Bourbon Orders Exail Tech to Streamline Subsea Fleet’s Services for Offshore Energy

UK-based Exail has secured a contract with French maritime services provider Bourbon to supply several units of its Octans Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) for integration into Bourbon Subsea Services’s fleet.

These units will be installed on multiple Bourbon Evolution 800 Series multi-purpose support vessels (MPSVs) dedicated to subsea operations at depths down to 3,000 meters.

IMO-HSC certified, the Octans AHRS will enhance Bourbon vessels’ efficiency in installation, maintenance, and repair tasks for the oil and gas, and offshore wind industries, according to Exail.

Providing measurements for roll, pitch, and heave, Octans will serve as a survey-grade surface gyrocompass and motion sensor, integrated into the vessels' Class 3 dynamic positioning (DP3) system.

This integration will ensure precise positioning and stabilization over underwater structures, ensuring the safe deployment of cranes, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and supporting efficient survey and saturation diving operations.

“With the deployment of ROVs and the execution of complex subsea operations, DP3-type dynamic positioning is essential on our vessels. Additionally, to support survey services such as positioning, inspection, and metrology, a high level of specification demands the best-in-class motion sensors for safe operations,” said Stephan Midenet, CEO of Bourbon Subsea Services.

"We are confident that the Octans AHRS, built on Exail’s trusted Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (FOG) technology and already installed on thousands of surface platforms worldwide, will meet expectations and rise to the challenge of ambitious projects in the oil and gas and offshore wind industries,” added Calixte Genin, Regional Sales Manager at Exail.