The sale area encompasses 256 blocks in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf planning area and covers about 1.47 million acres. At present, 23 blocks in this area are under lease. Blocks in this sale are located from 100 miles offshore from the Alabama-Florida state line and over 285 miles from Tampa, Florida. Estimates of undiscovered economically recoverable hydrocarbons in this proposal are 1.25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 185 million barrels of oil.

The 60-day comment period on the Proposed Notice of Sale begins July 13. In accordance with the Coastal Zone Management Act, the MMS will be sending consistency determinations, documenting the proposed Sale's consistency with State coastal zone management programs, to each of the four affected States. The States will have up to 75 days to comment on the consistency determinations. The final Notice of Sale is expected to be published in October 2001.

The complete package of information related to this proposed notice is available at the MMS website: http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/offshore/egom/sale181.html. In addition, copies of all documents are available from MMS's Gulf of Mexico Regional Office, Public Information Unit, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70123. The toll-free number is 1-800-200-GULF.

STATISTICAL INFORMATION (Sale 181)
• Size: 256 blocks; 1.47 million acres

The following terms and conditions apply to each block offered in this sale:
• Primary Lease Terms: 10 Years
• Minimum Bids: $37.50 per acre or fraction thereof
• Annual Rental Rates: $7.50 per acre or fraction thereof
• Royalty Rates: 12 1/2% Royalty
• Royalty Suspension: 12 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE)

MMS is the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's oil, natural gas and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf in federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for and disburses mineral revenues from federal and Indian leases. These collections totaled nearly $8 billion last year and more than $110 billion since the agency was created in 1982. Annually, nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition and development of state and Federal park and recreation lands.

For more information, contact one of the following at MMS: Barney Congdon +504-736-2595, Caryl Fagot +504-736-2590, or Debra Winbush +504-736-2597. You can also visit their web site at http://www.mms.gov

According to Byron Selman, DSSI's new Director of Marketing, the vehicle is a modified MaxROV with a new thruster arrangement that allows it to be rotated about its central axis, and the vectored thrust capabilities make the system highly maneuverable in all major axis of movement.

The ARAMCO vehicle was delivered with an optimized suite of sensors including a pipetracking system (TSS), two scanning sonars for both horizontal search and vertical pipeline profiling modes (Simrad-Mesotech), and an information management system (C-Map) to toally integrate video, digital stills, and navigations interfaces into a common database for survey management and repeatability.

The ROV also incorporates a new split-head Doppler system (RDI) and a depth telemetering responder (ORE) along with an altimeter, manipulator, three DSSI video cameras, DSSI's gas arc HID lights, and the company's new DPC-7000 Digital Stills Camera. complete with scaling lasers and real time operator control and video feed at the all-digital surface control console. All of the systems sensors are protected by a lightweight titanium crash frame.

The ARAMCO system passed its Harbor Acceptance Trials in early July, with the logistics support of the Woods Hole Oeanographic Institution in Woods Hole.Massachusetts. The DSSI designed and built ROV is headed for Saudi Arabia to undergo Sea Acceptance Tests before delivery, and then is to be installed on Aramco's KARAN 8 hydrographic vessel. Readers interested in more information can contact DSSI at +508 540 6732, e-mail Byron Selman at DSSIINC@aol.com or on the web at http://www.deepseasystems.com.

Geomar of Germany, has ordered a Full Spectrum® System with dual frequency side scan sonar and a DW-216 sub-bottom profiler to be used in water depths up to 6000 meters. Early work for the system includes a cruise off the coast of Costa Rica. Details are available on the Geomar web site at www.geomar.de. Thales Survey has ordered two Full Spectrum® Integrated side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiling systems. These systems are capable of operation in up to 3,000 meters of water and will be deployed in an EdgeTech tow vehicle (Model TV-D) that is connected to the surface via a single coax cable.

