Page 18: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Sep/Oct 2019)

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FEATURE Subsea

Residency in Waiting

It’s long been a vision to have underwater vehicles able to support subsea operations without reliance on a surface vessel. We’re closer to this vision than ever before, but what’s new that wasn’t in place before to make this happen?

BY ELAINE MASLIN arlier this year something line repair, at Equinor, it’s a com- of a milestone was reached bination of the downturn, a drive in underwater vehicles for automation and increasing

Ein the oil and gas busi- environmental awareness. Stef- ness. An autonomous underwater fan Lindsø, Director of Emerging vehicle (AUV) wirelessly docked, Technology, Europe, at Oceaneer- charged and downloaded data, all ing, says communications offshore inductively, with remote automat- has been the primary missing ed control and live visual control component, as well as advances in during a demonstration in a lake in battery and navigation technolo-

Sweden. The dock was Equinor’s gies, while Sean Halpin, Director, open standard subsea docking sta- Product Management and Market- tion (SDS) and the vehicle was ing, at new entrant Houston Me-

Saab Seaeye’s Sabertooth. chatronics, says cost reduction and

It’s a step toward having vehicles access to computing power are big permanently resident subsea and drivers. You can read their views in more such demonstrations are more depth in the following pages. coming as others put their new Moves toward all electric