Slocum G2 Gliders Delivered to DOF Subsea
Teledyne Webb Research announced the sale and delivery of Slocum G2 Gliders to DOF Subsea North America for use in commercial oil and gas related applications.
While approximately 500 Slocum gliders have been sold for academic and military applications, including fleets of gliders to the U.S. Navy, Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) and the United Kingdom National Oceanography Centre (NOC), the deliveries to DOF Subsea are amongst the first Slocum gliders delivered to service providers in the oil and gas market.
The Slocum gliders are equipped with an Environmental Characterization Optics (ECO) sensor, a Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) sensor, and a Teledyne RD Instruments, Poway, CA, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) for current profiling. All gliders are 1,000m rated and feature the optional propeller to expand the operational envelope of the vehicle.
Utilizing remotely managed autonomous underwater vehicles like the Slocum glider will enable service providers to gather vital, near real-time, water column data to improve situational awareness in operating areas at a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches utilizing surface vessels. Slocum gliders can be equipped with a choice of over 40 different sensors and are capable of deployments lasting up to a year. These gliders maintain communications through a satellite link permitting data transfer and missions management remotely, making gliders an ideal tool for oil and gas applications.
“DOF Subsea selected the Slocum glider as our first platform for remotely managed Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Oil and Gas operations due to its scalability, reliability and track record,” stated Sean M. Halpin, Global AUV Manager for DOF Subsea North America. “The use of long duration remotely managed vehicles reduces the risk and cost of many of our present operations and therefore we believe that this type of platform has a bright future within DOF Subsea and the oil and gas industry. Two of our vehicles are already committed on a long term project and we look forward to expanding our operations to suit market conditions.”
Arnar Steingrimsson, Teledyne Marine Systems Director of Sales – Vehicles, said, “We will continue to work with DOF Subsea and other commercial survey users to optimize the Slocum glider for oil and gas applications and make the Slocum glider the ultra-long endurance autonomous underwater vehicle of choice for service providers.”