Fugro’s Fully Remote Offshore Inspection Paves The Way For Maritime Safety

TAQA Netherlands has reportedly emerged as Europe’s first oil and gas operator to execute an end-to-end uncrewed offshore integrity examination.

The campaign reportedly utilized an electrical remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and uncrewed surface vessel (USV).

The project was a collaborative effort between Furgo and TAQA. It is recognized as an opportunity to trial its new Blue Essence vessel dubbed the “Fugro Orca” and the eROV ‘Blue Volta’ to carry out underwater inspections.

The inspection involved multibeam scrutiny, visual inspection, depth of burial, and cathodic protection examination of pipelines between several offshore-operated platforms.

The Blue Essence and accompanying eROV carried out remote structural examinations of selected platforms that comprised visual assessment, cathodic protection inspection, and scour examination with multibeam.

The assignment witnessed a whopping 95% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to conventional approaches – the job required 5% of the fuel used on a traditional integrity examination.

TAQA described inspections like these as “high-risk activities”, deploying 70 individuals on a vessel.

In using such a technology, however, the risks are reduced significantly.

Moreover, the North Sea operator has mentioned that the uncrewed approach to offshore integrity examinations can help save operators in order of 10% or higher. 

Rene Zwanepol, TAQA’s country manager in the Netherlands, said that the firm continues to pursue top-notch quartile operations performance in the oil business, which maintains stringent safety and operational performance and safeguards the workforce’s integrity and assets.

Lex Veerhuis, the Commercial manager at USV and remote working at Fugro, mentioned that Fugro and TAQA have a long relationship regarding the use of innovation to make asset integrity services better, safer, more sustainable, and more efficient.

References: Fugro, Energy Voice, Global Underwater Hub