Mini-ARROV cutting the cost and footprint

Underwater weld inspection is a standard operation to check for surface-breaking defects in structures. It involves surface cleaning and non-destructive testing techniques, such as alternating current field measurement (ACFM), to help inform engineering decisions and protect and extend the life of assets.

There is a lot of it to be done and it typically involves the use of work class remotely operated vehicles (WC ROVs). That means the use of a fully crewed support vessel, with
up to 15 ROV and six ACFM crew, as well as a project manager, inspectors, and client representatives. Operator Repsol Norge wanted to radically reduce the overheads of this type of work. It contracted Stinger Technology AS to perform underwater weld inspections on the subsea brace-to-leg and brace-to-caisson connection
welds at the Yme production facility in the Norwegian North Se