VideoRay News Feed

​ ROVs Now Used for Class-Required Inspections Aboard the Reliance and Relentless

​VideoRay consultants Steve Van Meter and Dean Nafziger recently completed onsite training courses on the Pro 4 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) system for two of Rowan Companies' ultra-deepwater drillships in the Gulf of Mexico. Crew members aboard the Reliance and Relentless are now certified to use Pro 4 ROVs to conduct ABS-approved ballast tank inspections, UWILDs, hull inspections, and thruster inspections.

"The Chief Engineers and OIMs onboard both ships were very pleased with the training and said that both trainers were extremely knowledgeable and helpful," said Rowan's Training and Competency Manager, Tyler Kerps. "Both Van Meter and Nafziger delivered beyond our expectations."

ROV Deployed from November 2013 to May 2015 as an Experimental Emergency Response System

STAVANGER, Norway – A VideoRay Pro 4 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) spent 19 months operating continuously in the North Sea, in what is believed to be the longest uninterrupted deployment of a single ROV of any class.

The unprecedented operation began in November 2013 as an experimental emergency preparedness solution for Stinger Technology AS, a subsea services provider for the offshore oil & gas sector. The Pro 4 "resident ROV" was deployed off the coast of Stavanger, Norway, but operated mainly from Stinger's offices which are located nearly 250 m (820 ft) inland. The ROV remained powered on and in full operating condition for the entire duration of the deployment. Before Stinger voluntarily ended the ROV's deployment on May 20, 2015, the submersible had not surfaced for repairs or even routine maintenance.