Big Blue World
The Global Newsletter of the Society for Underwater Technology
Issue 11, September 2024
Contents
Big Blue World™
Editor: Emily Boddy
emily.boddy@sut.org
Contact Emily to submit an article,
send in Corporate Member news,
member updates and photos, or to
find out about advertising and
sponsorship opportunities in Big
Blue World™.
www.sut.org
facebook.com/SUT.org
linkedin.com/company/sutuk
buzzsprout.com/1000288
instagram.com/societyforunderwater
twitter.com/SUT_news
youtube.com/SUTMedia
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04
05
06
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22
09
14
20
24
Welcome from SUT CEO
Cheryl Burgess
New Corporate Members
Publications
UT2, Underwater Robotics, Big Blue World
Events & Training Diary
SUT News
09 | UT2 100th Issue
10 | SUT HQ Team Get-Together
11 | Sebastian Lynch - Underwater
Engineering Project Prize Winner
12 | Marty Klein - Captain Don Walsh
Award 2024 Winner
SUT Member News
14 | Irentify
14 | Aurora Offshore Engineering
15 | Intertek Metoc
16 | TSC Subsea
17 | Consub
18 | C-Power
Innovation
20 | Enhancing Marine Surveys with AI
Technology - Seabed AI
SUT-US
22 | Breaking New Ground - Tricia Hill’s
Pioneering Leadership at SUT-US
Events Reports
24 | North East OSIG Geoforum
25 | Gadgets & Widgets, Aberdeen
27 | North of England Pub Quiz
Next Issue
Society for Underwater Technology
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the September 2024 edition of Big Blue World! As we kick of our exciting lineup of events and training
courses for 2024-2025, a big thank you goes to all our renewing and new SUT members. If you’re following us on
LinkedIn, you may have noticed Clare Parisi has joined as our new Events and Training Oficer. Clare’s already
busy meeting Branch Chairs, organising new events, and diving into our 2024-2025 events and training calendar.
Welcome, Clare!
Our upcoming global events are packed with opportunities: from Aberdeen to Australia, the Middle East,
Singapore, Houston, and beyond. Don’t miss out on these engaging meetings, whether in-person or online,
ofering social, professional, and technical experiences.
The SUT continues to have a global presence at subsea industry events. Look for us at international conferences
like ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi in November 2024, Ocean Business in Southampton in April 2025, and All-Energy in
Glasgow in May 2025, to name a few.
This year’s SUT/EAGE workshops on Ofshore Renewable Energy were a hit in Boston and Perth. Keep an eye out
for the third event coming to the UK in early 2025.
The SUT remains committed to sponsoring for gifed students through our ESF (Education Support Fund) who are
studying marine science, underwater technology, and subsea engineering to meet industry’s critical shortage of
suitably qualified entrants. We’re proud to announce our 2024 ESF winners: David Stratford Devalba, Georgia Isley,
and Varun Singh. Congrats to all recipients and recent graduates!
Nominations are open for the Mick Cook Award Marine Site Investigation Award and the Gwyn Grifiths Underwater
Robotics Award. More details can be found on page 10 of this issue. Also opening up in September will be the
nominations for a place on the SUT Council. It’s your chance to help shape our future.
Big plans are on the horizon! We’re planning to refresh our website in 2025 and we’ll be celebrating SUT’s 60th
anniversary in 2026. Let us know your ideas for events to mark this milestone.
Stay tuned for more updates, and we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!
Cheryl Burgess
SUT CEO
44
Big Blue World
New Members
Click here to �nd out how your organisation can join the SUT as a
Corporate Member and the bene�ts it can bring.
Welcome to our new Corporate Members
The Society offers enhanced communication with other companies, government, organisations and
individuals working in the area of underwater technology in specialist disciplines.
Follow SUT on Social Media
Click the icons above to follow
SUT HQ on social media.
Join us on LinkedIn!
www.linkedin.com/company/sutuk/
Many of our branches and special interest
groups also have social media accounts of
their own. Make sure you search for ‘Society for
Underwater Technology’ on LinkedIn to follow
accounts dedicated to these groups too.
Society for Underwater Technology
Publications
UT2/Underwater Robotics - The magazines of the SUT
Click to read the latest issues
Big Blue World - The global newsletter of the SUT
Click to read past issues
Editor: John Howes John@ut-2.com | Commercial: Zinat Hassan ut3subsea@gmail.com
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Big Blue World
Events & Training Diary
2024
SEPTEMBER
Singapore Branch – Technical Evening
25 September 2024
One Farrer Hotel, Singapore
Middle East – Practical Realities of Laying
Submarine Flexible Product (Cable,
Umbilical & Flexibles) Alongside Choices
for Installation Equipment in the Shallow
Waters of the Middle East
26 September 2024
Mubarak Marine LLC, Dubai
OCTOBER
SUT+ Webinar – Introduction to Floating
Ofshore Wind
2 October 2024
Webinar
SUT East Med – Social Gathering
3 October 2024
Babylon Bar, Cyprus
Perth – AGM & Evening Technical Meeting
9 October 2024
Perth, WA
SUT KL Monthly Session
9 October 2024
Loco, KL
Aberdeen – Design and operating challenges
in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
systems : from shore to sand-face
9 October 2024
Aberdeenshire Cricket Club
SUT-US Connect, Collaborate, Succeed!
Young Professionals Networking Event –
Trivia Night!
24 October 2024
Great Heights Brewing Co., Houston, TX, US
Perth – Subsea Controls Down Under
Conference
29-30 October 2024
Perth, WA
77
SUT Member News
London & South of England Branch Annual
Pub Quiz
26 November 2024
Ye Olde Watling, London
Perth Annual Dinner 2024
29 November 2024
Westin Hotel, Perth, WA
Maximising Eficiency – Innovative Tools,
Technology and Methods: Are They Working?
