Nauticus Robotics Inc. has sealed a contract with Shell plc for inspection services on a Shell subsea field development in the Gulf of Mexico.
Nauticus, a developer of ocean robots and artificial intelligence for autonomous services for offshore industries, said in a press release that the contract has the potential for future inspection services projects. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
The contract follows the successful qualification phase of Nauticus for autonomous methods of subsea operations for inspection services and recognizes the company’s “successful transition to a fully operational offshore service provider,” according to the statement.
Nauticus said its autonomous underwater robot Aquanaut will serve as the project’s “workhorse” and perform non-contact and contact inspections of a vast underwater complex. The project includes Nauticus’ first method of autonomous underwater manipulation of live underwater assets in water depths greater than 3,281 feet (1,000 meters). A remote pilot will collaborate with Aquanaut during the operation using Nauticus’ acoustic communications link to ensure safe operations, the company said.
The project also includes what Shell has called a “force multiplier” solution with multiple scopes of work to be run simultaneously from a smaller class of service vessels that would not normally be dedicated to inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR), Nauticus said. adding that Aquanaut not needing an umbilical is a “key enabler of the business case”.
“Nauticus now has long-term visibility into IMR services for Shell and the opportunity to become the supplier of choice for this advanced work,” said Nauticus CEO Nicolaus Radford.
In June, Nauticus signed a contract with Petrobras to deploy Aquanaut to support the oil major’s offshore activities, according to a previous press release.
Aquanaut will be deployed in Petrobras’ deepwater production field using supervised autonomy for field inspection services. According to the statement, the contract involves approximately two months of underwater inspection time and is one of the largest awarded contracts of its type to date worldwide.
“A contract with another world-leading operator for Nauticus speaks to the state-of-the-art technologies of our autonomous robots as we further penetrate global markets,” said Radford. “The market opportunity for Nauticus offshore Brazil is significant as it is one of the most active offshore energy basins in the world; we are pleased to enter this market through a world-class operator. We competed through a rigorous bidding process with many well-respected industry competitors to win this business with Petrobras and look forward to deploying our assets to validate our capabilities. We continue to build on our strong portfolio of opportunities, giving us the confidence to execute on our mission and deliver long-term shareholder value.”
In August, Equinor ASA engaged Nauticus and its local business partner Stinger Technology AS for the deployment of Nauticus’ proprietary leak detection technology service. The pilot project addresses the need to improve leak detection technologies, with the intention of demonstrating and qualifying Nauticus leak detection technology using autonomous robots, according to a separate press release.
“The Equinor project highlights the versatility of our fleet offering and the growing need for technologies like ours to address the many challenges of subsea operations in Norway and around the world,” Radford said. “This milestone is yet another example of how we are at the forefront of this technical revolution and are changing the way we work in our precious oceans.”
According to the company, Nauticus provides customers with underwater data collection, analysis and manipulation capabilities to support and maintain assets while reducing their operational footprint, operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions to improve health, safety and environmental exposure on the high seas.
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