Second subsea drone joining Njord inspection program offshore mid-Norway
May 6, 2024
Saipem’s underwater intervention drone Hydrone-R has achieved 167 days of continuous subsea residency at the Equinor-operated Njord Field development in the Norwegian Sea.
Courtesy Saipem
Offshore staff
MILAN, Italy — Saipem’s underwater intervention drone Hydrone-R has achieved 167 days of continuous subsea residency at the Equinor-operated Njord Field development in the Norwegian Sea.
The company signed a 10-year contract in 2019 with Equinor for the drone to perform inspections and interventions on subsea facilities, providing data on potential hazards and supporting integrity and safety of the subsea equipment.
For almost six months, the drone has been operating continuously, conducting remotely operated tasks and autonomous missions. Saipem's onshore control center in Stavanger is fully supervising operations via a communication link. The company’s drone pilots can either command the Hydrone-R or upload special missions onboard the vehicle for it to perform autonomously.
Shortly, Saipem also expects to introduce Hydrone-W, a fully electric heavy-duty subsea drone. The vehicle will operate in tandem with Hydrone-R across the entire Njord Field.
