Saturday, August 09, 2008 6:45:36 PM
Here is some quick history of the Nekton Alpha
With the help of nephew Craig De Weese and Jim Vernon of General Oceanographics, Doug built the Nekton. In 1968, it was tested to 1,500 feet at the US Navy engineering facility in Port Hueneme. Nekton began diving off California, Hawaii, Alaska and Michigan including in the investigation of the Santa Barbara oil spill and in the rescue of the sub Deep Quest off San Diego.
Following its success, Doug launched Nekton Beta and Nekton Gamma in 1970 and renamed his original Nekton, Nekton Alpha.
http://www.deltaoceanographics.com/dougbio.html
Nekton Alpha manned submersible in Gulf of Mexico 1978
http://www.lostspacecraft.com/work/Underwater-Exploration/uw-%20Exploration_1.html
http://www.lostspacecraft.com/work/Underwater-Exploration/uw-%20Exploration.html
http://busby.psubs.org/html/page-160.html
http://busby.psubs.org/html/page-161.html
http://busby.psubs.org/subs/index.html
For a three year period, he piloted the SCORPIO, TROV, and TREC Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) as well as the Nekton Alpha manned submersible on various underwater missions including coral harvesting (Taiwan), pipeline inspections (Gulf of Mexico), oil production platform inspections (North Sea), and bottom surveys (Mediterranean Sea), and the closure of the Ixtoc I blowout (in the Gulf of Mexico with famed oilwell fire fighter Red Adair).
http://www.lostspacecraft.com/author-long.html
http://freenet-homepage.de/unterseeboot/delta.htm
The caption says gamma, but the sub says beta.
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/nur07512.htm
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/brs/nuind43.htm
Submersible Accidents - Stories of Other Dangers
"Here's a bizarre one. The Nekton Alpha and Nekton Beta with a surface ship were raising a sunken powerboat near Catalina Island, California in 1970. They attached a line to an existing bowline on the boat and moved about 100 yards off to watch the lift. When the powerboat was lifted almost to the surface the bowline broke and the boat glided shallowly and rapidly towards the Nekton Beta, with a steel skeg striking the conning tower of the submersible. The impact shattered an observation port and dazed the pilot Rich Slater. The Beta sank to the bottom and filled with water up to a level where the internal pressure matched the ocean pressure and in a semi-concious state Slater managed to swim to the surface. He was luckily picked up and rushed to shore. His copilot Larry Headlee was found dead on the bottom. Slater survived with ruptured eardrums, cuts and a concussion."
http://sub-log.com/articles/sub-log_articles
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5069&page=93
With the help of nephew Craig De Weese and Jim Vernon of General Oceanographics, Doug built the Nekton. In 1968, it was tested to 1,500 feet at the US Navy engineering facility in Port Hueneme. Nekton began diving off California, Hawaii, Alaska and Michigan including in the investigation of the Santa Barbara oil spill and in the rescue of the sub Deep Quest off San Diego.
Following its success, Doug launched Nekton Beta and Nekton Gamma in 1970 and renamed his original Nekton, Nekton Alpha.
http://www.deltaoceanographics.com/dougbio.html
Nekton Alpha manned submersible in Gulf of Mexico 1978
http://www.lostspacecraft.com/work/Underwater-Exploration/uw-%20Exploration_1.html
http://www.lostspacecraft.com/work/Underwater-Exploration/uw-%20Exploration.html
http://busby.psubs.org/html/page-160.html
http://busby.psubs.org/html/page-161.html
http://busby.psubs.org/subs/index.html
For a three year period, he piloted the SCORPIO, TROV, and TREC Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) as well as the Nekton Alpha manned submersible on various underwater missions including coral harvesting (Taiwan), pipeline inspections (Gulf of Mexico), oil production platform inspections (North Sea), and bottom surveys (Mediterranean Sea), and the closure of the Ixtoc I blowout (in the Gulf of Mexico with famed oilwell fire fighter Red Adair).
http://www.lostspacecraft.com/author-long.html
http://freenet-homepage.de/unterseeboot/delta.htm
The caption says gamma, but the sub says beta.
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/nur07512.htm
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/brs/nuind43.htm
Submersible Accidents - Stories of Other Dangers
"Here's a bizarre one. The Nekton Alpha and Nekton Beta with a surface ship were raising a sunken powerboat near Catalina Island, California in 1970. They attached a line to an existing bowline on the boat and moved about 100 yards off to watch the lift. When the powerboat was lifted almost to the surface the bowline broke and the boat glided shallowly and rapidly towards the Nekton Beta, with a steel skeg striking the conning tower of the submersible. The impact shattered an observation port and dazed the pilot Rich Slater. The Beta sank to the bottom and filled with water up to a level where the internal pressure matched the ocean pressure and in a semi-concious state Slater managed to swim to the surface. He was luckily picked up and rushed to shore. His copilot Larry Headlee was found dead on the bottom. Slater survived with ruptured eardrums, cuts and a concussion."
http://sub-log.com/articles/sub-log_articles
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5069&page=93
Recent KLNG News
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 04/01/2026 06:27:31 PM
- Form 10-K - Annual report [Section 13 and 15(d), not S-K Item 405] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/31/2026 01:37:45 PM
- KOIL Energy Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/31/2026 12:30:00 PM
- KOIL Energy Solutions Announces Dates for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Earnings Release and Conference Call • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/26/2026 07:24:02 PM
- KOIL Energy Wins Significant Contract Offshore West Africa • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/11/2026 06:30:52 PM
- KOIL Energy Secures Significant Contract with U.S. Oil Company to Deliver an Integrated Subsea Distribution System • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/12/2026 03:50:00 PM
- Form SCHEDULE 13G/A - Statement of Beneficial Ownership by Certain Investors: [Amend] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/09/2026 07:31:57 PM
- KOIL Energy Awarded Significant Fabrication Contract • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/06/2026 01:50:00 PM
- KOIL Energy to Present at Sidoti’s Year-End Virtual Investor Conference December 10-11 • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 12/09/2025 10:22:27 PM
- Sidoti Events, LLC's Year-End Virtual Investor Conference • ACCESS Newswire • 12/09/2025 05:48:00 PM
- KOIL Energy Reports Third Quarter 2025 Results • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 11/14/2025 01:30:00 PM
- UPDATE – KOIL Energy Solutions Schedules Q3 2025 Earnings Release and Conference Call • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 11/11/2025 10:38:07 PM
- KOIL Energy Solutions Schedules Q3 2025 Earnings Release and Conference Call • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 11/11/2025 03:40:08 PM
- KOIL Energy Celebrates Beacon Offshore Energy’s First Oil in Shenandoah Field • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 10/09/2025 04:36:42 PM
- KOIL Energy Awarded Significant Contract to Deliver Subsea Distribution Equipment for US Project • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 10/08/2025 03:00:00 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 09/15/2025 09:13:07 PM
- Form 144 - Report of proposed sale of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 09/12/2025 02:02:38 PM
- Form 10-Q - Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 08/14/2025 12:30:44 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 08/04/2025 04:37:06 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/24/2025 03:19:19 PM

