Oceaneering International said that one of its subsidiaries has bagged a contract for a three-year term with two one-year optional extension periods from Equinor to supply a resident, battery-powered electric remotely operated vehicle (E-ROV) system to support subsea inspection, maintenance and repair activities.
Image: An Equinor building. (Credit: Ole Jørgen Bratland/Equinor ASA)
The E-ROV system is expected to be deployed in water depths up to 1000 meters on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Work under the contract is scheduled to commence in early December 2018.
Oceaneering International remotely operated vehicles senior vice president Martin J. McDonald said: “As the foremost work-class ROV service provider in the world, with extensive experience in ROV technology, we are excited by this award with Equinor to provide this revolutionary, resident ROV system.
“The E-ROV system is capable of operating for extended periods of time without being recovered to the surface, which greatly reduces the requirement for a surface vessel onsite.
“This contract demonstrates our commitment to providing innovative technologies that can increase operational efficiency, minimize operational risks and reduce costs, while delivering safe solutions for our customers. We look forward to continuing our working relationship with Equinor.”
The E-ROV system is piloted from one of Oceaneering’s onshore Mission Support Centers, using the Company’s proprietary Remote Piloting and Automated Control Technology, or RPACT.
The RPACT transfers ROV control data and live, high-definition video with low latency, using a 4G mobile broadband signal transmitted from a buoy on the water’s surface.
This technology also deploys machine vision learning and augmented reality techniques, and allows for efficiencies and versatility that lead to real-time control of the ROV and its tooling.
Source: Company Press Release