Page 20: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Nov/Dec 2020)

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FEATURE MARKET OUTLOOK 2021 remote,

MORE data,

MORE autonomy

MORE

By Elaine Maslin ate 2018, before net-zero targets had been agreed to offshore wind and carbon capture segments) or demerging by most western energy giants and nations, BP came to distinguish upstream from midstream-downstream (e.g. out with a goal to reach 100% of subsea inspection TechnipFMC and its spinout Technip Energies), points out

L by marine autonomous systems by 2025. Søgård, as CO2 starts to emerge as a balance sheet item and companies need a visible green pro?le.

It was a tangible goal then, and it’s one that might now Operator strategies are focusing on emissions reduction, be reached faster as remote and more “digitally” oriented op- production and use of renewables alongside and oil and gas, erations take hold with greater opportunities for new nimble but also power from shore, says Chris Pearson, the UK’s Na- players in the market. It’s a goal being chased in the offshore tional Subsea Center director. wind sector too.

Some of it is about emissions targets. Starting in 2019, the

Expect more sensors, data, analytics growing mass of pledges to net-zero targets by nations, up-

In the technology domain, the world is potentially equally as stream companies, and even suppliers has accelerated moves agile. Lee Wilson, who co-founded new company Honuworx to do more remotely – lowering emissions (and, it’s hoped at the start of 2020, says we now need to learn from the likes of also, costs).

Apple and Amazon and behave more like software companies,

In offshore wind, it’s also about the growing mass of tur- instead of sticking rigidly to a four-year technology roadmap bines out there that present a signi?cant operation and main- and ?nding the world has changed at the end of it. tenance challenge.

So what does that involve? Expect there to be more sen-

A global pandemic restricting travel has now accelerated sors, data, and data analytics that will feed subsea robotics, some of that innovation. Remote operations a reality rather automation, and remote hubs and cyber-physical systems, than a road map. says Pearson.

Some of that is already coming, not least around the use of

Refocus, reform – greener visions unmanned systems (UxV). In 2019-2020, unmanned surface

Taking a step back, it’s a tough, rapidly evolving environ- vessels (USVs), such as those from XOCEAN, were used for ment for many, with depressed oil prices having impacted the survey and data harvesting type operations. In 2021, USVs oil and gas industry speci?cally, resulting in a wave of com- that can deploy ROVs and AUVs will enter the market, in- pany restructuring. cluding the ?rst of the 21m and 36m-long Armada ?eet, be- “Companies are busier than ever working out what to pre- ing built by Ocean In?nity, and Fugro’s SEA-KIT USVs; both pare for the future,” says Bjørn Søgård, Segment Director for of which will increase the scope of what can be done remotely.

Subsea, DNV GL. After the ?rst vessels come out, more that can also deploy

Tier 1 contractors created through mergers just a few years aerial drones will come – something which will be of use in the ago are starting to be unravelled into more renewable ver- offshore wind industry for blade inspection – but also bigger sus traditional business (e.g. Aker Solutions spinning off its and more capable ROVs, including work class, for inspection, 20 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM