Page 60: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jan/Feb 2015)

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Subsea

Call for more developed

ROV classifcation system optimized availability. For opti-

As ROVs are given tasks in mal ROV operation, ROV crew more and more challenging capability is also a key factor for the success of an intervention.

environments, there has been a

As subsea construction pro- call for the industry to develop grams go deeper and get more complex, in harsher environ- a classifcation system. ments, the demands on ROVs

Meg Chesshyre reports.

will continue to increase.

Workclass ROV technology development will be driven by call for the International those factors that will directly

Marine Contractors impact on the capability to win

A

Association (IMCA) to help contracts for state of the art set up a round table to develop a clas- subsea projects, Granelli says, sifcation system for work-class remotely in new operating environments operated vehicles (ROVs) was made in a such as the Arctic, or in areas of paper at the association’s recent annual poor visibility and ecologically seminar in London. sensitive environments.

he paper, presented by Saipem New operative tasks will

T subsea remote technology engineer include permanent inspection,

Lorenzo Granelli, was co-authored by maintenance and repair of subsea subsea remote technology project man- felds, or remote intervention ager Giovanni Massari. Both authors are by means of subsea resident

Saipem’s Innovator ROV. Image from Saipem.

involved in the project engineering and vehicles, emergency intervention, defne a way marine contractors can production of new ROVs for Sonsub/ touchdown point monitoring for deep effciently drive new developments

Saipem. water S-lay projects. The development on the basis of real needs, with the

Granelli says a classifcation system of so-called subsea factories will lead identifcation of standard requirements is needed for ROVs, just as there is for to new construction, maintenance and for current and foreseeable jobs in vessels. “If you ask for a crane vessel you inspection needs, Granelli continues. terms of ROVs, interfaces and tools. It is have a clear idea of what you are asking More automated or independent/semi- important to defne a way in which new for. If you ask for a work-class ROV, no independent tasks are also emerging.

technology can be validated so that only There are a number of different clas- one states what it is,” he says.

well proven solutions are adopted, and sifcations and standards in existence

Granelli sees IMCA as potentially the to identify procedures and best prac- covering ROVs, for example, DNV-GL missing link between two engineering tice to test ROVs or technical solutions i-5-3, ISO 13628-8, Norsok U-102-2, API worlds, the engineering and manufacture against requirements, he says. There 17H, IMCA r004, ABS osv-5, but on the of ROVs, and subsea project engineering, is also a need to redefne classifca- whole they are very general. There are undertaken by the main contractors and tion for new ROVs with a clear idea of no specifc requirements for maximum the major oil companies.

performance. dimensions for specifc operating

He says ROV manufacturers need scenarios and tasks, or for continuous input to steer their research and devel- ROV technology has reached an early dive time capability for specifc operat- opment programs in the right direction, maturity phase. While ROV function- ing scenarios and tasks, of particular and a clear vision of the technical speci- alities are well defned, there is still relevance for operations in the Arctic, fcation of ROVs. The project engineers considerable room for improvement, where access may be limited, guide- also need to know what an ROV can or Granelli says. Main ROV manufactur- lines are needed for validation of new cannot do so they can plan their opera- ers assert ROV technology is compa- features, tools and technical solutions, tions in the most effective way. It was rable with the automotive market at the

Granelli and Massari say. Environmental also suggested that input from Xmas tree beginning of the 1970s, he says. There operability limits are needed in terms manufacturers might be included in the is also a need to improve ROV operabil- of temperature and signifcant wave round table. ity, to guarantee highly reliable systems

Granelli says there is also a need to height. with a reduced maintenance cost and

January 2015 | OE oedigital.com 62 062_OE0115_Subsea1.indd 62 12/22/14 7:51 PM