New Wave Media

 

Battelle and Technip recently tested the capabilities of the HorizonVue M360 Video System on a job in the Gulf of Mexico’s Green Canyon to inspect subsea oilfield equipment. The result? Greater situational awareness in a complex operating environment 2,200 meters below the surface. The system is now available for sale and lease.

 

“We were able to capture footage of pipeline and other subsea equipment as well as placement of marker buoys in this very deep ocean field,” said Battelle research scientist Matt Gusto. “Each time we do a dive, we learn more about what this camera can do and its value to ROV operators and their clients.” 

 

The camera was tested and operated by Canyon Offshore, Inc., a subsidiary of Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc., with installation, training and mobilization support provided by Seatronics, an Acteon company. Intended for use by Work Class ROV operators, and subsea oilfield survey engineers, the HorizonVue M360 camera provides enhanced situational awareness in areas where keeping track of multiple objects simultaneously is critical. 

 

The HorizonVue Video System records all 360 degrees of the scene simultaneously. When the video is played back the user is able to use a digital pan and tilt window to explore the 360 image in an immersive environment to investigate what is missed by the array of cameras normally used.

 

“The camera delivers information that we don’t normally receive in our survey data package” said Iain Miller, Subsea Intervention Manager of Technip, USA. “The depth of information, and interactivity from 360 imaging software, gives us more information when analyzing the integrity of subsea assets. We can use this tool to communicate the status of equipment on the seafloor, and fuel better engineering decisions for the future of the field.”

 

The camera greatly reduces the time, effort and expense needed to evaluate and work in crowded, complex undersea environments. The cameras can be easily retrofitted on vehicles currently in use or incorporated into newly built platforms using the COTS connector of choice. Seatronics has played a critical role in ensuring that 360 degree imaging technology can be easily integrated with common ROV equipment.

 

“This technology enables a new dimension to camera imagery that will play an essential part in subsea operations,” said Euan Mackay, Vice President of Sales Seatronics Inc. “The system can be independently configured by the client resulting in various viewing options without affecting ROV operations, which not only results in time efficiencies but also provides a safety aspect with spatial awareness.” 

 

The HorizonVue Camera can help operators keep track of objects, and monitor areas of the work space that normally require multiple cameras or go unmonitored. The camera software allows the user to keep pan, tilt, and zoom functionality from a single camera with no moving parts.

 

“The unique view allowed us to prevent a situation that could have become time-consuming to reverse, had it not been caught utilizing the camera’s 360 degree capability,” said Chad Brown, GM Operations of Canyon Offshore.

 

The video system is now available for sale or rental throughout the global offices of Seatronics Ltd., specialists in marine electronic equipment.