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readiness level 5, fully autonomous robot.

The robots are being tested through a series of competitions in Lacq, France, on

Subsea a test rig, made from a gas dehydration unit currently used for training emer- gency response teams. “It will perform routine inspection, move around autono- mously, read gauges and valve positions, and not only read and record but also know if valves are within their normal operating range and if not alert a human operator,” Kydd says.

As well as more routine tasks, it would also be expected to operate at the site of an incident, such as a hydrocar- bon leak, and in potentially hazardous and harsh environments, ranging from -50 to +50°C, hygrometry of up to 100% and sea spray, heavy rain and up to 100km/hr winds.

Kydd says that Total hopes the ARGOS challenge will trigger collaboration within the robotic community and in the oil and gas industry.

The challenge is being run in three phases, the frst of which ran in June this year. The second and third phases will

Robotic run in March and December 2016. “The intention is to make each harder than the intervention

Homologation phase with the

FOXIRIS robot. Photo from Total by VLK

It’s a progression of what the company is

Ofshore workers could soon

JDR invests in their already working on says Kris Kydd, head Operating Co., consortium, for use fnd themselves sharing people and technology of prospective lab robotics at the R&D on unmanned islands of the H S-rich 2 their facilities with robots, department of Total Exploration and Kashagan development, for faster, to deliver world-class

Production, based in Pau, France. more effciency 24-hour response and subsea products.

particularly in remote, harsh

The frm has a track record develop- inspections. or hazardous environments. ing remotely operated vehicles (ROV) Total’s vision is a robot that can under-

We have a proven track and autonomous underwater vehicle take inspection tasks and intervene in

Elaine Maslin looks at the record of delivering (AUV) technology (OE: October 2014). emergency situations.

Argos Challenge.

Robotics are also being used for fare The company, working in partner- client expectations and stack and hull inspection, Kydd told the ship with the French National Research are totally committed to

ITF Technology Showcase in Aberdeen Agency (ANR), has set up a competi- lifecycle customer service.

obotics are becoming an in March. “It is only logical that sur- tion to seek out the best robotics for the increasing part of life on planet face robotics will come to oil and gas job – the ARGOS challenge, standing

R earth – from car manufacturing facilities, and not just in greenfeld sites. for Autonomous Robot for Gas and Oil plants to our own living rooms. Their “They could improve effciency and Sites.

abilities are becoming ever richer and operate at sites human operators cannot The French oil major hopes through more agile. go to.” the competition it can create a robot,

They’re going offshore, too. Total weighing less than 100kg, which can

Such types of robotics have already wants robotics to become part of the move between foors, and on different been deployed on offshore oil and gas facilities. Kydd gives the example of surface facilities – as intelligent inspec- types of fooring, from grating and cor- • UNITED KINGDOM • SINGAPORE @ConnectwithJDR tion tools. rugated iron to cement and wet slippery

Sensabot, a 350kg robot developed • UNITED STATES • GERMANY

The French major is running a com- by the National Robotics Engineering surfaces, under its own power. Total /jdr-cable-systems • WEST AFRICA • BRASIL petition to help develop a robot that Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, wants to improve the remote control

WWW.JDRGLOBAL.COM /ConnectwithJDR • THAILAND could operate autonomously in harsh, in cooperation with Shell Global functionality and, ultimately have an hazardous and offshore environments. Solutions, for the North Caspian

ATEX/IECEx compliant, technology

September 2015 | OE oedigital.com 74 074_OE0915_Subsea3_Total.indd 74 8/19/15 10:18 PM