer. The client is provided with the web receiver http/ website address and the required user name and password. The client is then able to view at will the vessel position with RPL (Route Position List) and other key topside/subsea assets on a Google Map/ Satellite backdrop (or a hybrid of the two), with data fields for the vessel presented  down the left hand side and graphed data  (i.e. tow tension, depth of burial) also depicted within the viewing pane. The plan window allows for zoom and pan functionality. A client logo is also depicted to personalise the service.

The suite can also be configured to show other field data and live graphs for project operations such as PLIB, cable installation, cable route surveys, wind farm operations etc.  With the integration of the AIS live data feed, the suite provides a total solution for Marine Coordinators to manage project operations as they unfold with respect to all vessel traffic and activity. The core of the suite is GIS based and therefore includes GIS layers of all required spatial data (maritime boundaries, wind park perimeters and zones, DTM, contours, bathymetry, side scan mosaics and much more within the plan view pane). The suite provides RPL annotation when zoomed in and exportable reports (vessel, tension/ DOB data, QHSE, POB etc...) from the logged data for statistical analysis and marine coordination review & managing. The integration of meteorological data layers is planned for early 2011.

EPOCH has been utilized on all OMM’s recent 2010 offshore cable & inspection projects and is being used by OMM renewable energy clients for their operations and marine coordination. 

 

Date: October, 2010

New hire strengthens Offshore Marine’s position in operation and maintenance

Subsea cable specialist, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has strengthened its position in operation and maintenance with the recruitment of industry specialist, Stephen Bolton to the newly created position of Director of Operations and Maintenance.

Stephen has more than 10 years experience at the forefront of the emerging renewable energy market, in both the onshore and offshore wind sectors. Uniquely he has worked across the industry, from development through construction to operations and asset management, where he has chosen to specialise.

His background includes his recent work as Offshore Operations Implementation Manager at RWE Innogy where he established one of the industry's first dedicated teams to focus on the operations and maintenance methodology for large far shore wind farms on a portfolio basis. On establishing the strategy, he was responsible for its implementation on the Gwynt y Mor and Nord See Ost projects, among others.

OMM General Manager, Rob Grimmond said Stephen's background in offshore operations and maintenance strategy, particularly in relation to the design and specification of effective support and access assets, will add significant value to the company as it progresses its strategy to broaden the support and services it can offer to its clients.

"He brings to us a wealth of experience from a number of the major players in the UK offshore renewables industry and as such, we know he will be a huge asset to the   team as we expand our portfolio of services for the offshore renewables sector," Rob said.

Stephen has been actively involved with several flagship wind energy projects across the stages of their development including North Hoyle, the UK's first offshore wind farm, Lynn and Inner Dowsing, Barrow and recently completed Thanet.

"I have a strong belief in the need to provide a full scope, proactive operation and maintenance service which includes not only turbines but subsea cables, cable protection systems and foundation structures as well. OMM's existing expertise in these areas, and its identified growth paths, can be readily leveraged to offer the industry this service - safely, effectively and efficiently," Stephen added.

 

Date: Wednesday, July 21, 2010

OMM secures BorWin1 contract from transpower

German grid operator, transpower stromübertragungs gmbh has awarded subsea cable specialist, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) the contract to install the HVAC cables connecting the Bard Offshore 1 and BorWin alpha platforms for the BorWin1 project.

BorWin1 is the world’s largest offshore wind farm cluster, located off the coast of Germany, OMM’s role will be to install the two infield HVAC cables between the principle platforms. From the BorWin alpha platform the export cables continue to the Island of Norderney and onward to Diele where power will enter the German grid.

This is a major installation project award for OMM encompassing key facets of the company’s subsea portfolio and capabilities. OMM will manage the complete process, from the expansive preparatory works and installation through to the post cable burial survey and final client deliverables.

Operations will be conducted from a state-of-the-art, multiple support DP2 vessel manned with OMM survey and cable teams. Hallin Marine and Modus have been selected as sub-contractors, supplying specialised vessels and equipment. The scope of work will include inspections of the J-tubes, visual route and platform inspections with OMM’s specially-designed software package, pre-lay grapnel runs and full topside preparatory works on both platforms for the J-tube pull in operations.

