Remote processing increases efficiencies for decommissioning project offshore Mauritania

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Havfram was contracted by an energy operator to perform a decommissioning project offshore Mauritania which involved the removal and disposal of subsea infrastructure.

UTEC, a Geo-services brand in Acteon’s Data and Robotics division was contracted by Havfram to provide survey services including post-decommissioning multibeam echo sounder surveys (MBES) to be carried out by a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV). A UTEC Comms hub was to be installed on the Havfram vessel, Island Victory and automated file transfer functionality used to facilitate remote data processing.

THE CHALLENGE

This project required several post-decommissioning surveys including six umbilicals, nine jumpers, nine mooring lines, and various site surveys. All these surveys were planned to be completed before vacating the field which would require non-stop data processing support throughout the survey activities. The survey data needed to be processed and results delivered as soon as possible.

Usually, jobs of this nature require at least two data processing personnel onboard the ship working a 12-hour rotation to meet a tight deadline. However, on this project, only one data processor was onboard, and one remote processor worked onshore. An automated file transfer system within the UTEC comms hub would be required to achieve a quick turnaround of results.

Another challenge was the requirement to log the MBES data with the backscatter intensity enabled. This significantly increases the volume of data that needs to be transferred. The functionality within the UTEC Comms hub would be used to overcome this challenge, without requiring additional bandwidth, by compressing the raw data and reducing the file size before automatically uploading it to the cloud for remote processing.

CUSTOMER GOAL

Havfram’s goal was to complete the project using remote processing techniques to reduce their carbon footprint and project costs.

To do this they needed to securely get data ashore where it could be accessed by onshore personnel. This provided the additional flexibility of allowing onshore management to review and make decisions based on the real field data whenever required.

OUR SOLUTION AND ITS COMMERCIAL BENEFITS

Market-leading services and integrated solutions

• UTEC used the comms hub to bring the data ashore securely and efficiently in close to real-time, allowing the onshore data processor to work as if onboard the ship. This allowed UTEC to complete the processing activities as requested by Havfram on time.
• The UTEC Comms hub facilitated all aspects of remote services by providing a secure and resilient communications link whilst being extremely efficient in its use of VSAT bandwidth.

We optimise the project to increase commercial value

• Havfram only needed to pay for the data processor for the time they worked on the data, and not the mobilisation and stand-by time associated with utlising offshore personnel.
• No additional equipment or software licenses were required as UTEC’s remote data processors accessed centralised data processing resources remotely.
• Data was made available onshore immediately for management review to assist with any critical decisions related to the project operations.

We work at scale with a proven track record for delivery

• Using the comms hub and centralised data processing resources, UTEC delivered results efficiently within the customer-defined timeline. This adds to an extensive track record and proves that UTEC can deliver results at scale for future projects.

Minimise the environmental impact

• The UTEC Comms hub allowed the remote processor to work from the UK while the project was in Mauritania, reducing HSE exposure, saving time, minimising costs, and reducing carbon footprint.

Combine digital technology and data to enhance our expertise

• The comms hub was interfaced to the vessel network system and the ROV survey data, including video, and was uploaded to the cloud in real-time with minimum user involvement.
• The network resilience of UTEC’s SD-WAN tunnel minimised the bandwidth required for data transfer by eliminating packet loss and WAN delays to provide seamless and highly secure data transfer.

PRODUCTS USED

• UTEC Comms hub

“Once again UTEC’s remote technology has provided our customer with an innovative and cost-effective solution to successfully complete the project while minimising the carbon footprint of our operations as well as reducing the HSE exposure of our personnel. We are proud to be able to deliver these remote services to our customers at scale,” said Ross Leitch, UTEC EA Region General Manager

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