Oceaneering’s subsea robotics group has introduced a new uncrewed surface vessel (USV) service to support remote survey work scopes.
The company has reached an agreement with Exail to purchase its first DriX USV to support deepwater geophysical and asset inspection operations, including autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) positioning, and offshore and nearshore surveys.
The use of the DriX USV on offshore survey and inspection work scopes will enable Oceaneering to improve operational efficiencies, reduce overall vessel time on site, and significantly reduce carbon emissions, the company said.
Eric Smith, senior director of survey services at Oceaneering, said: “It is the natural progression of our extensive experience with remote operations that we combine USVs with Oceaneering’s existing ROV and AUV fleets and onshore remote operations centers to deliver significant opportunities to scale operations and drive greater efficiencies. The service will directly support the market growth of our integrated and customisable inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) strategy.”
Oceaneering established its first dedicated onshore remote operations facility in 2015 in Stavanger, Norway, and has achieved over 100,000 hours of piloting from shore. In addition to this, Oceaneering has pioneered remotely operated survey since 2016, helping to transition over 9,000 personnel days from the field.
