White Paper: Wave Gliders for Offshore Operations


White Paper: Wave Gliders for Offshore Operations

Leigh Martin — October 4, 2017

What could you do with a robot in the water 24/7? Get extreme current data in real-time, measure seafloor motion with millimeter accuracy, monitor downhole pressure and temperature during well P&A, and more.

Today, the offshore energy industry faces tremendous pressure to restructure its base costs. One solution? Using autonomous systems to replace and/or augment conventional vessels and technologies that are significantly more expensive to operate.Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs)are an excellent example of this. Once considered fringe tools, ROVs now dominate the robotics oil and gas subsea landscape.

Over the past five years, additional autonomous marine technologies have matured from novel systems to industry workhorses. From ROVs to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), these systems have gone through years of sea trials and global missions and have been used to expand exploration, reduce costs and increase operational safety.

With over 1.4 million nautical miles at sea, the Wave Glider is the most experienced ocean surface robot on the planet. Systems have operated through dynamic and sometimes brutal ocean conditions. Since 2010, Wave Gliders have been used in offshore energy for environmental monitoring, subsea communications and seismic surveys.

In this new white paper, you’ll learn how Wave Gliders can help:

  • Increase efficiency of vessels by offloading mundane or dangerous tasks to autonomous systems
  • Get more complete, real-time data sets for better insights and analysis
  • Take people and high-value assets out of harm’s way, especially during severe or harsh weather conditions

So, how can the multitasking Wave Glider help you save money and lower risk in the oilfield?