OMM will supply two topside teams for the pull in works, including all required equipment, and will then lay and monitor the two (208mm OD) 1.1km HVAC cables along the proposed routes between the platforms at a water depth of approximately 40m.

Rob Grimmond, OMM Managing Director, said the work was won from the company’s European office in Bremen, Germany, but will primarily be directed from its operational office in Cambridge, England. The Bremen office will be used for operations during key phases.

“This contract is a major success for OMM, as it will enable us to further secure our position in the cable installation market, which is where we see much of our future work. Our ability to bring together equipment and project-specific vessels that are not just ‘off the shelf’ and provide individual project-based solutions is one of our main strengths.” he said.

The operations will include the post-lay burial of the HVAC cables, ensuring adequate burial depth has been achieved to provide satisfactory protection from potential third party subsea damage.

OMM will undertake a post-lay burial survey to ascertain that the required depth has achieved and conduct a second pass burial operation as needed before completing a final survey. Final reporting and charting, digital video and GIS deliverables will also be carried out.

 

Date: Monday, July, 19, 2010

Guard vessel now in operation on Sheringham Shoal wind farm site

A guard vessel is now in operation on the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm to ensure the safety of marine traffic around the foundation installation sites and along the export cable corridor.

The 36m “Jadi” has been contracted from UK-based marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management. Her key role is to assist the heavy-lift “Svanen”, which is now installing the monopiles and transition pieces, by alerting other vessels such as fishing and sailing boats, of the location of its eight anchor buoys and ensuring they stay clear of the construction area.

“Jadi” will also assist the export cable laying vessel “Stetmat Spirit” when the export cable laying operation begins in late August by ensuring the path is clear for the cable laying operations. The export cable installation will begin at Weybourne Hope, just west of the coastal town of Sheringham, and continue for approximately six weeks.

More >>

 

Date: Friday, July, 09, 2010

OMM secures former cable factory in Kent as storage facility

Subsea service specialist, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has secured the former AEI Cables site in Kent from landowners, South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) for the establishment of a new cable storage, cable plant and key component spares that will act as an industry operational base.

Located on the Northfleet Embankment, the fleetway building and adjoining open land will be available for occupation from the end of next month. OMM has secured around 1ha of building storage and 1ha of outside land storage, which will be utilised for export cables and large components. This area can be extended and easily converted to suit OMM’s requirements. Using its in-house experts, the company has worked with SEEDA for six months to secure the facility that was home to the UK cable manufacturer, AEI Cables. OMM Managing Director Rob Grimmond said both OMM and SEEDA were keen to re-establish the facility to its former usage.

“The opportunity for the land came up just as we were looking to procure a site to expand our cable services to clients,” he said. Currently cables are stored throughout the UK and Europe on installation reels that are not fit for the purpose of long-term storage. This facility will enable offshore wind farm developers to correctly store their infield and export cables, improving their condition and lifespan. They will be stored in large tanks and serviced annually to ensure they are ready to go when needed for cable repair or replacement.

“This site is perfectly located for the wind farm activity that is underway and planned for the east coast of England and west cost of continental Europe. It was designed to manufacture and then transport cables 24/7 in its heyday. In developing strategic services to our clients, we don’t want to re-invent the wheel, so securing this former cable facility is ideal,” he said.

“We are excited about turning the site into a purposeful facility which will offer our clients an extension to the services we currently provide to the offshore wind industry”.

 

July 5th, 2010 - Offshore Marine Management commissions unique O&M vessel

Subsea service specialist, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has instructed independent marine design consultancy BMT Nigel Gee to design a unique operation and maintenance vessel for the next phase of offshore wind farm development.

Anticipating the increasing demand for tailor-made vessels from developers and their contractors, OMM has used its experience and know-how to specify a work vessel that can fulfil numerous needs. It will cater to both subsea cabling and surface operation and maintenance requirements, including safe personnel transfer and transportation of sizeable spare parts and components.