31 October 2024NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER
13th International SUT China Technical
Conference
1-4 November 2024
Tianjin, China
ADIPEC 2024
4-7 November 2024
ADNOC Business Centre,
Abu Dhabi
MASTS Annual Science Meeting
5-7 November 2024
Technology Innovation Centre, Glasgow
Perth – The Lifecycle of
Flexible Risers & Flowlines Course
6-7 November 2024
Perth, WA
SUT KL Monthly Session
13 November 2024
Loco, KL
Aberdeen – Subsea Awareness Course
18-22 November 2024
Palm Court, Aberdeen
Society for Underwater Technology
Events & Training Diary
Events & Training Diary
Find more information on SUT
events and training online at
www.sut.org/events
The cutting-edge of commercial marine meets a 44-year maritime industry
tradition at The International WorkBoat Show. As the maritime industry embraces
innovation, The WorkBoat Show remains at the forefront, driving progress and
propelling the industry forward.
Join us in November alongside Underwater Intervention to experience the
dynamic synergy between the commercial marine and subsea industries.
NOV 12-14, 2024 / NEW ORLEANS
Morial Convention Center, Halls B, C, D, E & F
with
Produced by
Presented by
THE FUTURE;
UNDERWAY.
REGISTER NOW
Head to
workboatshow.com
and use code
“BIGBLUEWORLD”
for free registration.
99
Society for Underwater Technology
SUT News
UT2 100
The Ofshore Technology
Conference in Houston is an annual
feature of exhibition diaries, ofen
resulting in far-ranging business
deals. Eighteen years ago, a
conversation with the SUT’s then
Chief Executive, Ian Gallett was
responsible for the launch of UT2.
The magazine has now reached its
100th edition.
John Howes, UT2 Editor, writes
“Having covered the ofshore
industry for decades, I became very
interested in starting up my own
magazine. This idea resonated with
Ian who saw the value for the SUT
in having a media vehicle that could
provide contact with its members
and generally promote underwater
technology to a wider audience.
“We tentatively considered aspects
of what eventually proved to be
a useful symbiotic relationship.
I would essentially produce an
entire technical colour magazine,
be responsible for editing and
publishing and bearing the start
up, printing and running costs but
benefit from any future profits. Either
side could pull away at any time.
“Ian approached the SUT council.
Not without resistance, he
successfully steered the proposal
through and I commenced planning
the first issue.
“But what to call it? The SUT already
had a well-respected technical
peer reviewed publication called
Underwater Technology. I reasoned
that the new colour magazine
would be lighter, more commercial
and dynamic. I proposed simply
using the capital letters UT as a nod
to the existing SUT publication.
It wasn’t until quite an advanced
stage that a doctor friend said in
passing that UT is ofen employed
as an abbreviation for urinary tract.
I put a squiggle next to the UT as
a reminder to change it. In a draf,
that squiggle was interpreted at the
printers as a two and the title UT2
was born.
“The magazine was to be free to
SUT members and others, and rely
on advertising. But who would
advertise in a magazine that nobody
has seen before? This is exactly why
it is only large publishing houses
with deep pockets that launch
magazines. This was where the SUT
came to the rescue.
“Some companies such as Total,
ABS, Kongsberg, Kystdesign,
Fugro, Acergy, All Oceans, SRD and
Chevron took the leap of faith and
supported the venture. Afer the
issue, I wanted to go to Aberdeen
to introduce the magazine but the
printing had wiped me out and I
was not able to aford the hotel and
air fare.
“Within a year, however, companies
such as Schilling, Nexans, FMC,
Applied Acoustics, Subsea 7,
Seaeye, SMD, Videoray, Tritech, Aker
Kvaerner Seabotix, Atlantas Marine,
Reson, Gavia, EMGS, MacArtney,
Valeport and Cameron came in
to support the magazine and it
looked as though I could expand
the magazine and pay of debts.
It lasted for a few issues and then
came the fall in oil price.
“Over the journey, we have ridden
out many price falls, enjoying
considerably more good times than
bad and providing thousands of
pages of original editorial.
“We put the magazine online.
Nowadays, everyone does this
but UT2 was one of the very first
magazines to use ‘page turning’
sofware to view an online version
of the magazine.
“In 2017, Zinat Hassan joined UT2,
to look afer the advertising and
commercial side. This released
me to launch a sister magazine
Underwater Robotics which is
dedicated to subsea vehicles of all
types.
“What will be in the next chapter?
Magazine publishing has changed
but we are already planning ways to
reinvent ourselves.”
This article is taken with permission from the 100th issue of UT2, published in July 2024,
written by John Howes, editor of UT2
Inaugural issue
SUT HQ Team gets together
to celebrate Jane Hinton
30 Years of Dedication at the SUT
Earlier this month, the SUT HQ team gathered
in London to continue the celebrations for Jane
Hinton’s incredible 30th work anniversary at the
Society for Underwater Technology!
Jane’s dedication and contribution over the
past three decades have been nothing short of
inspiring. We’re so proud to mark this milestone
and grateful for all the expertise, commitment, and
professionalism she brings to the team.
Here’s to many more years of success and
collaboration!
To read more about Jane’s time at the SUT, you can
read the longer article from the December 2023 issue
of Big Blue World, page 8.
It’s always great to get the team together!
Pictured L-R SUT CEO Cheryl Burgess, Clare Parisi,
Emily Boddy, Jane Hinton
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Big Blue World
SUT News
SUT Awards - Nominate by 31st October 2024
Click below to read more about the requirements for each award and how to nominate.