Oceaneering Upgrades Survey Vessel for Simultaneous Autonomous Missions

U.S.-based subsea services and technology firm Oceaneering has completed a major upgrade of its Ocean Intervention II oceanographic research vessel, equipping it to perform simultaneous autonomous offshore survey missions.

The retrofit, carried out in early 2025 on the 25-year-old vessel, has made it capable of launching and recovering both uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).

The vessel, originally launched in 2000 for geophysical and geotechnical survey work, has been outfitted with new navigation systems, hull-mounted sensors, cloud-enabled data infrastructure, and a modernized engine room.

The upgrade includes a dedicated Launch and Recovery System (LARS) for autonomous platforms and integration with Microsoft Azure for real-time data processing.

“The Ocean Intervention II provides a step change in survey data acquisition productivity with the ability to simultaneously collect AUV, towed geophysical, and geotechnical data. We’re excited to offer this enhanced capability to our clients,” said Peter Buchanan, Senior Director of Survey, Products and Services, Subsea Robotics at Oceaneering.

Oceaneering said the refurbished Ocean Intervention II will work in tandem with its Onshore Remote Operations Centers (OROCs) and remotely operated USVs, allowing for reduced offshore personnel and enhanced operational efficiency.