The vessel, which can accommodate up to 40 wind farm technicians, incorporates full DPII capability, motion-compensated personnel turbine access as well as complete ROV and dive support facilities. It addresses all the facets of wind farm operation and maintenance including subsea inspections, cable remedial works, cable repair and installation capability and transportation of large items of replacement equipment such as turbine gearboxes.

OMM Managing Director Rob Grimmond said that the vessel had been designed to anticipate the next phase of operation and maintenance needs for both UK and international projects currently in development or under construction.

“We have been working in the industry for a number years, listening to the needs of clients and potential clients, and felt the time was right to put our knowledge into the development of a specialised vessel,” he said. “It is important that the industry adopts advanced techniques to reduce the overall operation and maintenance costs, improve the protection of subsea assets and increase wind farm output by, for example, having technicians onsite.”

“OMM understands that every wind farm is different so we have designed this vessel to be flexible enough to meet individual client requirements. We are working closely with two clients, helping them to assess their needs and develop their strategy, and will modify the design so it can be tailor-made for them,” he added.

 

June 28, 2010 - NorGer uses Offshore Marine for cable consultancy role

NorGer KS, the company behind the first planned Norway-Germany interconnector, is working in partnership with UK-based subsea cable specialists, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) as its offshore cable consultancy, having appointed them late last year. NorGer KS is owned equally by the Norwegian energy utilities Agder Energi AS and Lyse Produksjon AS and the Swiss company Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft Laufenburg (AG) and was established to plan, construct and operate a 600 kilometre high voltage DC connection between Norway and Germany.

OMM has had extensive experience as cable consultants with other major international marine interconnector projects including Basslink between Tasmania and Victoria in Australia; Neptune in the US; NorNed between the Netherlands and Norway, and BritNed between the Netherlands and UK, which gave NorGer the confidence to select them. NorGer’s Jens Harenberg said that this will be a challenging project and the need for creditable experience and management skills will be a must to ensure the project is completed on time. “We look forward to working with OMM and drawing on their experience when and if it is needed,” he added during the contract signing.

OMM Managing Director, Rob Grimmond said that the company welcomed the challenge of this exciting interconnector project and aims to play an useful role in its successful completion.

 

June 2010 - New Business Development Manager for Offshore Marine

John Van Kuyk, a business development manager with more than 25 years experience in the offshore oil and gas industry, has been brought in as the new Business Development Manager with subsea cable specialists, Offshore Marine Management.

John’s role will involve increasing awareness of the company’s services and capabilities to existing, new and potential clients and working in partnership with them to build long term relationships.

He will also aim to improve OMM’s business, its deliverables, and client satisfaction and work with clients in all its key sectors to raise the company’s profile in the market place.

“OMM is a rapidly growing company with an interesting business portfolio and I am looking forward to this challenge, particularly in relation to the offshore wind energy industry as this sector enters a period which promises considerable opportunities for growth,” he said.

John comes to OMM from Prospect (part of the Hallin Group) where he was part of the Business Development Team, prior to this John was the Business Development Manager for Hallin Marine, Acergy Survey & Inspection Group and Anglo Eastern Crew Management (Singapore). John has an operations background in offshore survey and subsea construction with many years as Project Manager/Operations Manager for Subsea Offshore and DSND (now Subsea 7).

Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Offshore Marine Academy launched to help reduce skills gap in offshore renewables industry.

The significant gap in the skills market for the offshore wind industry has prompted marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) to launch a new initiative aimed at training ambitious young people to work offshore in the energy and telecommunications markets.

The Offshore Marine Academy will take eight trainees through a year long scheme where they will gain the necessary qualifications to enable them to work offshore through a variety of courses at the Academy offices in Bristol, as well as courses run by specialised training institutions around the UK.

The trainees, aged between 18 and 25, are expected to come from coastal communities around the UK, and will be selected on the basis of their previous interaction and experiences within the offshore environment. Applications open in June and the training will begin in September.

As well as the basic health and safety accreditations, they will gain a comprehensive knowledge in areas including commercial diving, ROV (remotely operated vehicle) training, jointing and engineering, cable installation, marine energy, hydrographic survey, navigation, and welding.

