Subsea Excavation and Dredging Specialist Scanmudring Forms Strategic Alliance With Marin Group (UK)

Subsea excavation and dredging specialist Scanmudring has formed a strategic alliance with the Marin Group to further expand global operations and build on an already strong reputation.

Scanmudring UK Ltd has signed a formal memorandum of understanding with Marin Group under which both are now supplying a range of complementary subsea excavation services to clients across the oil, gas and renewable energy sectors.

As part of the move, Scanmudring UK has a new base within Marin’s headquarters in Ellon, near Aberdeen, Scotland, from where a full service is available to mirror the existing operation provided from Mandal, Norway.

Keith Will, Scanmudring UK director, said: “The alliance means we can offer full-service and hire-only options direct from the UK to support our clients more effectively within targets markets across the UK Continental Shelf, West Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa.”

The company’s other core subsea markets in Scandinavia, East Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East will continue to be supported from Norway and the company’s base in Canada.

Scanmudring was founded in 1985 and provides a niche subsea excavation and dredging service, operating to 1,000 metres and specialising in soil removal or relocation in difficult conditions.

The company is now one of three owned by Reef Subsea, which was established in February 2010 as a joint venture between GC Rieber Shipping — one of Europe’s premier offshore vessel operators — and leading energy sector private equity investor HitecVision.

Scanmudring offers full-service and hire-only options from the UK for a range of equipment which brings together the latest in subsea and ROV technology and the reliability and resilience of land-based construction plant. This includes:

Scanmaskin, a precision excavator and carrier for operating with open tool interfaces. It is designed to be used with dredging, excavation, cutting and other hydraulically-operated tools for projects such as hot-tapping, seabed levelling, rock dump removal, pipeline and cable de-burial, asset installation and decommissioning.

Scancrawler, a tool carrier for use with the client’s work-class ROV that can be operated from both live platforms and vessels. It can be rapidly mobilised and features a special monitoring system for enhanced safety and productivity in poor visibility.

ScanROVdredge, an ejector system for assembly and fitting onto work-class ROVs for rock dump and drill cut removal, pipeline de-burial, and salvage operations. The ROV’s hydraulic circuits drive the water pump motors and the suction nozzle is positioned using the ROV manipulator.

Scandredge, a standalone seabed tool for diver-based rock dump removal and similar operations. It can be used with the five-function Scandredge ROV manipulator in rough conditions where standard manipulators would be susceptible to damage.

For Marin Group, the alliance allows a further extension of the complementary excavation services already offered through five affiliated companies — Marin Subsea, Marin Vortex, Marin JMS, Samson Marin, and SeaVation Underwater Excavation Ltd.

Marin Group CEO George (Boris) Stroud said: “Bringing Scanmudring’s equipment and service capability under the same roof as Marin’s gives both companies a real edge — in terms of the breadth of what we can offer clients and how rapidly we can respond.

“We are looking forward to building a lasting alliance that will greatly benefit our clients and help each of us to grow.”

[mappress]

Source: scanmudring, August 10, 2010