Over the past several years, PRCI has seen an increasing interest and expansion of its research programs that address Subsea Pipeline Integrity Management and assessment. As part of the continuing interest, PRCI was asked to sponsor a workshop for subsea pipeline operators to evaluate the application of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) for subsea pipeline inspection and intervention. The workshop was held on September 12 in Houston, TX and was attended by more than 20 representatives of PRCI’s member companies that operate subsea pipeline systems. A primary objective of the workshop was to exchange data and information among pipeline operators on the tasks currently performed by Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and divers, and openly discuss and evaluate how these tasks might be performed by, and transferred to, AUVs. Many subsea operators are motivated by a number of factors to move to automated inspection, including the inspection of deepwater systems, where the current information provided by Remote Operated Vehicles or humans (i.e., divers) can be obtained using AUVs.
The workshop consisted of a series of initial presentations to present the current understanding of work completed to date, industry Roadmaps and where AUVs fit the Roadmaps, and information on why operators are interested in using AUVs as a platform to support operations. Following the presentations, the attendees participated in an open, facilitated discussion on the types of inspection and maintenance activities currently performed by ROVs (e.g., sonar surveys and leak monitoring/detection), then ranked and screened each of these activities relative to the following criteria:
The results of the screening assessment performed at the workshop will be included in the report. PRCI expects to develop a matrix for each of the inspections actions covered against the evaluation criteria and update and track the matrix through the AUV User’s Group (see below) and the PRCI R&D Roadmap for Subsea Pipeline Integrity Management.
The workshop was limited to PRCI member companies and was intended to provide an opportunity for the subsea pipeline operating community to define the issues and challenges from an integrity management perspective. PRCI expects to sponsor an additional workshop where the output of this initial work effort is shared with the wider AUV community, including vendors that could support the development of new AUV applications and help define the research needed to achieve the inspection objectives for AUVs. Another positive outcome of the workshop is the interest among the attendees in having PRCI lead an “AUV User’s Group” to provide a working forum for the exchange of data and continued discussions on AUV needs and application for subsea pipeline integrity management. Work to form the user’s group is underway and expected to be completed by November 1.
The outcomes from the workshop are being compiled and a report is being developed. Once completed, the report will be made available to PRCI member companies through PRIME. A separate announcement will be made when the report is finalized and available for member company review. If you would like additional information regarding the workshop or would like to participate in the User’s Group, please contact Mark Piazza, PRCI’s Director of Pipeline Programs.