A Subsea Robotics Milestone: Commissioning and Start-Up of UID Operations at Njord

Abstract

Abstract For many years the offshore industry has been engaged in the definition of how the future of IMR could have been, with operators looking for cost saving and value adding alternatives to vessel based WROV services. Advanced AUV and/or WROV featuring new capabilities have been part of the analyzed set of solutions, till when Equinor conceived the need for a new generation of underwater robots, called UID: the Underwater Intervention Drone. At that time Saipem was engaged in a similar and very challenging effort, and the UID specification perfectly matched the anticipated Hydrone-R capabilities and in particular its residency feature, which is the essential piece to unlock continuous and vessel-free operations, controlling the drone from onshore and relying on its A.I. driven navigation and control system for safe operations. After several years of preparation activities through the pandemic with consequent delays, the UID has finally hit the water at mid-June 2023, for the long-awaited commencement of the Njord operations. The integration efforts to the Njord-A floater and to the SPS have been substantial in order to allow the performance of resident UID operations both with controls at the rig location and remotely, from the onshore control room in Stavanger. Conducted safely with no incidents to personnel and equipment, the commissioning has been concluded as planned and the UID has become, from the 19th of June 2023, the first resident UID in operations, currently working offshore the Norwegian Continental Shelf in more than 300m of water depth. This paper is primarily intended to share with the offshore energy industry the main lessons learnt during the UID planning, integration and commissioning phase, and through its first months of resident operations, which are part of a familiarization process truly essential to unlock the full capabilities of the UID. Knowledge sharing on project and interface management, operational aspects and management of expectations will be shared to help the offshore energy industry promoting and adopting such UID technology for the benefit of future operations: cleaner, less risky, more sustainable and cost effective.