HUGIN 3000 AUV to be delivered to AS Geoconsult

AS Geoconsult of Bergen, Norway, has contracted with Kongsberg Simrad for the supply of HUGIN 3000 deep water Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV).

Kongsberg Simrad is proud to be chosen as supplier to this Norwegian company, and predicts great success in a rapidly increasing international market. Geoconsult`s experience within data processing and seamanship provide the optimal combination to exploit to the utmost the HUGIN technology, unquestionably strengthening Kongsberg Simrad's already world leading position in AUV technology.

The HUGIN 3000, rated to 3000-meters water depth, is 5.3 meters long and is powered by a state-of-the-art aluminum oxygen fuel cell battery, providing a mission endurance of up 40-50 hours before resurfacing. The HUGIN 3000 will be integrated with a variety of survey sensors including multibeam echo sounder, side-scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler. Underwater positioning will be performed using a HiPAP® SSBL (Super Short Base Line) system integrated with Doppler speed log, an Inertial Navigation System, and for surface reference, dGPS. Acoustic links for control of the vehicle, reading of sensor data and emergency control, is also part of the delivery.

HUGIN 3000 is a well proven, third generation of the three preceding HUGIN vehicles, which were developed and operated in partnership with the Norwegian Oil-company Statoil, the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), Norwegian Underwater Intervention (NUI), C & C Technologies and BP. The HUGIN project started in 1995 and the HUGIN vehicles have now performed hundreds of missions, including several commercial pipeline route surveys for Statoil and Norsk Hydro in Norwegian waters, and for BP and Shell in more than 2000 meters water depth in the Gulf of Mexico. The HUGIN vehicles have so far been proven to be very cost effective and to enhance the quality of survey data significantly.

AS Geoconsult performs operations and provides services and solutions for seabed mapping and investigation, and for subsea tasks connected with planning, execution and inspection activities on development projects. The company has since the mid- 1980's been pioneers in putting new technology developments from Kongsberg Simrad into use, and has to an extensive degree co-operated in accommodating the technology into practical operation.

For further information, please see www.km.kongsberg.com