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James Fisher Subsea (JF Subsea) said it has reduced inspection downtime to 2 percent for Shell UK, through the innovative use of asset-based remotely operated vehicles (ABROVs) on oil rig inspection programmes in the North Sea.

Namely, JF Subsea provided Shell UK with a gravity-based ABROV system. ABROVs were trialled on a planned riser and structural inspection on Shell’s Brent Bravo platform in the North Sea.

JF Subsea provided inspection equipment, ROVs and personnel as part of a bespoke turnkey solution, with the inspection completed and a final report delivered within two weeks. According to JF Subsea, post project analysis concluded that downtime was reduced to 2 percent over the four month campaign period.

Tim Welford, operations manager at JF Subsea, said: “We have long project managed and supplied inspection solutions to Shell UK within the North Sea, and our latest collaboration has not only delivered the exceptional service Shell have come to expect, it has also improved efficiencies from all angles and provided detailed, credible reporting.

“Following the success of the 2016 ABROV inspection campaign on the Brent Bravo, Shearwater, Curlew, Brent Alpha, Gannet and Nelson platforms, Shell UK are now in discussions with JF Subsea to supply this style of service for the next five years on various platforms in the North Sea. JF Subsea is actively marketing this service globally as the benefits cannot be dismissed.”

Charles Tiltscher, principle subsea engineer at Shell UK, commented: “James Fisher Subsea has consistently provided Shell with innovative and efficient solutions. The use of ABROVs has changed the way riser and structural inspections are performed, making them infinitely more efficient and they will become the norm for fulfilling our future requirements.”