Page 32: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2013)

For more than 35 years, Advanced Subsea (AS) has been deeply involved in marine technological in- novation. Through steady research and partner- ships with research institutes in France and Brazil, Advanced Subsea has been developing new tools, procedures and methods for monitoring oceanographic and meteorological parameters. AS is an independent French com- pany specialized in deep water subsea construction support and services with its head ofÞ ce in Paris and support ofÞ ces in Houston, Luanda and Rio Janeiro. Advanced SubseaÕs Model- ing & Forecast Services are based on a partnership between Advanced Subsea SAS & LEGOS Ð CNRS Laboratory for Geophysics & Spatial Oceanography. One of the most important aspects of ASÕs work in Brazil is related to Met-ocean studies which include Operational Oceanography, Ocean modeling & forecast, along with Oil Spill Studies.Met-ocean Studies Advanced SubseaÕs Met-ocean services are dedicated to Oil companies, marine contractors & port authorities. The scope of Met-ocean studies in Brazil includes: ¥ Meteo-oceanographic studies: Waves, Current, Tide, Wind, Rain, Air Temperature, Seawater physical & chem- ical parameters ¥ Radar Surface Waves & Currents monitoring ¥ Real time mapping ¥ Met-ocean Modeling ¥ Daily weather and sea state condition analysis & forecast ¥ Pollution drift monitoring According to Jacques Schoellkopf, ASÕs Director in Brazil, Advanced Subsea also offers Met-ocean services such as en- gineering, development, mobilization, servicing of Met-ocean systems, wave/currents coastal HF radar, telemetry systems, data buoys and current meters along with operational deploy- ment and servicing of Met-ocean data acquisition systems. Met-ocean data analysis & reporting, data validation and pre- processing, Met-ocean reporting, standard statistical study and engineering statistical studies. In the deepwater segment of oil and gas E&P, AS has been active in deepwater Met-ocean modeling and forecast, sea state analysis, currents numerical modeling, analysis and forecast of daily operational conditions, and the oil spill drift modeling. Advanced SubseaÕs Met-ocean services were used to monitor the Frade oil spill in the Campos Basin in 2011.Advanced Subsea is conducting consulting and research work for BrazilÕs national operator on PetrobrasÕs PRESAL36 project, which is a high resolution 3D ocean current model, zoomed in on the pre-salt area.AS also developed eddies tracking techniques, which can be used either in PRESAL36 outputs or surface currents derived from satellite imagery observation and analysis for any place in the world, said Schoellkopf. The eddies evolution mapping made around the Frade oil Þ eld during the November 2011 oil spill was calculated using Lyapunov FSLE technique. This service is available for any place off the Brazilian coast, on a daily basis.Other Met-ocean services offered by Advanced Subsea in- clude the development of Met-ocean data analysis and report- ing, software packages and data validation, pre-processing modules, standard statistical study packages and engineering statistical study packages. Some of the recent Met-ocean services rendered by Ad- vanced Subsea include the development and servicing of a Met-ocean data acquisition and processing system for ELF (2 years), the development and servicing of a Met-ocean data acquisition and processing system for CEA (3 years), a large deepwater current measurement campaign (2 years) for Phil- lips Petroleum and a Þ ve semi-submersible Met-ocean buoy study for Petrobras in partnership with IPT. With the great demand for specialized deepwater equip- ment and services, for deployment at the new pre-salt plays and other post-salt deepwater plays along BrazilÕs coast, from Petrobras and other super-major O&G operators in Brazil, Advanced Subsea has been busy running its Met-ocean ser- vices and some of its other services such as Þ eld development survey and acoustic rig positioning, AUV/ ROV pipeline in- spection & survey construction support and tie-in metrology. At this point there are very few completely national compa- nies that have the capacity to offer such specialized deepwater E&P support services and basically there are no 100% na-tional companies with the capacity to manufacture deepwater support equipment including AUVs & ROVs and other Met- ocean acquisition systems.That may be changing, as up-and-coming local companies specialized in subsea technology services and equipment manufacture join the market. But for the foreseeable future, the majority of specialized deepwater equipment and services will be provided by foreign companies, through its Brazilian subsidiaries. Because of BrazilÕs local content laws, foreign companies wanting to enter the O&G equipment and services sector are encouraged to open a local subsidiary and hire local manpow- er in order to participate in Petrobras tenders.Vehicles ECA Hyatec has set up shop in Brazil, and through its Brazilian subsidiary ECA Latin America Ltda. offers a range of AUVs, ROVs and other equipment to O&G operators and Navies in Brazil and all of Latin America. Pictured right is an ECA ALISTAR3000 AUV in a pool. 32 MTRJanuary/February 2013 MTR #1 (18-33).indd 32MTR #1 (18-33).indd 321/30/2013 10:21:37 AM1/30/2013 10:21:37 AM