In 2023 the world first resident underwater intervention drone (UID) had been operational for more than 5 months continuously offshore Norway, unlocking a revolutionary “vessel-free” way of conducting inspections and light intervention.
A year later, the same drone has been continuing its pioneering experience, introducing novel features and advanced capabilities. In view of its second offshore campaign, Hydrone-R has been called to expand its subsea resident capabilities to the unbelievable limit of 8months, and to demonstrate its ability to perform a vast range of tasks while working at depth. In this regard, the collaborative one-team approach between Equinor and Saipem has allowed the execution of challenging operations, gradually increasing the complexity and the intensity of the UID daily activities, in a series of industry first.
The Hydrone-R unique operational condition allows value generation by constantly saving not only costs but also fuel with associated emissions as well as offshore days when compared to conventional vessel-based activities. The ongoing project is indeed a unique example of how the implementation of novel technology can contribute to the future of offshore energy production and transportation: derisking offshore operations while allowing constant presence at the field for immediate intervention or troubleshooting are paramount objectives when considering the criticality of implementing sustainable ways to safely produce essential energy resources.
The proposed presentation will provide an overview of Hydrone-R operations with a quantification of savings and value generation, together with a description of the most challenging tasks performed by the UID in operation.