Ocean Infinity
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Marine robotics, Oceanographic data collection |
| Founded | July 2017 |
| Founder | Oliver Plunkett |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas and Southampton , United States and United Kingdom |
Key people | Oliver Plunkett (CEO) |
| Products | Autonomous underwater vehicles, Autonomous surface vessels |
Ocean Infinity is a company specializing in marine robotics, with headquarters in both Austin, Texas and Southampton, United Kingdom. Established in 2017, the organization focuses on utilizing robotic systems to gather data from oceanic and seabed environments.
History
Ocean Infinity was founded in July 2017 as a privately held enterprise under the leadership of CEO Oliver Plunkett. The company's mission centers on employing scalable marine robotic technologies to enhance the efficiency of oceanographic data collection and analysis.
Robots
The company operates two distinct robotic fleets: Armada and Infinity. The Infinity fleet comprises fourteen autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) deployed globally. Armada, designed to include fifteen autonomous surface vessels, was slated for initial deployment by the end of 2020. Both fleets are equipped with sophisticated sensors and navigation technologies capable of functioning at depths reaching 6,000 meters. In May 2022, Ocean Infinity unveiled its first Armada surface vessel in Vietnam as part of a planned expansion to a 23-vessel fleet.
Summary
Ocean Infinity has demonstrated its expertise in deep-sea exploration by successfully locating several notable shipwrecks and submarines:
| Vessel | Sinking Date | Discovery Date | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARA San Juan (S-42) | November 15, 2017 | November 17, 2018 | 920m |
| Stellar Daisy | March 31, 2017 | February 17, 2019 | 3461m |
| Minerve | January 27, 1968 | July 21, 2019 | 2350m |
| USS Nevada (BB-36) | July 31, 1948 | May 11, 2020 | 4700m |
| Endurance | November 21, 1915 | March 5, 2022 | 3000m |
| USS Stewart (DD-224) | May 24, 1946 | August 1, 2024 | 1060m |
Details
In early 2018, Ocean Infinity contributed to the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 by deploying the vessel Seabed Constructor from January through May; however, this mission did not yield results. Subsequently, in November of the same year, the company located the Argentine submarine , which had been missing since the previous year. In December 2018, South Korea engaged Ocean Infinity to search for the bulk carrier , lost off Uruguay in March 2017. By February 2019, the wreck was found and its voyage data recorder recovered.
Apart from high-profile wreck discoveries, Ocean Infinity has provided data acquisition services for prominent clients such as Total E&P, Shell Mauritania, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Exxon Mobil, NOAA, and Petrobras.
In early 2019, the vessel Island Pride identified the wreck of , initiating inspections using remotely operated vehicles. By July that year, Ocean Infinity had discovered the French Navy submarine , missing for five decades. The company also partnered with Search INC in locating the battleship in 2020.
Ocean Infinity played a key role in locating Ernest Shackleton's vessel Endurance, which sank in Antarctica's Weddell Sea in 1915; this achievement was realized on March 5, 2022 under the Endurance22 project.
In December 2024, Ocean Infinity announced intentions to recommence efforts to locate Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 through a $70 million contract with Malaysia’s government based on a 'no find, no fee' arrangement.