Emerging Capabilities For Autonomous Inspection Repair and Maintenance

Emerging Capabilities for Autonomous Inspection Repair and
Maintenance
Dan McLeod
Lockheed Martin MS2
100 E. 17th St.
Riviera Beach, FL 33404 USA
Abstract- production will require more frequent

inspection and testing of subsea assets.
Inspection Repair and Maintenance (IRM) of Operating companies will be searching for cost
Deepwater Oil and Gas infrastructure is effective and safe means of accomplishing
currently limited to the capability provided by deepwater inspections, and AUVs offer a
today’s work class Remotely Operated Vehicles. compelling solution.
A significant portion of ROV operations
underutilize their work capabilities for routine I-INTRODUCTION
tasks such as inspection, survey, and light
intervention and yet still require large Underwater Inspection Repair and Maintenance
dynamically positioned surface vessels and (IRM) of Deepwater Oil and Gas infrastructure is
large, heavy deck spreads including umbilical presently limited to the capability provided by
winches and launch and recovery gear along today’s work class Remotely Operated Vehicles.
with the associated costs of crew system A significant portion of ROV operations often
maintenance and mobilization/demobilization. underutilize their work capabilities for routine
tasks such as inspection, survey, and light
AUVs capabilities are emerging that permit intervention yet still require large dynamically
deepwater autonomous inspection, repair and positioned surface vessels, large and heavy deck
light intervention, eliminating the restrictions spreads including umbilical winches and launch
imposed by an ROV at a significantly lower cost and recovery gear along with the associated
to the operator by reducing support ship costs of crews system maintenance and
requirements, mobilization and demobilization mobilization/demobilization (TABLE 1).
costs, offshore crew size and skills, and greater
inspection efficiency. TABLE 1. Deepwater IRM ROV vs. AUV Host
Impact
Critical technological advancements include ROV AUV
mature hover capable vehicles with sufficient Typical Vessel Spec 240 ft LOA 120 ft
energy to conduct deepwater operations, DPII Utility class
modular autonomous perception and response System Deck Footprint
2
~ 1,000 ft + ~ 200 ft
2
architecture, and new technologies such as 3D System Weight ~ 80 tons ~ 5 tons

sonar, 3D lasers, and automated real time Vessel Crew Size 20-40 6-8
change detection. Similar to the revolution that Vessel Day Rate 8-10$X $X
occurred with ROVs in the ‘80s and ‘90s, AUVs
are rapidly advancing in capability and will play The impact from the BP Macondo well disaster
a significant role in deepwater operations. on subsea inspection and maintenance
requirements is yet to be determined, however
While the specific policy implications of the one can safely assume that there will be
Deepwater Horizon disaster are not predictable increased inspection frequency imposed on all
we can expect that deepwater drilling and subsea assets.
978-1-4244-4333-8/10/$25.00 ©2010 IEEE

The cost of offshore operations continues to III- TECHNOLOGY GAPS DEFINED
increase, driving Operating companies to
consider more cost effective alternatives to To enable autonomous IRM product
ROVs and Divers for conducting routine development, critical gaps in AUV capability,
inspection and light intervention [1][2]. autonomous technology, and sensors must be
closed.
II- IS THERE A BETTER WAY? Capability Gaps include but are not limited to:
• Hover capable highly maneuverable
AUVs capabilities are emerging that permit AUVs
deepwater autonomous inspection repair and • Increased payload power allocation
light intervention, eliminating the restrictions • Increased payload weight allocation
imposed by an ROV at a significantly lower cost • Flexible field-reconfigurable interfaces
to the operator. This is achieved by reducing to payloads and sensors
support ship requirements, mobilization and • Reliable command and control link to
demobilization costs, offshore crew size and the operator
skills, and greater inspection efficiency. • Autonomous docking to passive fixed
structures
Today’s commercial AUVs are primarily applied • Autonomous Manipulation
in conducting ocean science experiments and • Increased reliability of vehicle systems
sonar/bathymetric surveys with limited
capability to perform platform inspection and Autonomous Technology Gaps include but
intervention tasks. Autonomous functionality is are not limited to:
limited to simple path following, health and • Feature based navigation
status monitoring. These survey AUVs are
• Image recognition
operationally encumbered by the need to
• Manipulation
constantly communicate to the host vessel. A
• Change detection
new Autonomy paradigm is required.
• Obstacle avoidance
Most AUVs are torpedo shaped, cannot hold • Adaptive path planning
station vertically or maneuver in tight spaces, • Homing & Docking
have limited payload power, and require
extensive reconfiguration for added sensors or Sensor Gaps include but are not limited to:
tools. A new Vehicle form factor paradigm is • True 3D sonar
required. • 3D Scanning Laser
• Hydrate detection Sensors
Today’s sensors employed by AUVs are • Non contact Temperature sensors
primarily sonar based including Side Scan Sonar, • Hydrocarbon sensors
Forward Looking Sonar, Bathymetric Sonar and
scientific instrumentation specific to science Government, Academic and Industry
missions. A new Sensor paradigm is required. investments are required to address the
maturation of these technology gaps to a
Autonomous Underwater Inspection Vehicles technology readiness level suitable for
will change these paradigms, offering Operating incorporation into products.
companies a cost effective means for
conducting inspections. Similar to the revolution in Remotely Operated
Vehicles during the 1980s and 1990s, AUVs are
rapidly advancing in capability and will begin to
play a significant role in deepwater operations V-LOCKHEED MARTIN’S MARLIN™
as these various gaps are addressed. AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLE
IV-AUVs BENEFITS IN DEEPWATER IRM Lockheed Martin MS2 has applied our extensive
experience in underwater vehicles, autonomy,
Fewer People at sea sensor technologies, and systems integration
toward developing our Marlin AUV to perform
Unlike ROVs, AUVs do not require any highly as an autonomous inspection system,
skilled personnel to be onboard the vessel. addressing the critical technology, capability,
AUVs permit the highly skilled “operators” to be and sensor gaps identified above (Figure 1).
located at a centralized onshore location where The Marlin Offshore Inspection System will
missions are planned monitored and provide operators with a system ideally suited
information analyzed thereby dramatically for inspection of platforms, risers, moorings,
reducing offshore crew sizes and associated pipelines, flowlines, umbilicals, and subsea
training and skill requirements. Fewer infrastructure.
personnel can perform more simultaneous
operations than similar ROV based operations,
with at-sea crews focused on straightforward
AUV launch recovery monitoring and
maintenance. AUVs ultimately will be field
resident for extended periods permitting
frequent remote tasking without the need to
plan and mobilize ships crews and equipment.
Fewer people dramatically reduce the carrying
costs of highly skilled operators and all of the
associated liabilities with people at sea.
Smaller Support Vessels
AUVs can be deployed from smaller support

