Feb 20, 2025 (MarketLine via COMTEX) --
Monitoring critical offshore infrastructure is becoming easier thanks to subsea robotic repair and inspection, and could open large areas of the worldaEUR(TM)s oceans to exploration.
As oil and gas fields in shallower waters are depleted and operators seek to access deeper reserves, underwater robots have surfaced as crucial tools for industrial progress.
The devices are known by many names including unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). However, the key benefits for hydrocarbon companies remain consistent: improved worker safety, operational efficiency and infrastructural security.
Providing operators with real-time data on the status of offshore platforms and pipelines is more essential than ever given the escalating impacts of climate change on the deep-sea environment, and geopolitical sabotage, as demonstrated by the Nord Stream saga. A
In response, oil and gas giants including TotalEnergies, Equinor and Shell are increasing investments to deploy robots alongside humans at offshore sites, contributing to the global robotics marketaEUR(TM)s predicted growth of $218bn by 2030.
Offshore Technology delves into the operational benefits and challenges of underwater robots, and assesses their developing role in the future of the oil and gas industry.
Navigating the subsea revolutionThe applications of underwater robots in offshore operations are continuously evolving, driven by the global expansion of platforms and pipelines.
According to research from Offshore TechnologyaEUR(TM)s parent company, GlobalData, as of 2024, the total length of oil and gas pipelines is 2.13 million kilometres and this is expected to grow by more than 5% by 2027. The current global total of offshore platforms stands at to 12,000.
Operators must protect these vast networks, a mammoth task that is facilitated by the efficient monitoring capabilities of underwater robots.
The two main categories used in the hydrocarbon industry are ROVs, which are remotely controlled and tethered to a surface ship, and AUVs, which are pre-programmed to respond to subsea environments without human intervention. These are often deployed alongside terrestrial and aerial robots for a comprehensive view of offshore operations, from the construction stage to end-of-life surveillance.
Underwater robots can conduct surveys for exploration, handle materials for construction and undertake inspections, repairs and maintenance, all of which are essential to maintain routine operations and avoid extended periods of disruption and financial loss.
When integrated with AI, data collected by robots through cameras and sensors on potential vulnerabilities can then be processed onshore to assist in operational planning.
The role of robots has increased in importance as threats against platforms and pipelines have intensified. Damage can be caused by the underwater environment, which exposes infrastructure to corrosion and leakages, despite advancements in coating technologies. Climate change-induced phenomena such as rising sea levels and shifting ocean currents pose additional hazards to offshore infrastructure that require close observation.
Underwater robots have been at the scenes of several extreme accidents and attacks on offshore infrastructure in recent years. Following the infamous Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, ROVs were deployed to clean debris, seal leaks and activate a blowout preventer valve.
Offshore infrastructure can also be caught in the crossfire of geopolitical conflict. Underwater robots helped mitigate the impacts of the biggest attack on pipeline infrastructure in recent history, when the Russian-owned Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea were damaged by man-made explosions in 2022. aEUR~GlidersaEUR(TM) were used to map the debris and measure concentrations of methane in the water using sonars and sensors.
Research from the Ocean Engineering journal states that robots are aEURoeideally suited to the inspection of pipelines, allowing an AUV to maintain its speed and use the pipeline for navigation guidanceaEUR.
GlobalData highlights collaborations between oil and gas companies and technology vendors as enabling the diversification of underwater robots. A prime example is ShellaEUR(TM)s work with ROV-technology provider Geo Oceans in the Gulf of America, where a ROV inspected four cargo oil tanks on a floating production storage and offloading unit, while human workers remained safely onshore.
A representative from oil and gas giant Eni tells Offshore Technology: "UnderwaterArobotsaEUR(TM)AservicesAare typically provided to us by specialisedAcompanies. Eni collaborates withAsuch companiesAto ensure thatAtheir products and servicesAsatisfy theAincreasingly demanding needs of the offshoreAindustry."
While such advancements are enhancing efficiency, productivity and safety, underwater robots remain a relatively nascent technology in the oil and gas industry, bringing additional variables to the already complex offshore environment.
A cost-benefit trade-offFor oil and gas companies already grappling with the high costs of offshore operations, underwater robots present an additional investment. Depending on their capabilities and features, the price of ROVs and AUVs can reach millions of dollars.
However, experts generally agree that the cost-benefit trade-off is ultimately worth it.
