s the subsea market changes, inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) work is more typically performed on a call-out basis. Consequently, the use of ROVs also has transformed over the years. Today, ROVs are utilized as a resource that is more valuable and complex than merely a subsea camera and instead play a key role in the efficient maintenance of subsea equipment. As a result, ROVs are now expected to remain subsea for a long duration of time and must be able to withstand the demands of the harsh environment as well as perform a number of technologically advanced tasks.
Operators of subsea assets demand reliability and availability in their operational ROVs, which can be utilized safely and efficiently to complete their work scopes. Most recently, the integration of a subsea control systems interface into the ROV has been a milestone serving to dramatically reduce operators’ costs.
C-I’s Augmented Reality and Mid-Water StationKeep systems provide a robust, systemwide platform utilizing sophisticated ROVs equipped with sensor capacity. These systems enable operators to utilize ROVs as the control system rather than having larger assets on location for those services, saving the operator unnecessary expenditure in the process. Furthermore, the advancement of modular ROV systems allows quick diagnoses of issues and rapid repair times. The ability to monitor sensors more closely, set alarm parameters and track data has provided the industry with a platform that helps maintain offshore equipment better than before.
The ability to respond to a client with a full solution, operating as a single point of contact, reduces the cost to the client and also minimizes risks by dealing with a single subcontractor. By adopting this large-scale, single solution approach, work scopes (e.g., tree installations, hydrate remediation, survey operations and IMR, which used to take up to a year to plan) can be achieved in less than a month.
Throughout the planning process, several risks were mitigated for C-I and bp assets by modifying the ROV. This included armouring with Lexan polycarbonate, design of new manipulator mounting subframes to extend the reach of the manipulators by 12 inches and installation of enhanced manipulator controls systems. The C-I project team engaged with the ROV operations groups, offshore managers and tooling group to evaluate the risks involved with the execution of the project. The project was a success and was completed 10 days ahead of bp’s schedule.
Estimated cost savings were $3 million per well when compared to accomplishing the same with a rig and riser. The client considered the procedure to be a huge success and a long-term solution to an otherwise expensive task. This procedure can easily be repeated across other wells and operators in this region.
Additionally, C-I has been awarded a four-year extension of an IMR services agreement, which is an all-inclusive contract including vessel, ROV, survey, engineering and project management for field expansion projects, jumper installations, subsea tree installations, facility underwater inspections in lieu of dry docking, commissioning of new assets for field expansion projects and general field support.
Furthermore, by uniting services and offering complete packages to the end user, a single contractor, such as C-I, can maintain a higher utilization rate, enabling projects to be completed more efficiently than ever before. This single source solution approach makes it much easier to identify and implement the best solutions to the wide array of complex problems that are often encountered offshore.
There will continue to be demand for a complete, economical solution under one operating umbrella in the coming years as the industry adapts to the myriad shocks experienced in 2020.