By Steven McLoud/Diálogo October 24, 2020 U.S. Navy Admiral Craig Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), visited El Salvador on October 21, where he met with the country’s Defense Minister Rear Admiral Rene Merino Monroy and his staff.The visit comes after Adm Faller — who is visiting the Central America region — made stops in Honduras and Guatemala, where he spoke with leaders of partner nations about the benefits and successes of cooperative security partnerships in the region.Adm. Faller and his delegation also met with U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson to discuss SOUTHCOM’s role in the U.S.-El Salvador cooperation on security.Security cooperation topics discussed with Rear Adm. Merino included dismantling transnational criminal organizations, counternarcotics operations, and future military engagements.“The visit of Adm. Craig Faller and his team reaffirms the sincere relationship of friendship and trust between the armed forces of both countries to face these transnational threats,” said Rear Adm. Merino in a tweet.Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, echoed those sentiments tweeting that his country was proud to be a key partner to the United States in combatting security threats.While in El Salvador, Adm. Faller also visited the Cooperative Security Location (CSL) Comalapa, which operates through an agreement between the U.S. and the government of El Salvador. This location is one of two centers in Latin America and the Caribbean, and plays a key role in supporting multinational and interagency efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations.Each fiscal year, CSL operations disrupt more than $4 billion worth of drug trafficking operations. This location significantly enhances the ability of the U.S. and partner nations to patrol Eastern Pacific smuggling corridors, through which more than half of the drugs heading for the U.S. transit through, often in multi-ton shipments.El Salvador is a valued security partner in the fight against illicit trafficking and is one of more than 20 nations engaged alongside the U.S. in cooperative efforts to detect and dismantle transnational criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its partners, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Nassau County, are hosting public meetings this June regarding the Nassau County Back Bays Coastal Storm Risk Management study.The meetings will take place on June 12 in the Village of Freeport, NY and on June 27 in the City of Long Beach, NY.The objective of the study is to investigate problems and solutions to reduce damages from coastal flooding that affects population, critical infrastructure, critical facilities, property, and ecosystems.USACE released a status report on April 30, which includes information on work completed to date, potential alternatives under consideration, an overview of the study process, and details on next steps.Some of the measures that will be discussed at the public meetings include structural solutions such as storm surge barriers, tide gates, levees, and floodwalls.The Corps also announced that additional public meetings may be scheduled in July and/or August.
Marine seismic acquisition company Shearwater GeoServices has been awarded an ocean bottom seismic deepwater ROV project in the Gulf of Mexico by TGS and an undisclosed partner.SW Diamond; Source: ShearwaterShearwater said on Monday that this would be the company’s first OBS ROV survey. Also, two of its vessels, the SW Diamond and SW Emerald, will be used for the project.The vessels will work for four months, starting in the second quarter of 2020.They will be equipped with three high-capacity sources each composed of three sub-arrays. This investment in a new source configuration will allow two source vessels to be used instead of three for the survey, with a consequent increase in efficiency and reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions.Irene Waage Basili, CEO of Shearwater, said: “By adding deepwater OBS ROV operations we are now the only company able to offer a complete portfolio of towed streamer and ocean bottom seismic marine acquisition and processing geophysical services.”According to the company, the OBS ROV crew complements Shearwater’s ocean bottom cable and ocean bottom node crews and marks the company’s presence in all sectors of the ocean bottom seismic market, in acquisition and processing.Shearwater also added that it would have three OBS crews operating in 2020.It is also worth mentioning that TGS announced on Monday that it was preparing to start the second phase of its ultra-long offset node project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.Spotted a typo? Have something more to add to the story? Maybe a nice photo? Contact our editorial team via email. Also, if you’re interested in showcasing your company, product, or technology on Offshore Energy Today, please contact us via our advertising form where you can also see our media kit.