Saab Seaeye ROV Now with Full Pipeline Survey Spread
For the first time, a full pipeline survey spread has been fitted to a Saab Seaeye ROV in the shape of the Panther XT Plus. The technological breakthrough will bring considerable savings in survey operating costs to operators when compared to deploying a 150hp hydraulic work-class vehicle for the task.
Being acoustically quieter than an hydraulic vehicle, an electric ROV will also produce more accurate multi-beam sonar data. Making this breakthrough possible is the unequalled power of the Panther XT Plus. This industry leading ROV offers a powerful platform for a wide variety of tooling that expands the scope of work tasks possible in a compact vehicle. With 10 thrusters – eight giving exceptional horizontal drive – and having 50 per cent more power than any other ROV in its class, the Panther XT Plus can handle the large array of equipment needed for full pipeline survey work – and keep working in currents at which other ROVs must be withdrawn from active service. The installation of a complete pipeline survey system on a compact electric ROV is considered a significant technological achievement, particularly as it must work alongside other systems, including two powerful four and seven-function Schilling Orion manipulators and a contact CP measurement system, amongst other possible tools.
The survey spread installed on the Panther XT Plus is a complete system that includes a Teledyne TSS pipe-tracker for precise location of pipes; two Reson SeaBat 7125 multi-beam sonars with dual frequency operation for collection of seamless high resolution survey data; a Sonardyne Lodestar inertial navigation system, a Doppler velocity log, camera booms and wheeled skid. The technology necessary to achieve this breakthrough has come from creating a design of ROV that gives more space for tooling, an increased number of data interfaces including a Gigabit Ethernet multiplexer serial data interface, more power supplies, and an enhanced hydraulic system to handle a wide and powerful range of tooling.