OMM Managing Director, Rob Grimmond, said the Academy had come about through an increasing demand for skilled personnel coupled with the lack of new people entering into the offshore sector, creating a significant gap in the skills market. “On this basis, the Academy will be able to guarantee a sustainable supply of quality personnel to its associated companies, notably Offshore Marine Management, and its clients,” he said. Over the course of the year, the trainees will be placed offshore on working vessels to gain first-hand experience of operational projects in the marine field. This will open the door to the real world of an offshore career where they can utilise their newly gained skills, and most importantly help them to decide which area of the offshore sector they are most suited to.

“While the idea of working offshore is alluring for many, this programme is intensive and highly demanding for trainees, requiring long periods away from home in often rough and potentially dangerous conditions offshore,” he added. “It will help people determine if this is the type of challenge they are really seeking, and if so, where their main interests lie. Its tough but the rewards can be very appealing.” Upon graduation, some trainees may choose to join the industry workforce directly, while others may decide to progress their professional skills set into more specialised areas of expertise.

The ambition of the Offshore Marine Academy management is to grow it into a benchmark institution, offering increased opportunities to more people around the UK. It will focus on the reality of the offshore renewable energy industry, progressing its training in line with the rapid growth and advancement of this sector. If young people would like to find out more about the Academy, or apply for the first intake, they can visit www.offshoremarineacademy.com.

 

May 2010 - OMM awarded contracts for Barrow and Burbo Bank

BOWind has awarded the survey inspection and remedial works contract for the Barrow Offshore Wind Farm export cable to subsea cable specialists, Offshore Marine Management (OMM). OMM has also been awarded the cable surveys contract for Burbo Bank by developer DONG Energy.

The Barrow work will include the subsea inspection of the entire 27km export cable from Heysham to the wind farm site as well as any remedial operations involving jetting, diving and mattressing that might be found necessary. The Burbo Bank work will include the subsea inspection of the three 8.6km export cables from the wind farm to Wallasey, Liverpool and the 500m of inter array cable.

The above works will begin in early May and is scheduled for completion by the end of June 2010.

Both locations offer OMM a challenging environment with strong tides and currents as well as often difficult and variable local weather systems. Barrow has encountered water depths of drying heights through to 30m and Burbo Bank of drying heights to 5m. OMM will provide both BOWind and DONG Energy with sophisticated and proven shallow water solutions. 

The subsea survey and inspection operations will be performed from the "MCS Ailsa" jumbo multicat using a seabed crawler system fitted with a suite of subsea equipment and sensors. The "Vos Satisfaction" (DP1 and four point mooring) will be utilised for the Barrow remedial works with the "Willendeavour" multicat as an anchor handling vessel. The flexibility of multicats is particularly important to this project due to the shallow water location, away from the channel and Lune Deep, at Heysham and Morecambe Flats, and also across the location at Burbo Bank and Wallasey landing approaches.

OMM will provide its own survey and cable teams, equipment and software throughout and will subcontract Seatrench AS for the jetting operations and Osiris Marine Services for the diving aspects of the remedial works.

Rob Grimmond, Managing Director of OMM said that this award confirms BOWind and DONG Energy’s confidence in OMM's shallow water subsea cable and survey solutions for the renewable sector.

"It provides us with a further platform to progress our hi-tech and quality services to an expanding client base and we look forward to working with BOWind and DONG Energy on this demanding project."

 

May 2010 - Offshore Marine supplies guard vessels for major European projects

 

Subsea cable specialists, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has supplied guard vessels for some of Europe’s largest subsea cable projects and sees the business as a natural fit with its portfolio of cabling and personnel activities.

The company supplied a guard vessel and management services for a major European HVDC interconnector cable repair.

The Bounty 2 from Rederij Groen was on site throughout the de-burial, repair and re-burial operations, supporting three separate vessels for each phase.

The German marine authority (BSH) stipulated that the repair required a guard vessel due to its proximity to the TSS Terschelling traffic separation zone.

OMM also continues to supply five guard vessels to Transpower for the Borwin1 export cable project, which has required guard vessel supply since July 2009. OMM provided a maximum of 15 guard vessels with full management services at the height of the project last year.

