Subsea 7's new diving support vessel (DSV) the Seven Atlantic, has completed its inaugural diving project, supporting Shell operations in the North Sea.

The new vessel, one of the largest in the world, began operations in late March and has completed more than 80 saturation dives and surface dives since then.

Steph McNeill, vice-president for Subsea 7's UK region, said that the company has been "very pleased" with the vessel's performance so far.

"The vessel was built to have an exceptionally good sea keeping capability and has already successfully demonstrated this ability by holding station, landing helicopters and continuing to work in the extreme sea conditions experienced on her first project," he commented.

Subsea 7 has also recently celebrated the recertification of its engineering graduate training scheme by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

The industry-leading oil and gas training programme has been accredited until January 2014. The company currently supports 54 engineers under the graduate programme.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development