GRi and Underwater Group Joint Venture

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GRi Simulations Inc. of Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, is pleased to announce its partnership with Underwater Group of Brazil. The agreement was signed May 3, 2016 at the Ocean Technology Conference in Houston, Texas.

Underwater Group is based in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and offers training and services in the Brazilian and international subsea markets. Underwater Group’s services include project management, engineering, equipment and offshore operations. GRi’s suite of simulation products are currently employed globally to contribute to enhanced efficiency, safety, and security of subsea assets and operations.

Underwater Group’s services include project management, engineering, equipment and offshore operations. The company strives to work closely with partners to generate new technologies throughout the project life cycle. Specializations include offshore project management, pull-in and pull-out of flexible risers, dive support and remote intervention services (ROV), including operations involving platforms, pipelines, inspection, repair and maintenance of underwater structures in shallow and deep waters.

Underwater Group consists of three companies that are able to offer a diverse spectrum of applications. The following services are offered: ROV Training & Simulations, ROV Personnel, hydrographic services and IRM (Inspection, Repair and Maintenance) and the newest segment: Transport and Logistics.

In addition to these services, Underwater Group operates an Underwater Training Centre. This training centre focuses on ROV piloting skills and has six available courses.

GRi Simulations and Underwater Group are partnering in order to realize their combined potential in the oil and gas market of Brazil and other South American countries. GRi has been seeking an opportunity to enter the Brazilian and South American markets for some time, and in Underwater Group, GRi has found a strong partner who is poised to sell simulation products and training services to oil and gas companies in the region. Underwater Group will assist GRi in marketing, installation and servicing GRi’s products in Brazil due to its strong grasp of both the local market and the prevalent opportunities for high-fidelity simulation. In particular, real-time simulation will be a cornerstone of the partnership which will allow the quality of GRi’s product and the market standing of Underwater Group to flourish in this previously unexplored market sector.  Mission Planning and Rehearsal demands are also expected to be a major focus of the partnership. Underwater Group’s presence in the Brazilian market will eliminate the existing challenges of logistics and communication, providing personal demonstration, promotion and support of GRi products.

Under the five year agreement, Underwater Group will be providing technical sales and support along with utilizing GRi’s VROV simulators systems and Interactive Design and Engineering Analysis Field Development Kit (IDEA FDK) software in the delivery of ROV Pilot Technician training and certification, offshore field design software, and mission planning and rehearsal content.

GRi wishes to acknowledge the substantial and sustained professional effort and contributions of the Newfoundland & Labrador Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development (BTCRD), Consul General Sanjeev Chowdhury and his staff, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries (NATI) in making this partnership possible.

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Figure 1- Underwater Group’s new training facility in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 

Figure 2- Signing the Joint Venture Agreement at OTC 2016