EdgeTech’s Full Spectrum® sonar and sub-bottom systems can be supplied stand alone or installed within one of EdgeTech’s tow vehicles. The vehicle’s versatile design allows for the installation of a transponder, a magnetometer and other user specified sensors. EdgeTech’s "chirp" sub-bottom profiler generates a high resolution image of the sub-bottom stratigraphy with resolution between sub-bottom layers down to 6 cm. Three sub-bottom sensors are available as options: 1 - 6 kHz, 2 kHz - 16 kHz, and 4 kHz - 24 kHz. The EdgeTech side scan sonar has two simultaneous dual frequency "chirp" options: 75/410 kHz and 120/410 kHz. The 75/410 kHz combination provides a maximum coverage footprint of 2.5 km.

EdgeTech manufactures a wide variety of marine products; including side scan sonars, acoustic releases, acoustic modems, seismic systems and other marine instrument technology. For more information contact John Spruance at Tel. +561-995-7767 or visit our web site at http://www.edgetech.com.

This latest update of HYDROpro Construction, 24 licenses in all, provides Petrobras operators and contractors involved in tug assisted rig and barge positioning with a windows environment. This release allows both the rig and anchor handling vessel operators to view the locations of the rig and any anchor handling vessels that are being tracked. It also graphically displays the status and location of anchors and their associated cables. Operators on the rigs are also able to send required anchor locations to the anchor handling vessel operators.

Trimble, through the local Brazilian dealer Santiago & Cintra (Sao Paulo) are currently in the process of upgrading to HYDROpro Construction and training all of the contractors involved in Anchor handling operations for Petrobras’ rig moves.

For more information on this and any of Trimbles products, contact Brent O’Meagher at Trimble in Colorado Telephone +720-887-4303, or by E-mail to brent_omeagher@trimble.com or visit their web site at http://www.trimble.com

This new seismic crew will deploy 3,840 active channels with the Sercel 408UL recording system and twelve Sercel M26/623 vibrators, with provision for recording in slip-sweep mode.

Robert Brunck, Chairman and CEO of the CGG Group, stated, "We are delighted to have been awarded another long-term contract in Saudi Arabia. This new commercial success with one of the major players in the Middle East strengthens the position of the CGG Group in this region and builds on our track record as the partner of choice for state-of-the-art land seismic acquisition technology."

The Compagnie Generale de Geophysique group is a global participant in the oilfield services industry, providing a wide range of seismic data acquisition, processing, geoscience services and software, to clients in the oil and gas exploration and production business. It is also a global manufacturer of geophysical equipment. For the complete press release, click here... For more information, contact Compagnie Generale de Geophysique, Christophe BARNINI, (33) 1 64 47 38 10, or visit their web site at http://www.cgg.com

For further information on the Klein system or any of ORE Offshore’s leasing services, contact Jim Manning at ORE Offshore’s Houston facility at +281-879-7277 or via e-mail at jim@orehouston.com. Or, contact Steve Withrow, Director of Operations, by e-mail at sales@ore.com or visit their web site http://www.ore.com. Further details also available from Margo Newcombe, MLN Marketing, margo@mlnmarketing.com or visithttp://www.mlnmarketing.com

SonTek, founded in 1992 with the goal of producing high-quality Doppler current meters, will be part of YSI Environmental, headed by Gayle Rominger, Sr. Vice President and General Manager. YSI Environmental has a worldwide reputation as a leader in the measurement and monitoring of water quality parameters, particularly dissolved oxygen, which is necessary for the survival of plant and animal life in water. SonTek is considered the world leader for water velocity measurement.

"With this acquisition we now have a powerful and strategic combination of capabilities in both water quality and water quantity," says Malte vonMatthiessen, YSI Chairperson and CEO. "Both our companies have achieved significant prominence in our respective marketplaces. We have combined the two fastest growing companies in the water quality and water velocity markets." He adds that, "The natural resources market presents a worldwide opportunity, and YSI and SonTek, together, have the ability to revolutionize this global market."

According to SonTek CEO Ramon Cabrera, "Not only can YSI and SonTek collaborate in the area of sales and distribution, but there are exciting opportunities for joint product research and development." Mr. vonMatthiessen expresses his delight at Cabrera's willingness to stay on with SonTek/YSI and states that "Ramon is vital to the continued success of this business, and we are fortunate that he has agreed to continue to lend his technical and market expertise--as well as his vision--to this newly-formed enterprise." Mr. Cabrera notes, "SonTek's ability to integrate water quality sensors with our acoustic Doppler technology will allow us to respond to a new and very important need in the marketplace."

