Snake-arm robot to showcase offshore inspection capabilities at ITF event

The project is being funded by Innovate UK’s ‘Energy Game Changer’ programme. OC Robotics & Chevron are exhibiting on Innovate UK’s stand along with a number of companies that secured funding through the competition last year. Innovate is the UK’s innovation agency which aims to drive science and technology innovations that will grow the UK economy - delivering productivity, new jobs and exports.

As part of the project, a world first offshore trial will take place on one of Chevron’s North Sea assets to assess current capabilities and future needs for long-term operation of robotic equipment. OC Robotics is adapting its existing technology to be more robust and adaptable for the restricted access encountered on offshore rigs, such as deck layouts, narrow walkways and handrails.

Russell Brown, Senior Reliability Engineer, Chevron ETC said: “We inspect our assets at regular intervals to determine their continued fitness for service and prevent asset-integrity or process-safety-related incidents. This causes a dilemma as, to do so, we have to perform high-risk, confined-space inspections. To this end, Chevron and the wider industry have been looking for solutions that will help minimise human entry in confined and hazardous environments for tasks like cleaning and inspection.”

Rebecca Smith, Project Manager at OC Robotics said: “Our project is innovative in the deployment of robotic technology in harsh environments, such as the North Sea. There is real potential to improve inspection outputs and extend asset life by characterising vessels and assessing fitness for service without human entry into dangerous and confined spaces. We are at an exciting stage with the P100 and we look forward to telling our story to a like-minded audience at the Showcase.”

The annual ITF Technology Showcase at AECC – Technology in Action - brings together some of the brightest minds from inside and outside of oil and gas to challenge current thinking and bring fresh focus on progressing new solutions. Dr Geoff McGrath, Chief Innovation Officer at McLaren Applied Technologies and the KPMG McLaren Alliance will give a keynote on ‘innovation from outside our industry’ at the conference and exhibition at AECC on Wednesday 1^st March.

Other plenary speakers include Colette Cohen, Chief Executive of the Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), Dr Geoff Nesbitt, Group Head of Technology Strategy at Petrofac and Willie Reid, Director of the Strathclyde Oil and Gas Institute. Gunther Newcombe, Director of Operations, Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) and Greta Lydecker, Managing Director, Chevron Upstream Europe will also join the morning panel session.

An Innovation hall will be dedicated to supporting the innovator community and showcasing the very best in new thinking, products, solutions and services.

The technology sessions are facilitated by oil and gas operators with a keen interest on getting technology to market through the most effective and efficient routes possible. The three sessions this year will focus on: Applied Digital Technologies to Improve Operational Efficiency and Performance Transformational manufacturing and new materials to reduce costs Emerging Inspection and Condition Monitoring Technologies to Prevent Failure in Operation and Avoid Downtime

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/digital-oilfield/28022017/snake-arm-robot-to-showcase-offshore-inspection-capabilities-at-itf-event/