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    1. Subsea

    Chevron using mini ROVs for subsea inspections offshore Angola

    July 14, 2023
    The company began testing mini ROVs in Angola in 2020 and have since conducted more than 30 structure surveys, with plans to perform more than another 150 surveys in the next three years.
    Related To: Chevron
    Courtesy Chevron
    Chevron says mini ROVs help inspect subsea assets in shallow water.
    Chevron says mini ROVs help inspect subsea assets in shallow water.

    Offshore staff

    Courtesy Chevron
    A mini ROV is equipped with dual FiGS sensors for a pipeline survey in Southern Africa.
    A mini ROV is equipped with dual FiGS sensors for a pipeline survey in Southern Africa.
    SAN RAMON, Calif. — Chevron’s newest mini ROVs for subsea inspections are the result of a partnership with tech company BeyonC to use ROVs that combine a vehicle made by JM Robotics with FiGS sensor technology made by FORCE Technology.

    Chevron says the mini ROV-based inspections allow the company to get a thorough and accurate assessment of its assets without sending in divers or a work class ROV.

    The company began testing mini ROVs in Angola in 2020 and have since successfully conducted more than 30 structure surveys with the mini ROVs equipped with FiGS sensors. Plans are in motion to carry out more than 150 structure surveys over the next three years in the region.

    Work class ROVs can be 20 times larger than the mini ROVs and require a large vessel and a team of up to 10 people for field execution. Plus, they don’t operate well in shallow water; these inspections are typically carried out by divers.

    Mini ROVs, which are smaller than a person, work well in shallow water. A team as small as two people can deploy them from anywhere at any time without a separate vessel. The mini ROVs get power through their tether but can run on batteries for up to six hours, Chevron explained.

    Courtesy Chevron
    A team of two can deploy a mini ROV.
    A team of two can deploy a mini ROV.

    Mini ROVs offer estimated savings of approximately $130,000 per deployment in Chevron's Southern Africa Strategic Business Unit. The cost savings come from minimizing the use of divers, not having a need for a vessel or for additional personnel for vessel-based ROV deployments, as well as from faster inspections.

    Mini ROVs also can be up to five times faster than work class ROVs, Chevron said. 

    07.14.2023