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What sort of technology is offered by the latest generation of ROVs? UCI Editor John Bevan called in on three specialist ROV firms based in Aberdeen to find out Sonsub: new 3500-rated ROV  Sonsub is a well-established ROV company that, for the past 10 or so years, has been part of the Saipem group of companies. During my visit I was given an overview of the company structure by Commercial Manager Greg McKenna, and a review of the operations and equipment by ROV Business Development Manager Phil Bremner. Phil Bremner explained: "Sonsub's latest in-house development has been the design and build of the Innovator work-class ROV, along with its tether management system. The vehicle is rated to a depth of 3500 metres. It weighs 3700kg and operates with 150hp. The company also uses the Sub-Atlantic Mohawk ROV. Other ROVs operated by Sonsub include the Triton, Venturer, Discovery and MRV." I was lucky to catch a glimpse of Sonsub's 12,000kg Flexjet II, one of the company's tracked burial vehicles, designed to bury flexible pipeline and cable down to a depth of 500msw. Sonsub's other cable maintenance system is the larger Centaur. This tracked vehicle is controlled via any of the company's Innovator ROVs, which can mate with the trenching skid under water. 
Another of Sonsub's important engineering feats has been the development of Brutus, its diverless pipeline pull-in and connection system. This can operate down to 3000msw and handle pipe up to 24 inches in diameter. Other useful system tools include a Modular Torque Tool (MTT) for flange disconnection, Flange Cleaning Tool and Flange Repair Tool.For flexible flowline connections, Sonsub have built the Diverless Flowline Connection System (DFCS). This device is skid-mounted to an ROV which provides the control facilities. The ROV can uncouple and fly off independently to inspect the alignment or carry out intervention tasks. sonsub.com Sub-Atlantic: rapid growth Sub-Atlantic is a young, dynamic and expanding ROV manufacturing company based in Aberdeen. Established in 1997, its turnover is expected to exceed £3m for 2002. The range of Sub-Atlantic products is tailored to meet carefully identified customer requirements. The main products are the ROVs Apache (one has just been delivered overseas for military application), Mohawk (two just ordered by Qatar Subsea Services), Cherokee (a fourth delivered to Marinspect) and Super-Mohawk (two ordered by MTQ), together with two tether management systems. The products are tried and tested in the oil industry and have rapidly become a popular choice. 
Sales Manager Scott Jamieson showed me an excellent example of the ingenuity of the design team in the Super Mohawk and its range of clip-on tooling skids.Scott said: "The Super Mohawk itself is rated to 2000 metres. It weighs 290kg and packs 117kgf forward thrust. It can operate in a live-boating mode or with a tether management system. Then there is the growing list of neutrally buoyant tooling skids ...". Scott told me that the following skids are now available:
Sub-Atlantic has also produced an eyeball ROV called the Inspector, one of whose applications is in the fish-farming industry. And it has recently designed a useful skid add-on, which it calls a "Mortivator". (As the ROV flies around inside the fish farm enclosures, whenever it spots a dead fish, or "mort", it can fly up to it and suck it into the skid-mounted receptacle.)Another clever unit I noticed on the work bench was a pre-production drop-down camera which has 360-degree rotation in azimuth and 180-degree tilt. This unit has recently been in use on a fish farm for four weeks to evaluate its usefulness. All in all, this is definitely a company to watch. E-mail: sales@sub-atlantic.co.uk, Website: www.sub-atlantic.com Hydrovision: 100hp Venom delivered to Russian Navy  The Russian Navy has taken delivery of the first of two 1000-metre-rated, 100 shaft horsepower Venom ROVs from Hydrovision following Factory Acceptance Testing and a period of technical training in Aberdeen. Operational training has been conducted at Stenmar's Underwater Centre, Fort William. Delivery of the second Venom 1K-100 system was expected as Underwater Contractor went to press. Venom is Hydrovision's flagship work-class ROV for construction, intervention and survey tasks. The company says that it is equally adaptable for salvage and the support of distressed submarines, and it is in these latter roles that it will be operated by the Russian Navy. 
The contract is part of a reported $30 million earmarked by the Russian government to establish a state-of-the-art underwater capability following lessons learned from the Kursk disaster.In addition to the two 3-ton Venoms - which will be fitted with sonar, manipulators and a variety of salvage tools - the ROV contract will include seven Seaeye Tiger observation vehicles built by Hydrovision's subsidiary, Seaeye Marine. The Seaeye Tigers will provide a remote observation, inspection and diver support service, while the Venoms will be able to connect air hoses and communications links to a distressed submarine, and transfer life-support materials to its crew while they await rescue. |
© 2002 Underwater World Publications Ltd.