Aquadyne AS
Positive partnership
With 14 years experience in the Norwegian oil and gas market, Aquadyne is a highly knowledgeable supplier of expert underwater positioning and mapping systems for the survey industry.
Though it holds a workforce of only seven employees, the company is able to support its partner companies and its customers with the unique strengths of its experienced individuals, helping to generate a turnover of £5 million.
Aquadyne works closely with customers to ensure a thorough understanding of requirements, deadlines and budgets for subsea and survey projects. Additionally, the company provides 
tailor-made and integrated solutions to meet these parameters, and ensures that the total delivery process is monitored from product development and manufacturing, through to installation and commissioning.
Close co-operation with customers and manufacturers creates an awareness of future requirements. Based on this, Aquadyne encourages and supports the development of innovative equipment to meet the requirements of an evolving market.
An example of this was in response to a market request, where Aquadyne co-ordinated the development of the ROV version of Innomar’s parametric sub bottom profiler that has been in use on ROVs in the North Sea since 2004. The foundation for such projects and Aquadyne’s business is based on keeping a close working relationship with strong partners such as Sonardyne, Reson, Teledyne TSS, Innomar, Applanix Forsberg Services, Ocean Modules and ntd offshore. The organisation has been collaborating with Sonardyne International since 1995, Teledyne TSS since 2000 and Innomar Technology since 2002. Most recently Ocean Modules and ntd offshore joined the group of Aquadyne principles. With such a number of lucrative names in its portfolio, Aquadyne can cross-collaborate to create solutions to varying industry needs.
In order to enhance the performance of the existing positioning and mapping products, awareness of acoustic and electromagnetic noise on ships and ROVs, from which the equipment is operated, is critical. Aquadyne has developed an acoustic and electromagnetic measurement pod, SENSE, in order to be able to quantify acoustic noise, electromagnetic fields and interference that can be a problem in the working environment of sonar systems, pipe-and cable-trackers and navigation equipment.
Jan Erik Rygh, managing director of Aquadyne, highlights its main strengths: “Our biggest differentiator in the market is that we are able, and look to, support our products and customers operating in the field and see to it that they get the best results possible from the equipment they purchase. We see new companies emerging and they need support to survive, so this has become a key aim of ours. We also gain from our extremely multi-skilled staff who have a variety of unique talents and skills, which means we can sell our products with a mixture of experience behind them and it is not just the mix of people but the fact that they are multi-talented as well that gives us strength.”
In order to be able to test equipment and to assist customers with demonstrations and training, Aquadyne has equipped its own workboat. Another service that Aquadyne has started to provide in Norway is target scaling which is critical for pipe tracking with TSS equipment.
Oil and gas exploration and development in environmentally vulnerable Arctic regions calls for rigid control of emissions. Aquadyne has already been involved in a number of projects related to hydrocarbon leak detection and locating hazardous objects and fluids in the ocean. In response to the increasing demand for methods to detect leaks Aquadyne, in co-operation with Reson, has completed a three-year Petromaks project for the Norwegian Research Council to prepare the grounds for developing a cost effective system to maintain such operations. Being a Norwegian company, Aquadyne is eager to participate in the exploration of Arctic regions. Lately there have been many requests for equipment to be used in Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Reflecting on Aquadyne’s potential for the future, Jan-Erik outlines his vision: “I think that the company will progress in the same way as before, our principal innovative products have achieved great success so far and I predict this will continue. To be able to provide our customers with increasingly complete solutions we have included new suppliers, and we are always open for new products that can add to the diversity of our product spectrum. Aquadyne is proud of the products it can deliver, and we organise our own annual Technology Awareness Seminar at the historic site of the Oscarsborg fortress to demonstrate the latest developments. This year we invite interested customers to Oscarsborg on October the 28th and 29th.”
Aquadyne AS
Products Underwater positioning, transponders and GPS systems