FROM WORKSHOP TO FIELD OPS: Showcasing the Best in Modern Oceanographic Deck Handling Systems

In recent years, with a heightened focus on conserving deck space, removing people from harm’s way, and mitigating any potential impacts to the marine environment, offshore operators—in both the government and commercial sectors—have pressed their various supply chains to inject fresh thinking and technological innovation to the way they work at sea.

Okeanus has channeled considerable investment and energy into improving the designs of a range of standard deck handling solutions—winches, A-Frames, launch and recovery systems (LARS), and HPU’s—to offer flexible, turnkey packages that are durable enough to withstand the rigors of multiple short-term deployments on vessels of opportunity or permanent fixed installations on vessels of virtually any size. In addition to its standard catalog of field-tested equipment, Okeanus boasts the experience and capacity to design and manufacture fully custom deck equipment engineered to handle the future challenges of increasingly arduous ocean exploration further offshore and into deeper, more remote waters.

In our new blog series, FROM WORKSHOP TO FIELD OPS, we will take you behind the scenes at our recently ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in Houston to learn how these powerful systems come to life, profiling some of the latest configurations to leave our shop floor for deployment by a diverse group of customers and applications.

To kick off the blog series, we feature the Okeanus 5-Ton Safe Working Load (SWL) Skid-Mounted LARS.

The system is a complete self-erecting LARS comprising a 5-Ton SWL skid mounted A-Frame, 5-Ton umbilical winch capable of holding 6,000 m of .45” cable, and integrated hydraulic power unit allowing the winch and A-Frame the ability to operate in tandem from the local controls on the winch. This unit is also available with both tethered and wireless remote controls. 

It is a multipurpose system designed for general offshore and marine survey work and ideal for ROV handling, deploying environmental sensors and sampling instrumentation, and towing ancillary vehicles and equipment, such as a side scan sonar. This electro-hydraulic skid mounted system is highly portable and self-contained, making it an ideal solution for rapid mobilizations on vessels of opportunity. It includes deck grating for traction and a full skid drip pan and drain for spin containment. 

This unit is a standard COTS product, but there are a host of optional upgrades and customizations available, including:

• Docking heads for ROV or water sampling equipment, including multi-axis sway actuation and motion damping, slewing function, and latch system
• Active heave compensation system with operator user interface integrated into control station
• Inboard and outboard working lights
• Cable Speed, Scope, and Tension data with waterproof display including tension and scope alarms, data logging and graphic capability, and data output for remote displays
• Customization including wider frame, longer reach, etc.

To find out more about Okeanus’ fit-for-purpose solutions, visit: https://okeanus.com/products