Autonomous pipeline surveys boost safety
Autonomous surveys of inshore pipeline can be conducted safely and cost effectively compared to traditional manned solutions, a new project shows.
Hydrographic survey company Ultrabeam Hydrographic recently teamed up with Unmanned Survey Solutions (USS) to conduct inspection surveys of Mutual Energy’s Larne and Belfast lough crossing subsea gas pipelines using a USV.
Mutual Energy were keen to gain experience of how unmanned autonomous platforms could increase the knowledge of its pipelines, while reducing risk and overall cost.
Shane Rafferty, group engineer, explained: “In a first for Mutual, an Unmanned Survey Vessel (USV), the ‘USS Accession’, provided by Ultrabeam’s project partners Unmanned Survey Solutions, was to be deployed.”
He added: “We were pleased to see early data capture and quality provide assurance of equal standards to previous surveys, such that the assets could be returned a clean bill of health.”
Fitted with sonar
The 3.5m Accession Class USV built by USS was fitted out with an R2SONIC 2024 high resolution multi-beam sonar, SBG Ekinox Navsight Inertial Navigation System and sound velocity sensors from Valeport. The data was acquired in QINSy, which was also used as the autopilot for the autonomous line running.
James Williams, director of Unmanned Survey Solutions, commented: “The survey conditions were marginal with strong winds, tidal currents and waves however the vessel’s stabilisation fins ensured that the data was exceptionally clean. We were also able to get closer inshore than on any previous surveys using manned vessels.”
By Rebecca Jeffrey
