The SRV-8 ROV is Improving Underwater Pipeline Inspections
INMARVENCO C.A. is a commercial diving company that specializes in offshore pipeline inspections.
What are some of the main factors that influenced your decision to choose the SRV-8 ROV over other competitors?
Bigger isn’t always better. With a system like Oceanbotics’ SRV-8, you can perform the same, if not better, than larger ROVs in rough ocean conditions. We were looking for a compact, small ROV capable of operating in adverse offshore conditions. We wanted an underwater drone that could provide the same value as our bigger ROVs because it saves a lot of money for our clients.
In terms of performance, what are your thoughts on our controller choices?
They are very easy to use. I have had two different generations of people piloting the SRV-8. The older generation prefers the fight stick type of control. However, pilots like my son, who is part of a newer generation, love the gaming controller and its ease of use.
Francisco Domingo about his team’s experience with their SRV-8 ROV.
Can you provide an example of a time that our ROV has given you cost savings?
A major 30-degree offshore gas pipeline in Venezuela was hooked by the anchor of a tanker and displaced from its initial laying axis. In addition to visualizing the external damage to the concrete coating and validating whether the bare pipe had been damaged, our ROV pilots had to specify the displacement of the gas pipeline very precisely.
Thanks to the SRV-8 and SubNav OS software, we had all the coordinates from previous underwater pipeline inspections, and we were able to tell the client how far it had moved much quicker than if we hadn’t had the underwater drone.
