WFS Technologies: Seatooth® Video
Subsea Wireless Camera
Mark Musarra, General Manager, UVS
James Christie, ROV Operations Manager, i-Tech 7
i-Tech 7 Background
i-Tech 7 is a division of Subsea 7 and is a global leader in the supply of
ROV and intervention tooling solutions to the energy markets.
i-Tech 7 operates one of the world’s largest and most advanced fleets of
Remotely Operated Vehicles, providing support onboard drilling rigs,
field support and construction vessels in increasingly harsher and
deeper waters.
UVS Pty Ltd Background
UVS Pty Ltd is a supplier of quality subsea equipment and services to the
Oceanographic, Hydrographic, Defence, Offshore Oil & Gas, Renewable
Energy and Water Utility market.
UVS is a leader in the rental and sale of marine electronic equipment for a
range of applications: geophysical survey; navigation and positioning;
oceanographic systems; video inspection; ROV survey;
UVS acts as WFS Technologies' sales partner in Australia.
WFS Technologies Background
WFS Technologies is a global leader in the delivery of subsea wireless
instrumentation and control products and solutions to the Offshore Oil and
Gas and Renewables industries.
Utilizing Seatooth® technology, WFS’s products support wireless data
communications and networking with divers, ROVs and AUVs and subsea
and buried sensors and actuators.
Products ranges are used for:
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Asset Integrity Management: cost-effective retrofit of wireless
SCADA to monitor temperature, corrosion and vibration
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Flow assurance: wireless temperature, pressure, flow and vibration
for process optimisation
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Construction: wireless video, pressure, position and strain sensors
to reduce risk and time
Subsea Wireless Technologies
Pros
Cons
Acoustic
• Proven technology
• Range: up to 20 km
• Energy Efficiency at longer
ranges
• Precision navigation
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RF
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Unaffected by water depth
Unaffected by turbidity/bubbles
Non-line-of-sight performance
‘omni-directional’
Rapid set-up
Low latency
Immune to acoustic noise
Immune to marine fouling
Up to 100 Mbps
Transits water/air & water/seabed
• Limited range through water
• Low energy efficiency at longer
ranges
• Susceptible to in-band EMI
Free
Space
Optical
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Ultra-high bandwidth: Gbps
Compact
Low latency
Immune to acoustic & EMI noise
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Adversely affected by
Water aeration
Ambient noise
Multi-path in shallow water
Unpredictable propagation
Limited bandwidth
High latency
Impact on marine life
Does not transit water/air
Susceptible to turbidity & particles
Marine fouling on lens faces
Line-of-sight
Needs tight alignment
Short range
Difficulty transiting water/air
Wireless Underwater Communication:
How does it work?
 A subsea wireless communication is possible via wireless signaling that
penetrates sea water.
 WFS has developed underwater electromagnetic communication techniques
that are unaffected by hostile environmental conditions and salt water.
 WFS’s products support data transmission across the water/air and
ground/air boundaries, penetrating the surf zone, ice, harbour walls, and
hitherto impenetrable materials.
 WFS’s communication systems transmit data in depths up to 4000m with
electromagnetic signals being launched from a transmitter into a body of
seawater and picked up by a distant receiver.
 This enables disruptive wireless subsea communications even in difficult to
access places helping subsea operators to inspect parts of their assets that
would be impossible or dangerous for their divers.
Wireless Subsea Applications
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Seatooth® PipeLogger,
– temperature monitoring
– thermal fatigue
– upheaval buckling
– internal corrosion
– UT/Vibration/VIV/FIV
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Seatooth® PPC: wireless datalogger for pipeline precommissioning. Hydrotest data can be captured, stored and
downloaded reliably at data rates of up to 156kbps.
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Seatooth® WiPS: comprises a high accuracy pressure
sensor & provides real-time pressure measurements up to
20,000 psi in depths up to 4000m. This is used for hydrotest
applications measuring pipeline pressure, or survey
operations providing precise depth measurements.
Wireless Subsea Applications
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Seatooth® Connect: is a range of wireless connectors that
support data transmission from 2.4kbps to 100Mbps and
power transmission from 100W to 3kW. Power is delivered
by ROV, so the equipment can be charged without being
raised to the surface
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Seatooth® S100: is a mobile, compact, low power, wireless
datalogger, multiplexer, controller suitable for a variety of
underwater applications from 100m - 4000m. It provides a
reliable digital wireless communication link or logging device
up to 5m even in challenging deep water conditions (with no
wet-mate connection).