OMM Managing Director, Rob Grimmond said that safety, particularly accident prevention, is a major priority with all offshore developments and it was important that clients could be sure of the professionalism and quality of guard vessels, and that they are manned by crew with relevant industry experience.

 

May 2010 - Offshore Marine Management becomes Achilles and FPAL registered

Subsea cable specialist, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has successfully completed Achilles and FPAL (First Point Assessment) registration, as well as becoming Achilles (UVDB Verify) B1 verified.

Having gained ISO 9001:2008 accreditation in 2009, these registrations further solidify OMM’s commitment to health and safety, environmental and quality issues, best practices and procedures within the onshore and offshore workplace for all staff and contract personnel.

OMM is also working towards ISO 14001 and ISO 18001 accreditation for June 2010.

 

May 2010 - Offshore Marine Management registers as GmbH

Subsea cable specialist, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has strengthened its position in Germany through its registration as a GmbH company (Offshore Marine Services GmbH).

OMM has steadily increased its German client base since opening a project office in Bremen in August 2009. 

OMM Operations Director, Eckhard Bruckschen said that this registration will serve to position the company more strategically within the expanding offshore renewable and interconnector German market.

OMM is working for Transpower on Borwin1, and providing support for NSW on Bard1 offshore wind farm as well as personnel services to numerous cable installation companies operating in the German sector.

“This move to register OMM as a German company shows our continued commitment to providing our diverse project services portfolio, including all aspects of cable work, guard vessels, scour protection and survey support, to our client base here in Germany,” Mr Bruckschen said

OMM’s German offices are located at Schlachte 12-13, 28195 Bremen.

 

 

March 2010 - New headquarters for Offshore Marine

One of the UK’s leading marine management and engineering solutions companies, Offshore Marine Management (OMM), has moved to new larger headquarters following a period of exceptional growth over the past 12 months.  
 
Despite the economic climate, OMM has continued to grow during the last year as it has improved its national and international market position in the offshore renewable energy, telecommunications, and oil and gas industries.
 
To cater for the growth and allow for further development, the OMM headquarters has moved to offices in Colston Tower in Bristol City Centre. The offices will give OMM the space to increase its current 25-strong team over the coming period.
 
As well as its headquarters in Bristol, OMM has an operational office in Cambridge and international bases in Germany and Singapore. The company is planning to open further offices in the USA and Middle East later this year.
 
OMM Managing Director Rob Grimmond, said: “Our role in the offshore market has seen exceptional growth thanks to the experience, quality and skills of our staff, management team and supporting network. The new headquarters will give us an even better working environment and give us a platform for continued growth and success in 2010 and beyond.”
 
There will be an official opening event for the new offices on Friday, April 9.
 
New address: 14th Floor, Colston Tower, Colston Street, Bristol BS1 4UB
Tel:  +44 (0) 844 921 0001, Fax:  +44 (0) 844 921 0002, DDI:  +44 (0) 117 370 1041

 

March 2010 - OMM team helps Lighthouse R&D Enterprise Inc. add depth to deepwater with installation of new seabed observatory

 
A team of 16 marine specialists provided by marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has helped Houston based Lighthouse R&D Enterprises Inc. to take their deepwater systems to an even deeper level with the installation of a new fibre-optic cable system near Cape Ras Al Hadd, Oman.

The new deepwater, cabled seabed observatory will undertake real-time characterisation of the marine environment around Cape Ras Al Hadd in 3000 meters of water.

A fibre-optic cable offering virtually unlimited bandwidth for the return of sensor data acts as the backbone to the system, which went live the beginning of January 2010.
 
The OMM team included deck supervisors, riggers, electrical technicians and cable engine drivers and David Selby, Operations Manager for Lighthouse R & D Enterprises, who praised them for their level of expertise, knowledge and professional hands-on approach.

The installation of this system marked the culmination of three years of effort by Lighthouse and its vendors to design, build, test and install this most advanced 4000 meter rated monitoring system for marine research. 

