Case study
Fugro completes first remote USV inspection for Woodside
Offshore North West Shelf, Western Australia
Client
Woodside Energy Limited
Project duration
April 2021 - May 2021
Fugro has used their first operational Blue Essence® uncrewed surface vehicle (USV), the 12 m Fugro Maali, to complete an entirely remote nearshore inspection of three gas trunklines in the North West of Australia for Woodside’s North West Shelf Project.
Life cycle
Planning, feasibility, conceptual design
Design
Construction
Operations and maintenance
Decommissioning
Show full process
Blue Essence®
12 metre uncrewed surface vessel fleet for inspection, construction support and seabed mapping
Blue Essence®
The Blue Essence® 12 metre uncrewed surface vessel equipped with Fugro's state-of-the-art Blue Volta® electric powered remotely operated vehicle, delivers enhanced inspection and light intervention of your assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.
Covered by USV
nautical miles
Challenge
To complete an inspection project entirely remotely, without the use of traditional large inspection vessel. To reduce personnel HSE risk and reduce carbon emissions.
Solution
The USV remote inspection, the first to be completed by the new USV, comprised a multibeam survey, visual inspection and cathodic protection assessment of the gas trucklines to comply with Woodside and regulatory requirements. Fitted with an electric remotely operated vehicle (eROV), the USV mobilised at the end of April and was controlled from the Woodside-operated King Bay Supply Facility and Fugro's Remote Operations Centre in Perth, approximately 1500 km south of the Woodside trunklines. During the one-month project, Fugro’s remote operations team navigated approximately 1300 nautical miles in the surrounds of Dampier Port, one of the busiest resource ports in Australia, without incident and consuming a total of only 3300 litres of diesel, reducing CO2 emissions by 97% compared to a traditional vessel. Fugro's bespoke remote operations and robotic control architecture allowed the USV and eROV to be operated over large distances with minimal latency and high reliability, ensuring the USV operators maintained control of the vehicles in real time, just as if they were controlling them from a conventional vessel bridge
Top view of USV
Innovative highlight
Blue Essence® USV and eROV was used to carry out the inspection work in place of a traditional larger inspection vessel. Reduction of 97% in CO2 emissions due to reduced fuel usage and removal of up to 30 personnel from offshore roles – reduced HSE risk.
Impact
Improved safety (reduced offshore staff hours)
Reduced CO2 emissions
Long term cost reductions
Improved opportunities for more diverse workforce
Fugro and Woodside USV Inspection Project Team.
The future is remote and autonomous
Remote and autonomous technologies are the future of marine operations and at the forefront of our vision. We are continuously developing and scaling up our growing fleet of advanced technologies to deliver safe, sustainable and reliable solutions for your offshore projects.