Challenging times call for innovative technological developments and operational experience, so those are the topics which the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is looking for in publishing its Call for Papers for the 2009 IMCA Annual Seminar to be held 4-5 November in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event will include separate Marine, Diving and Offshore Survey/ROV sessions with presentations on commercial/contracting issues and parallel workshops on a variety of issues, as well as the associated exhibition.

Abstracts are sought on all aspects of offshore contracting including deep water technology and equipment (current and evolving technology for deepwater operations); diving (key developments and advances in diving equipment and operations); ROV and AUV operations (developments in ROV and AUV technology particularly focused on deep water operations); and offshore survey (technical challenges in surveying operations in deepwater environment).

"Marine contractors around the world are facing increasingly testing times working in deeper and ever more hostile waters as well as facing the global financial crisis and the pressures of dramatically lower oil prices than during 2008," says IMCA's Chief Executive, Hugh Williams."With its theme 'Integrated Marine Operations in Challenging Times' this year's seminar is set to bring those working in the industry together to discuss the challenges they have experienced, and those that lie ahead. Members and non-members alike, these are the people actively involved inoffshore operations. What they discuss in Rio will help determine the IMCA future work programme."