Offshore Technology asked Rich Patterson, vice-president of sales at Kongsberg, which develops advanced technologies that offer aEURoeextreme performance for extreme conditionsaEUR, for his view on the financial costs.
aEURoeThere is some industry debate as to whether it is the responsibility of governments or the infrastructure owners to invest in inspecting offshore infrastructure, but the cost of making repairs is millions," he says. "If operators could prevent an incident from happening with robots, then a lot of money would be saved.aEUR
Professor Aaron Becker from the University of Houston concurs. aEURoeThe cost of investment is worth it for oil and gas companies. We are seeing a big increase in the blue economy, so more activity in the ocean.aEUR
The university is home to the Subsea Systems Institute, which is backed by Rice University and NASAaEUR(TM)s Johnson Space Center and home to several research projects on improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of underwater robots for the offshore industry.
Becker highlights that surface ships, which traditional ROVs are tethered to, are aEURoethe most expensive part of the operation. There has been a move to controlling these remotely from a base instead of a ship.aEUR
Matthew Simpson, systems support manager at Forum Energy Technologies (FET), has extensive first-hand experience working on complex offshore projects that use ROVs, and emphasised the required risk assessments.
aEURoeYou need to be very careful about what faults you investigate. If it is not major, you should make a risk assessment before you start about whether it is appropriate to send an ROV down immediately or wait for a suitable maintenance period to avoid potential downtime and financial losses.aEUR
Bringing robots onboardThe integration of robots into existing workflows is another key challenge that offshore operators face.
GlobalData analysis points out that aEURoeuntil autonomous systems for underwater robots develop further, experienced operators and inspection engineers are still necessary to monitor live video feedsaEUR.
aEURoeRobots often just displace where humans work from,aEUR explains Patterson. aEURoeThere is a lot more remote operations now where it used to be necessary to place humans out onto oil and gas platforms, but now those people are monitoring and controlling the operation from onshore. It is an improvement.aEUR
Kongsberg is aiming to simplify the robotic technology it offers to reduce the level of expertise needed, thereby upskilling the broader industry. GlobalData identifies the company as a key innovator in underwater robots for the oil and gas industry.
Developments in robotics have also encouraged job creation, as highlighted by Becker: aEURoeThere is growth in high-value jobs, from the ROV operators to the engineers designing them.aEUR
aEURoeROVs encompass a bit of everything aEUR" hydraulics, high-voltage electrics, electronics, fibre-optics and mechanics,aEUR explains Simpson. aEURoeSo, a good crew will have a mixture of these skill sets to operate the robots effectively under pressure.aEUR
Eni identifies "increasing the frequency ofAin-site periodic or continuous interventionsAwith resident robotic systemsAwithout the need ofApersonnel and vesselAsupports" as a key challenge.
Diving deep into the future of offshore roboticsGlobalData forecasts that the growth of the underwater robots market will be largely driven by advancements in robotic intelligence and cloud connectivity that enhance remote management and facilitate inter-robot communication.
Indeed, Becker says he is aEURoeexcited about seeing long-life miniature AUVs, something like schools of fish that can survey entire pipelines. In my research, we are very interested in how teams of robots can collaborate.aEUR
Robots are also making increasing contributions to the environmental, social and governance aims of hydrocarbon companies. In a key collaboration between TotalEnergies and subsea engineering company Oceaneering in 2024, AUVs were piloted to inspect 120km of subsea pipelines in the North Sea, resulting in a reported 50% decline in emissions compared with existing methods. This makes the technology a significant tool in the ongoing energy transition.
Concerns around ageing offshore infrastructure are another area in which underwater robots can help, as nearly 2,800 fixed platforms (33% of the global total), 18,500 wellheads and 80,000km of offshore pipelines are scheduled for decommissioning by 2030.
As an ROV provider, FET is seeing a rise in the use of the devices for decommissioning, aEURoeparticularly in the North SeaaEUR, says Simpson.
aEURoeWe are going to see much more frequent inspection and maintenance because seawater is terrible on metallic assets and all of it is ageing,aEUR confirms Becker. aEURoeSo, hopefully we will see better stewardship of our environment and less disasters, because they will be caught faster with robots.aEUR
As well as ageing asset maintenance and decarbonisation, Patterson highlights security as a driver of future market growth in ROVs and AUVs. aEURoeThere is already growing uptake, but you bring in the critical infrastructure security aspect, that gets even higher. I don't see that going away in the future as it has been shown how easy it is to tamper with assets.aEUR
Eni confirms to Offshore Technology that: "We expectAa growth of the share of AUVs with respect to more traditional ROVs and we believe this will offer opportunities to further improve Eni's offshore activities and operations."
Overall, proactive oil and gas companies are investing in the research, development and deployment of ROVs and AUVs, recognising the place they occupy in the industryaEUR(TM)s future.
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