vessels with smaller crews again drastically
reducing operational costs. Fuel consumption is
dramatically reduced decreasing carbon
footprint and mobilization and demobilization
costs are minimized.
More efficient Inspection
Without the constraint of an umbilical, AUVs Figure 1. Lockheed Martin Marlin™

can stand off from the facility being inspected Autonomous Underwater Inspection Vehicle
and perform a jacket inspection in a fraction of
the time required for divers or ROVs. Key features of the Lockheed Martin system
Pipeline/flowline inspections can be completed include:
at a speed of advance exceeding 2 kts. • Highly Maneuverable vehicle
compared to ROV inspections at speeds less • Fully Autonomous adaptive route
than 0.5 kts. planning
• Integrated 3D sonar and Forward VII - Conclusion
Looking Sonar
• Autonomous 3D model generation Operating companies will be searching for cost
• Autonomous Real Time change effective means of accomplishing deepwater
Detection inspections, and AUVs offer a compelling
• High Definition video/still camera solution. Lockheed Martin’s Marlin AUV
• Acoustic communications Link outfitted for Inspection closes the technology
• USBL Acoustic tracking system gaps identified and provides a commercial
• Integrated Sensor data recording, product solution for dramatically reducing
display, playback, and geo-tagging inspections costs while also addressing
• Autonomous homing & docking environmental and safety needs highlighted by
• Underwater vehicle capture for the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
recovery
REFERENCES
Lockheed Martin will be performing
Demonstrations of the Marlin Offshore [1] F. Addison, K. Kennelley, F. Gotros “Future
Inspection System in the US Gulf of Mexico in Challenges for Deepwater Developments”
early 2011. Offshore Technology Conference 2010, OTC
20404, pp. 4, May 2010
VI- DEEPWATER HORIZON TRAGEDY
[2] B. Braun, B. Tilton, “The Growing Role of
An AUV with Inspection capability could have Autonomous Technology in Post Hurricane Rig
played a pivotal role in the early days of the Inspection”, Marine Technology Reporter, pp
recent Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf 22, April 2010
of Mexico MC252 field. By providing a standoff
capability from the launching platform AUVs
could have assessed the underwater state of
the BOP, riser, and surrounding seabed while
the Deepwater Horizon fire raged without
placing operations personnel at risk and giving
land based operators a more rapid and
complete underwater operational picture from
which to plan their response. After the rig sank
AUVs could have performed rapid seabed
surveys giving responders a map of the
underwater scene followed by monitoring of
critical seabed equipment until other assets
were mobilized.
While the specific policy implications of the

Deepwater Horizon disaster are not predictable
we can expect that deepwater drilling and
production will require higher standards of
asset integrity management, necessitating more
frequent inspection and testing of subsea
assets.

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Emerging Capabilities for Autonomous Inspection Repair and

Abstract- production will require more frequent

architecture, and new technologies such as 3D System Weight ~ 80 tons ~ 5 tons

978-1-4244-4333-8/10/$25.00 ©2010 IEEE

Smaller Support Vessels

AUVs can be deployed from smaller support

More efficient Inspection

Without the constraint of an umbilical, AUVs Figure 1. Lockheed Martin Marlin™

While the specific policy implications of the

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