Seatooth® Video
- Subsea Wireless Video Camera
• Product description
– Integrated wireless video camera to support complex
ROV operations
– Depth rating 350m - 4,000m
– Lighting options include fixed internal LEDs or external
lights
– Rechargeable battery with 8-24hr life
• Benefits
- Ensure job completed right first time
- Remove need for second ROV
- Avoidance of hazards caused by cables
- Reduced operating times
Seatooth® Video
- Subsea Wireless Video Camera Options
Seatooth® Video PTZ
Seatooth® Video fixed camera
Seatooth® Video external camera
Seatooth® Video
- Applications
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IRM ( Inspection, Repair, Maintenance)
– ROV stands off at safe distance
eg: strong currents
– ROV pilot training
– Record of activities around an asset
 improved safety
 reduced time to repair
 reduced damage to assets
 smaller deployment vessels
Environmental Monitoring
 Monitor for leaks post-commissioning
Wireless network of Seatooth® Video systems
‘WiFi Zone’ around construction sites
 Site monitoring
 Sensor and controller communications
Landing Structures
Running completions & XTSs
Monitoring drilling operations
Seatooth ® Video Trials on Schilling UDH ROV
Network of Seatooth ® Video Cameras
Seatooth® Video
- Subsea Wireless Video Camera
De-risk Operations: Decreasing mission length and complexity with
wireless camera support, where "right-first-time” is critical.
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Hot stab or intervention operations
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360° view for subsea construction or landing of manifolds /
BOPs
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Troubleshooting support for remote inspection or monitoring
applications and spill/containment operations
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Safety: preventing / solving entanglement of vehicle tether
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Flexible camera placement in areas inaccessible to ROVs and
impractical for divers.
Seatooth® Video
- Specification
– Video quality :
H.264 format/ CIF / 10 frames-per-sec
– Range:
Internal Antenna:
External Antenna:
Wireless ON/OFF Switch:
Wireless Light Control:
– Power Supply:
– Input Voltage Range:
– Power Consumption:
24V
3.6V—28V DC
Transmit:
Receive:
Sleep:
– Dimensions:
PTZ camera:
Fixed camera:
External Camera:
– Weight:
PTZ camera:
32.3kg in air / 22kg in water
Fixed camera:
34kg in air / 24kg in water
External camera: 16.1kg in air / 2.5kg in water
up to 3m
up to 4.5m
up to 6.4m
up to 6.4m
19W
7.5W
350µW
150mm X 599mm
170mm X 539mm
170mm X 690mm
Seatooth® Video
- i-Tech 7 - Woodside Project Background
• i-Tech 7 was seeking a small subsea wireless camera to mount on
an intervention tool.
• The camera would provide visibility on a subsea structure,
support removal of an internal plug and make the inside of the
tool visible during actuation.
• A normal tooling camera could have been used but would have
required a cable for data transfer between the camera and the
ROV, causing a snagging hazard and limiting the movement of
the ROV.
• If the cable had become snagged, the ROV would need to be
recovered to replace it, adding additional time and cost to the
project.
Seatooth® Video
- i-Tech 7 Project Outcome
Problem: Visual perspective while removing an internal plug
Solution:
 Wireless camera clamped near to target
 Live streaming video from inside the tool
providing additional accuracy
Outcome:
 Wirelessly transmission of data and imagery
 Avoidance of hazards caused by cables
 Removed need for second ROV
 Immediate visual recognition of any issues
 Reduced operating times
 Increased ROV safety
i-Tech 7 - Woodside Aug 2013
Conclusions
• Time saving
– Rapid deployment
– Complete tasks faster
– Readily available data
• Reliability
– Self contained units
– No wet mating connections
– Industry standards
• Cost saving
– Eliminate complex cabled
solutions
– Avoid connector failures
– Subsea troubleshooting
and upgrade
• Flexibility
– Ease of retrofit
– Easily upgraded
– Networking
– Accessible by diver, ROV,
and AUV
Thank you!
WFS Technologies
UVS Pty Ltd
[email protected]
+44 (0) 845 862 6600
www.wfs-tech.com
[email protected]
+61 (0)8 6595 1500
www.uvs.com.au