Fugro Acquires HUGIN 3000 AUV

Fugro has placed an order with Kongsberg Maritime for the purchase of a HUGIN 3000 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The vehicle will be delivered and tested before the end of 2004 and will be ready for service early in the New Year. The HUGIN 3000 is the latest AUV model in the HUGIN family. It is being supplied with improved navigation capabilities and has a depth capability of 3,000 metres. The Fugro model can be equipped with a range of payload sensors, depending on the application and user needs, and will initially be supplied with the following sensors:

• EM 2000 multi-beam echo sounder
  
• full-spectrum chirp seafloor mapping system comprising integrated side-scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler
  
• conductivity, temperature, depth system.

The power source is a semi-fuel cell battery providing 60+ hours endurance at a speed of 4 knots and all survey systems running. Fugro will be dedicating a specialist AUV team to work with Kongsberg Maritime over the next few months during the final building and commissioning of the system. This team will be drawn from key staff involved in previous AUV, ROV and geophysical survey operations. Fugro is confident that this integrated, multidisciplinary approach will ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness based on the broadest range of skills, knowledge and experience. The vehicle will be deployed either from a Fugro dedicated survey vessel or from a local vessel of convenience, depending on project specifications and requirements. This could be in conjunction with high-resolution seismic geophysical surveys or deepwater ROV survey and intervention work.