Oceaneering Successfully Conducts Remote UWILD Operations Around the Globe

Innovative approach uses technology to reduce risk, cost, and POB offshore

1 Project Overview

Over the past five years, Oceaneering has changed the way it offers Underwater Inspections In Lieu of Dry Docking (UWILDs).

We have completed several remote UWILDs for multiple operators on different vessels positioned around the globe, including in Guyana, Brazil and US Gulf of Mexico. The work scope included various maintenance activities required by standard inspection and classification bodies.

2 The Remote Approach

With a remote approach that leverages our experience and expertise with high definition (HD) inspection streaming, we enable operators to successfully reduce personnel on board (POB) by up to three persons.

We increased schedule flexibility, reduced personnel mobilization risk, lowered associated costs, and successfully navigated the current COVID-19 quarantine limitations by providing HD quality inspection streaming from a home- or office-based office set-up. Subject matter experts for the UWILD program are centrally located in Houston, which enables the execution of high quality inspection without the exposure risk from traveling offshore.

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3 Issues

The operators were motivated to reduce risk and costs associated with inspection and cleaning activities for their respective projects.

The customers needed to evaluate the cost associated with the offshore UWILD operations, including mobilization, quarantine, and personnel accommodations. Even more pressing, in this particular work scope, was adherence to strict COVID-19 operating protocols once onboard. The operators wanted to use the most cost-efficient, effective, and risk-reducing approach to complete the required operations.

4 The Oceaneering Solution

Oceaneering proposed a remote UWILD solution that relied on our ability to provide high uptime and streaming capability to ensure the inspection activities could be monitored by the onshore class surveyor.

To achieve this, we leveraged our existing streaming infrastructure on our ROV system to provide a constant live stream of the work. No additional bandwidth was required. The additional offshore personnel typically required to execute this work scope was reduced from four to one. There were additional cost savings generated because there was no need to place those additional team members in quarantine for up to seven days, or incur any travel expenses. This was a successful outcome because there was limited bedspace for the team.

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5 Execution Plan

The Oceaneering Remote UWILD team mobilized the necessary suite of equipment from our Houston facility. The equipment needed is minimal and can be hand carried, if required.

Technicians from our ROV and Remote Operations Groups will conduct preliminary tests to configure the live stream. Days prior to the UWILD operation, the team performs additional tests with shoreside personnel to assure connectivity. The video stream is tested in the presence of the attending class surveyor.

At the designated time of the inspection, critical personnel login to the viewing portal with a secure account. A satellite conference call is then initiated. The Millennium® work class ROV begins operations by cleaning the sea chests on the vessels. During this time, the customer and class surveyor view the live stream of all ROV activities.

The ROV carries out inspection of the ship’s sea chests gratings, bilge keels, moonpool, and overboard discharge valves. During this process, the viewing portal is used to collaborate with the customer and class surveyor. The highly trained and experienced Oceaneering project superintendents guide the viewers and direct the ROV supervisors to a satisfactory inspection.

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6 Results

Oceaneering has completed nearly a dozen remote UWILDs operations in multiple countries.

By using remote operations, our customers are able to adhere to strict COVID-19 protocols thereby reducing both exposure risk to personnel and reducing POB. Another added benefit of this remote approach is our ability to compress the reporting time by half.

The customers’ vessels are now certified for another 2.5 years for safe commercial operation. The success of these operations will set a new industry standard. Remote UWILDs increase safety and enable cost reduction. Most importantly, remote UWILDs offer customers scheduling flexibility. With no need to mobilize personnel and equipment to go offshore, Oceaneering can conduct these UWILDs quickly and effectively, as soon as customers need them.

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Company page Since our founding in the early 1960s, Oceaneering has expanded and grown globally to service several industries such as the offshore energy industry, defense, entertainment, material handling, aerospace, science, and renewable energy industries. In 1964, Mike Hughes and Johnny Johnson formed a Gulf of Mexico diving company called World Wide Divers. The company grew in response to increasing demand for their services and in 1969 merged with two other diving companies to form Oceaneering International, Inc. To solve the toughest challenges, we do things differently, creatively, and smarter. As your trusted partner, our unmatched experience and truly innovative portfolio of technologies and solutions give us the flexibility to adapt and evolve, regardless of market conditions. Our mission is to solve the unsolvable. We thrive by creating industry-changing technically creative solutions for the most complex operational challenges under water, on land, and in space. Our five core values establish a common culture and demonstrate what is most important for us as a company. Since the beginning, the company has transformed from a small regional diving company into a global provider of engineered products and services. Today, we develop products and services for use throughout the lifecycle of an offshore oilfield, from drilling to decommissioning. We operate the world's premier fleet of work class ROVs. Additionally, we are a leader in offshore oilfield maintenance services, umbilicals, subsea hardware, and tooling. We also serve the aerospace, defense, and theme park industries. Underpinning everything we do, safety is not only the foundation of our core values, but it is vital to our unmatched performance record and company culture. The industries we serve are as diverse as they are complex. Whether we are engineering deepwater umbilicals or developing robotics for aerospace applications, the safety and health of our employees, vendors, and customers is an integral part of our day-to-day business. If we are working, then our responsibility is to be working safely. Since our inception in 1964, we have placed a high value on employee safety—from diving services and subsea inspection to vessel-based installation operations. We have and will continue to evolve not only our health, safety, and environmental (HSE) processes, but those of the industries in which we work. Although we have been fatality-free since 1999, our HSE journey goes beyond statistics. As our portfolio of services has grown, we have continued to prioritize and advance our approach to HSE.