AC-CESS ALL OCEANS

These are questions recently put to an Audience at Subsea Expo 2016 in Aberdeen. You may think there are technical limitations, but in reality there aren’t – NOT anymore. Yes, some things are tricky, but as Engineers, Operators and Researchers, we have made it to full ocean depth, so the stage is now set to refine and evolve underwater access solutions, of all types and for all depths, and who knows what applications. The “disappearing limitations” are actually political, and centered on The Law of the Seas. These Laws are well advanced and evolving under the UN mandate that OUR OCEANS, and their resources, should belong to the whole of mankind. So are All Oceans developing a new ROV ? Well yes, and it is going to be bigger than the AC-ROV, but we are not going to say by how much, at least not yet. Given All Oceans' lead in the Fly-out and micro ROV market with the AC-ROV 3000 and AC-ROV 100, then the inevitable question of "does it come as a complete system" will be asked. So yes again, the solution will satisfy both deployment methods; surface deployed system and Fly-out. Going back to its size, it will not be big enough to carry significant sampling tools, but this is not a compromise on what defines an access capable system; DEPLOY - LOCATE - OBSERVE - SAMPLE - RECOVER. If you have an ROV and a TMS, then together they make up the submersible package. To harness all of the advantages of having a small deep capable ROV system, the solution spreads the functionality across these two elements to best advantage. Instead of a TMS, there is a SHUTTLE, and as its name suggests it provides flexible payload capacity. A principle package will be the new Fly-out ROV and TMS, whilst others will be mission specific; sampling, scientific, or whatever. A complete vessel deployed 6000m system, with 2 man control station and work area, will load out at under 5Te, have a footprint of 6m x 2.5m and have a peak power demand of 20kw. The "Small Advantage" or in other words the benfits are; Small ROV systems don’t need big support vessels. They are easier and less expensive to move around the world, easier to lift on and off vessels, easier to sea-fasten and to supply with power. Going small reduces Capital Expenditure and Operational costs all round. The project was started two years ago and is well advanced with some significant elements built, in build and being progressed through testing. Watch this space.

For more information on AC-CESS ALL OCEANS talk to All Oceans Engineering Ltd