BOSTON/ST. JOHN’S – TechnipFMC’s Deep Energy vessel is assisting in search efforts for a submarine which went missing on an expedition to explore the wreck of the Titanic off the Canadian coast.
According to several online reports, the French-American offshore services group said its pipelay vessel arrived at the famous wreck site on June 20 to help support search and rescue efforts for the Titan submarine, which disappeared on Sunday with five people on board.
The research vessel Polar Prince lost contact with the crew of the submarine nearly two hours into its dive, at a location around 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, and 400 miles from Newfoundland.
According to submarine owner OceanGate, the Titan craft has life support systems which would enable it to remain underwater for up to 96 hours. The company operates a fleet of five-person submersibles capable of reaching depths of up to 4,000 m.
In a statement to the BBC, TechnipFMC said it was assisting efforts “being led by the United States Coast Guard with support from the Canadian Coast Guard.”
Constructed in 2013, the TechnipFMC describes the Deep Energy vessel as one of the largest and fastest pipelay vessels ever built. It specializes in installing flexible pipe and umbilicals in water depths of up to 3,000m via a reel-lay method.
With a transit speed of 19.5 knots, significant storage capacity and an abandonment and recovery system rated to 500 tonnes, TechnipFMC says it is designed to operate in the North Sea and other regions.
Besides the Deep Energy, nine other privately-owned vessels are either on site or en route to assist the search.
06.21.2023
