Page 51: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Mar/Apr 2014)

50 52

incorporating visual recognition technol- operating depth, has a rationalized contracting frm Micoperi.

Subsea ogy, the company’s StationKeep tech- hydraulic power unit, integrated com- The 150Hp MKII Quasar has been nology, for position control accuracy of pensators, integrated retractable tooling designed for accessibility and ease provision, increasing demand 10cm, and a power management system. basket, and meets Statoil specifcations. of maintenance, SMD says. The lat- as operators try to manage risks Intervention tooling can be automati- Also exhibiting their latest ROVs, fea- est version incorporates the DVECS-S by using ROVs as a back-up, in case cally acquired by the ROV manipulator, turing modular and easy to maintain and advanced positioning system, designed

Companies wanted to have a BOP fails. and the position of the tool can be main- access systems, were SAAB Seaeye and with Edinburgh’s SeeByte, which enables twin-ROV systems on rigs, and increased tained accurately, relative to a tooling Soil Machine Dynamics. advanced piloting functions.

ROV support capability, he said. But interface panel. SAAB Seaeye, based in Hampshire, UK, The frst three Quasar MKII ROVs with they were also looking to ROV opera-

FMC Schilling Robotics has also main- and part of the Swedish SAAB group, had DVEC-S are being assembled and are due tors to meet API Standard 53, which tained its 60-min. maintenance to be delivered this year. Two are requires operators to maintain the philosophy on the UHD Gen III, for Aberdeen-based subsea instal-

ROV and a trained crew on-board based on Tyler Schilling’s belief in lation contractor Bibby Offshore rigs, Reid said. leveraging the principles of mod- and one is for Brazilian ROV ser-

There have been concerns that such ern automotive and aircraft design vice provider Sistemas de Acesso risks should not be shouldered by ROV to enable maintenance of major (SISTAC). operators. However, the market for the subsystems in under 60-min. Through communication with technology appears to exist. “I believe the ROV industry is commonly ftted ROV instru- beginning to enter a new phase… ments, DVECS-S can accurately

UHD Gen III based on how ease of use,” Tyler control the position of the ROV

FMC Schilling Robotics says its UHD Gen told the September 2013 ROV throughout the water column,

SAAB

III is a response to the market for an ROV conference. using different fight modes.

Seaeye’s

Leopard. system able to meet API Standard 53 for In auto-fy mode, the system

Photo by

New models on show secondary intervention on BOPs, which allows the pilot to simply point-

Elaine Maslin.

mandates 45-second ram closure. Also exhibiting at Subsea Expo and-click on the map screen to

Developed over the last year, the UHD was Forum Energy Technologies, move the ROV. In auto-fy survey

Gen III includes an integrated auxiliary which has two new Perry work- mode, the ROV will follow a set pumping system able to pump 50gal/m class ROVs: the heavy work-class of waypoints specifed by the up to 5000psi. 200hp XLX Evo, and the new operator. In cruise mode, the

The 250Hp unit, with 150Hp auxiliary

XLX-C medium work-class 150hp ROV moves at a constant forward hydraulic output, is currently being pool-

ROV. velocity, plus constant depth/alti- tested at FMC Schilling Robotics’ manufac-

Just after Subsea Expo, Forum tude and heading.

At any time, the pilot can adjust turing facility in Davis, California. Offshore sold its frst XLX-C ROV to all settings and trim lateral thrust.

trials are due start in the Gulf of Mexico

Subsea 7, which ordered six, for in 2Q 2014, for three months. Commercial three newbuild pipelay support Using BlueView multi-beam systems will be available after that.

vessels for the Brazilian market. imaging (MBI) sonar, DVECS-S

FMC Schilling Robotics said the ROV Subsea 7 also ordered two XLX allows object-relative positioning

SMD’s will be able to carry 100gal of interven- Evo ROVs for its newbuild vessel, in the MBI sonar tracking fight

Quasar MKII. tion fuid, and will be able to provide the Seven Arctic (see p.60). The mode. The pilot can control the

Photo by Elaine Maslin.

enough hydraulic power for BOP inter- eight ROVs are due to be deliv- ROV relative to objects in the vention, as well as the typical range of ered 2014-2015. its new Leopard ROV on show. workspace with advance/retreat; ascend/ fuid intervention tasks such as connec- Forum’s XLX range of ROVs use the The Leopard is an electric work-class descend; orbit clockwise/anti-clockwise. tor actuation, seal testing, and hydrate company’s own ICE (integrated con- ROV, which sits between the frm’s DVECS-S functionality can be extended remediation. trol engine software), real-time control Panther and Jaguar units, in size. It can to provide a mid-water dynamic position-

UHD Gen III will system, with no subsea processor, control produce a half-tonne of forward thrust, ing mode for vessel following. have automation tray or pressure vessel. Core and survey via seven or 11 vectored, Seaeye SM9 Fugro Subsea Services had its 200hp capabilities, junction boxes utilize separate plug-in 500v, brushless DC thrusters, providing FCV 3000 on display. The FCV 3000 data and power channels. Newer features 6-axis control, to 3000m depth. work-class ROV has been designed to on the XLX Evo (also available at 150hp) It has Seaeye’s iCON integrated intel- assist deepwater drilling and comple- include integrated thruster feedback, ligent control and power distribution sys- tions, subsea oilfeld and construction allowing additional automatic control tem. This works from a central electronic support, and inspection, repair and main- modules with no need for calibration, pod, but with each component having tenance operations. Tooling packages can and full redundancy in case of sensor its own microprocessor. This enables be installed through standard interfaces– failure. Both have heading, depth, alti- an advanced autopilot system, includ- both mechanical and control–without tude, park and dynamic positioning, and ing pitch and roll stabilization, as well needing to open pods and rewire.

braking control modes. as built in diagnostics, redundancy, and Fugro uses its own control and com-

Forum has focused on reducing system remote internet access for upgrades and munications system, based on single- complexity and maintenance times, technical support. mode, fber-optic technology, including consolidating system parts, and making Newcastle-based Soil Machine Fugro’s SMFO multiplexer. This can control and operation easier, with no Dynamics (SMD) had its latest MKII handle up to 12 conventional cameras need for calibration. Quasar at the show, specifcally, a unit (eight simultaneously) and provides a

The XLX-C ROV is rated to 3000m due to be shipped to Italian marine range of data protocols. oedigital.com March 2014 | OE 53 052_OE0314_subsea2.indd 53 2/21/14 12:48 PM