 

 

January 2010 - OMM welcomes further new staff members

Due to the continued growth and expansion of Offshore Marine Management, we would like to welcome to our growing team the following new staff to the Bristol head office and Cambridge projects/ operations office during 4Q 2009/ 1Q 2010 - Jade Redfern (Marketing Co-ordinator) and Leigh Barker (Bid Manager).

 

 

October 2009 - OMM provide GAS with ROV Services for Saipem Baraka Project 

Marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has via its partnership with Geological Assistance and Services Srl (GAS) provided ROV services to the Baraka project in Tunisia.

OMM works closely with its ROV services partner for subsea construction, lay support and inspection requirements in the renewable energy (offshore wind), submarine cable and oil & gas sectors. GAS approached OMM for a subsea solution and have provided a Workclass Remotely Operated Vehicle (WROV) for the construction support operations with Saipem onboard their DLB Crawler vessel.

Operations start with mobilisation in the port of Ravenna, Italy in late September with operations due to last 40-60 days offshore Tunisia. The requirements are unusual in the need for a barge-based vehicle spread incorporating ROV excursions of up to 400m from the launch position and the barges moored location(s).

Operations involve de-burial, visual inspections, TDP, valve operations, pig detection and other subsea construction support tasks with all associated tooling. OMM is working in close partnership with its ROV partner and GAS for all required services and project management.

On being awarded this project, OMM Operations Manager, Eckhard Bruckschen said: “Via OMM relationships and our ROV/ subsea inspection and construction support expertise within the oil and gas sector, this emphasises the company’s ability to successfully service requirements beyond our core business lines of offshore wind and submarine telecoms. We are looking to expand into the oil and gas arena, and this project is a stepping stone towards this goal. We are developing a strong relationship with our ROV partner and with GAS for the future, the benefits of which can only serve to strengthen our combined solutions and service provision.”

 

 

October 2009 - OMM welcomes further new personnel

Due to continued expansion and growth, Offshore Marine Management welcomes the following new staff to there Bristol head office and Cambridge projects/ operations office during 3/4Q 2009 - Jason Barnes (IT Technician) and Carly Waker (Project Co-ordinator).

 

 

August 2009 - OMM awarded guard vessel contract for Transpower Offshore GmbH

Marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) is undertaking guard vessel provision, coordination and project management services under its awarded contract for the BorWin1 power cable by Transpower Offshore (formerly E.ON Netz Offshore GmbH) from Germany.

The contract involves the supply of up to 11 guard vessels for the 120km cable route between Norderney and the BorWin Alpha platform in the German Bight sector of the North Sea, to satisfy the stringent safety requirements of the German authorities. The power cable will ultimately provide power distribution to the German national grid from the to be installed Bard Offshore 1 wind farm.

The route in particular crosses two extremely busy traffic separation zones requiring constant vessel traffic monitoring and warning broadcasts.

The fleet of OMM provided guard vessels are being utilised to guard the Team Oman (cable installation vessel) and Edda Fjord (trenching and post inspection vessel), under contract to Transpower by Global Marine Systems Ltd. and ABB.

Additionally, the guard vessels are providing maritime and cable safety/ security for exposed cable sections prior to trenching, cable ends, five live cable/ pipeline crossings with installed mattress protection and the recently installed BorWin Alpha platform. The supplied guard vessels cover 3 categories of specification according to speed, maritime equipment provision and endurance requiring significant planning, coordination and management to provide a high quality, competent and efficient service to the client.

OMM provide a vessel chartering service and through the wealth of contacts and expertise in this area, allows the company to offer a comprehensive guard vessel service to its client base.

On being awarded this extensive guard vessel contract, Eckhard Bruckschen (OMM’s Operations & Senior Project Manager) stated “This further contract award by Transpower to Offshore Marine continues to enhance our growing reputation not only with Transpower, but also within the renewable energy sector for providing high quality services to our client base. OMM are continuing to expand at pace and is showing little, if any signs of slowing in the near future. Our offshore activities within the operational sectors of the renewable energy and submarine telecoms markets are projected to increase significantly during 2010, on an already highly successful 2009. The introduction this year of guard vessel services to our clients only further strengthens our position moving forward” 

Operations are being conducted throughout June to September/ October 2009.

