Ocean Specialists, Inc. (OSI), a global provider of specialized subsea technical services and marine operations, today announced the award of an Engineering, Procurement, Installation, and Commissioning (EPIC) contract for the testing and evaluation of prototype fiber-optic cables designed for deployment in saltwater. The objective of the project seeks to measure the short- and long-term impacts of saltwater immersion on the cables’ performance, the results of which will inform plans for future testing further offshore, at deeper test sites.

This cable immersion study is representative of OSI’s end-to-end approach to delivering integrated technical solutions to complex subsea challenges. Working closely with the customer, OSI will define the installation, inspection, and extraction methodologies to ensure the most accurate results from the cable testing. OSI will then lead the site investigation process from start to finish, ensuring that each site meets a variety of specific test factors, offers sufficient accessibility, and complies with the necessary safety requirements of the assigned test and evaluation program. OSI’s role will also include project management of all aspects of the installation and retrieval processes, as well as material and sensor procurement.

“This important project will make use of the wide range of marine project capabilities that OSI offers to a variety of markets around the world,” said OSI Project Manager Jose Troncoso. “OSI’s considerable experience of managing a wide range of challenging undersea cable projects over the last two decades will ensure that our customer has the information they need to fully assess the project for approval and advancement into the next phases. We appreciate the confidence that our customers place in OSI when selecting an engineering firm to manage their undersea fiber optic cable developments.”