Portuguese Continental Shelf Research to Benefit from Alliance
Maritime Training & Competence Solutions (MTCS), UK, plans to send a number of its ROV pilot trainees to Portugal to assist EMEPC in its work on the Portuguese continental shelf. In April 2005, the Portuguese government created a multidisciplinary task group for the extension of the continental shelf (EMEPC) to prepare Portugal's claim to the CLCS (Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf).
The majority of MTCS’s courses focus on Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) as used in the oil & gas, nuclear and renewables industries, but MTCS has recently also become involved in ROV training for the purposes of marine science.
Richard Warburton, Managing Director of MTCS Ltd, says that this will give the trainees a superb opportunity to train in an active marine science operation, where EMEPC is involved in applied research on the continental shelf.
EMEPC’s project for the extension of the continental shelf is based on the morphologic and geological criteria, which should demonstrate the natural prolongation of land territory to submarine areas and towards the outer edge of the continental margin. Coastal States need to gather a lot of bathymetric, geophysical and geological data of the seabed and EMEPC is using the ROV system, Luso, to comply with this main goal. The Luso, a 6,000 metre-rated ROV, has the capability to explore and survey the deep ocean and its main application will be focused on both fundamental and applied deep ocean research.
Antonio Calado, ROV Luso Coordinator for EMEPC says that after training taking place in the test tank, mainly using the ROV manipulators, a few trainees can also take part in test dives prior to the annual oceanographic campaign. Some trainees can get involved in sea trials to assist the ROV operations.
Both MTCS Ltd and EMEPC will be exhibiting at the Marine Science Exhibition at Southampton, taking place from 9 to 11 April 2013, where MTCS Ltd plans to launch its new ROV fault finding programme. A presentation will take place on Tuesday 9 April at 9.30 a.m.
