An example of UTEC’s AUVs being launched (photo: UTEC)

UTEC, a global survey company in subsea services group Acteon, has been awarded a contract with global subsea construction company Saipem to support its operations as part of the Zohr Field Development Project.

As the largest global operator of low logistics systems, UTEC will bring its experience in Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to the project, which is expected to be one of the biggest gas field discoveries in the Mediterranean Sea, with an estimated 850 billion cubic metres (30 trillion cubic feet) of gas in place.

UTEC will work with Saipem in performing surface positioning on-board the Saipem operated barges, Bautino and Castoro 10, and associated Anchor Handling Vehicles (AHVs), while also providing trenching support, including trench monitoring services and as-trenched surveys utilising UTEC’s Teledyne Gavia AUVs in water depths ranging from 2.5m to 20m. The contract is expected to last around five months.

UTEC has been deploying AUV systems on a range of projects around the world since 2010 and, upon becoming part of the Acteon group, has become the single largest commercial user of the system with seven AUVs in their fleet.

Cory Goodyear, UTEC Business Unit Director, Europe and Africa, says, “The award of this significant contract underlines UTEC’s core values of performance and excellence by providing our clients with the ability to achieve more powerful results, while remaining focused on executing these projects safely and in a cost-effective manner.”

“UTEC has built up a strong relationship with Saipem utilising AUV solutions in Africa, and we look forward to continuing our close working relationship to remain at the forefront of emerging technology and ensure that all of our customers continue to receive world-class service and solutions,” adds Goodyear.

Paul Smith, UTEC Global Director, Projects and Operations, says, “At a time when our industry is challenging conventional methods of survey, the use of low logistic AUVs is a great example of how our global clients can optimise their offshore operations and reduce costs to projects. By deploying AUVs from vessels already in field, Saipem has been able to eliminate the requirement for a dedicated survey vessel to support this phase of the project.”

Tags: Acteon Group, Saipem, UTEC