SonTek manufactures affordable, reliable acoustic Doppler current profilers, velocimeters, Doppler velocity logs, and integrated systems for use in oceans, rivers, lakes, harbors, estuaries, and laboratories. YSI Environmental, a wholly-owned subsidiary of YSI Incorporated, manufactures a full line of both handheld and benchtop instruments for measuring water quality. It also manufactures data acquisition and multiparameter, real-time monitoring systems for environmental applications (see http://www.YSI.com).

YSI Incorporated is an international company with world headquarters based in Ohio. The employee-owned company manufactures and markets sensor technologies dedicated to ecological sustainability. Its three strategic business units include YSI Environmental, YSI Precision Temperature, and YSI Life Sciences. For the complete press release visit http://www.sontek.com/news/sontek-ysi-nr.htm. For more information, contact Mr. Chris Ward +858-546-8327 x24 or by e-mail at chris@sontek.com or visit their web site at http://www.sontek.com

Thales performed a site survey at East Pilchard-1 in order to assess the suitability of the seabed for semi submersible rig emplacement.

The scope of works scheduled for the Bream-A Gas pipeline includes; a 45 km pipeline route survey in the Bass Strait to acquire bathymetric, geophysical and geotechnical data. Vibrocoring works will be conducted using Thales in-house equipment. The data collected along the Bream-A gas pipeline route will provide essential marine soils and geophysical data for pipeline design.

ESSO will be providing the vessel, Lady Kari-Ann for the project, which is scheduled for 4 weeks duration. For more information contact Bart van der Groen at Thales GeoSolutions (Australasia) Ltd: bart.vandergroen@thales-geosolutions.com

Thomas D. O'Malley, Tosco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Tosco is pleased to have finalized the INPC purchase. The Whitegate Refinery has already been upgraded over the past several years so that it can produce low sulfur gasoline and diesel fuels required by the European Economic Community.

"The Bantry Bay Terminal will be a valuable link in our supply system. About half the capacity at Bantry Bay is leased on a long-term basis for the storage of Ireland's strategic petroleum reserves. The balance of the capacity will allow Tosco improved efficiencies in feeding its U.S. East Coast refining system, which totals about 450,000 b/d, and other operational flexibility."

Tosco Corporation, which currently has over $28 billion in annualized revenues is the largest independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products in the United States, and the nation's largest operator of company-controlled convenience stores.

Tosco's company literature, including the 2000 Annual Report, Press Releases, Forms 10-K and 10-Q, are available on Tosco's website: http://www.tosco.com. Contact: Jefferson F. Allen, Colm T. McDermott +203-698-7500. For the complete press release, click here...

The new WD Caviar is the latest result of Western Digital's charter to maximise desktop computer performance for all users, especially those who take full advantage of massive personal storage for activities such as sophisticated business applications, digital video editing, music, movies and photography. For the complete press release, click here...

Applanix is currently expanding worldwide sales and support activities. In particular, Applanix is currently looking for experienced people in the Marine sector to fill the following key roles:

Houston,Texas:
• Sales,Marine Products
• Customer Support Manager
• Field Support Engineers
• Office Administrator

United Kingdom:
• Sales, Marine Products - Europe, Far East
• Field Support Engineers

Singapore:
• Field Support Engineers

All Sales and Support roles require a degree and relevant experience (or understanding) in one or more of the following areas:
• Hydrographic /Offshore Survey
• Inertial Sensors
• Marine Survey Instrumentation
• GPS
• Multibeam Operations
• ROVs or AUVs

Strong analytical skills in the face of demanding timelines -as well as the ability to communicate technically -are crucial in these roles. Join our team and you will see that attracting and retaining talented people is a priority at Applanix. Email your resume today to hr@applanix.com or Fax to: (905)709-6027, Phone: (905)709-4600. To learn more about Applanix visit http://www.applanix.com