 

 

 

 

July 2009 - OMM opens office in Bremen, Germany

Marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has expanded to the continent by opening an office in the city municipality of Bremen.  It is a hanseatic city in north-western Germany.  Bremen was chosen due to its strategic operational position within the German renewable market.

Mr Rob Grimmond, Managing Director of OMM stated ‘This decision to set up our German office further strengthens our position within the European Offshore Windfarm Market.  Its proximity to major operational ports of Bremerhaven, Cuxhaven, Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg make it the perfect location for OMM and for our experienced operational services to the German renewable market’ 

Our services within the German market started in 2008 and strengthened in 2009 by the award of major contracts to OMM by our German clients.  OMM is building upon its operational reputation created within the UK offshore renewable market over the last 6 years.  OMM provide a vast range of high quality services to our client base.

Mr Grimmond went on to say “OMM have expanded rapidly during 2008/09 in particular and the diversity and quality of services on offer appears to be making people take note of our emergence into the operational arena of the wind energy and telecoms sectors. This hopefully bodes well for the future” 

OMM is looking to build towards the future of the German Renewable Energy Sector and Market.

 

Our Bremen Office Address is as follows:

 

Offshore Marine Management

Schlachte 12-13

28195 Bremen

Germany

 

Our contact number in Bremen, Germany is +49 421 3677 163

 

For more information, contact Marketing on +44 (0) 117 905 8739 or

email: marketing@offshoremm.com

 

 

 

June 2009 - OMM completes Global Marine Systems Ltd contract

Marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has completed the Pre-Lay Grapnel Run contract for the BorWin1 cable for Global Marine Systems Ltd.

The contract involved a pre-lay grapnel run along the 120 km BorWin1 cable route to clear the seabed surface from obstacles hindering the laying and protection of the submarine power cable.

OMM chartered the DP2 vessel Toisa Valiant for this operation.

The work commenced in mid June 2009 for a 2 week duration.

 

 

June 2009 - OMM completes contract for E.ON Netz Offshore GmbH

Marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has completed its work on the route clearance and mattress installation contract for the BorWin1 cable by E.ON Netz Offshore GmbH from Germany.

The contract involved the route clearance of 15 out-of-service cables and the installation of between 10 and 15 mattresses on five cable and pipeline crossings with associated WROV inspection surveys.

OMM chartered the DP2 vessel Toisa Valiant for this operation.

Work commenced in early May through to mid mid June 2009.

 

 

June 2009 - OMM welcomes further new personnel

Due to continued expansion and growth, Offshore Marine Management welcomes the following new staff to there Bristol head office during 1/2Q 2009, Donna Ellcock (Personnel Co-ordinator), Laura Fox (Commercial Co-ordinator) and Krista Trezins (Financial Controller).

 

 

April 2009 - Offshore Marine opens Cambridge office

Marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has opened an operations office in Cambridge to provide project management and operations support services for its submarine cable projects in the telecoms, power and offshore wind industries.

Contact details for the new office are:

Offshore Marine Management

Oakington Business Park

Dry Drayton Road

Oakington

Cambridge CB24 3DQ

United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 1223 202 323/324

 

 

March 2009 - Offshore Marine Management welcomes new personnel

Marine solutions company, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) announces the recruitment of two new managers to assist the company with its continuing expansion.

Eckhard Bruckschen is the new Operations Manager responsible for the coordination,management, planning, budget and execution of all operations.

He is a Master Mariner and MBA with more 20 years experience in the offshore industry. He has operational experience of plough and trenching/ROV operations; fibre optic, power, umbilical and flexible pipe installation; remedial works; burial and bridge operations. His onshore experience includes project and installation management, equipment development, capital budget management, system support and Engineering, as well as Bid Management and Sales.

Arron Burrows is the new Offshore Manager responsible for all offshore projects.

He is a Hydrographic Surveyor (FIG/IHO Category A) with 22 years experience in the survey industry, predominately in the offshore oil and gas, construction and submarine cable industries. His onshore experience includes survey and software training, HR management, survey and software support, survey R&D and project management.