Equinor to Test Autonomous Robots for Subsea Leak Detection

Equinor is set to trial the use of autonomous robots for subsea leak detection services in the North Sea.

The Norway-based energy company has tapped Houston's Nauticus Robotics and its Norwegian technology partner Stinger Technology for the pilot project. The companies did not say where and when the tests would be performed.

Nauticus, a developer of ocean robots and artificial intelligence for autonomous services, said the pilot aims to validate the its technology and provides an opportunity to qualify for future contracts with Equinor, the leading operator on the Norwegian continental shelf with a presence in around 30 countries worldwide.

“The project for Equinor highlights the versatility of our fleet offering and the increasing need for technologies like ours to address the many challenges for subsea operations in Norway and around the globe,” said Nicolaus Radford, CEO of Nauticus.

Equinor, which has around 600 subsea wells and approximately 9,000 km of subsea pipelines, risers and cables to maintain, continuously explores new ways to improve its capabilities to keep the environment safe.