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    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
    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.

    01/10/2019