Shell commissions Saipem to enhance Brazil AUV system
Jan. 10, 2019
Shell has awarded Saipem a license to develop technology for FlatFish, a resident subsea autonomous vehicle designed to perform complex inspections of subsea assets.
FlatFish subsea autonomous vehicle
Offshore staff
SAN DONATO MILANESE, Italy – Shell has awarded Saipem a license to develop technology for FlatFish, a resident subsea autonomous vehicle designed to perform complex inspections of subsea assets.
This should be qualified for commercial application by 2020.
FlatFish is a Brazilian project previously developed over a four-year period by SENAI CIMATEC in partnership with DFKI, with funding from the ANP R&D program and EMBRAPII.
Saipem plans to add capabilities for riser inspection, data harvesting from subsea sensors, contactless monitoring of cathodic protection systems, and a ‘flying-hanging garage’ for launch/recovery and subsea recharging/reprogramming of the FlatFish from offshore platforms.
These enhancements will be supported by SENAI CIMATEC which, along with Saipem do Brasil, entered the development arrangement with Shell Brasil last month.
