Ten-thruster ROV

Paul Boughton
Trinidad-based Offshore Technology Solutions Limited (OTSL) has ordered the new Saab Seaeye Panther XT Plus electric work ROV.

With 10 thrusters, OTSL say the Panther XT Plus will greatly extend its operational role in the offshore oil and gas industry.

"We consider the new Panther is the best in its class and the best value for money, with an unequalled power to weight ratio," says OTSL Operations Business Leader, Antonio Donawa. "It means we can target both deep-shelf support work and shallow water work with an ROV resource across a wide range of tasks including IRM, pipe and platform inspection, drilling support, and emergency response."

With the company specialising in marine construction, maintenance and subsea services from the Gulf of Mexico, through the Caribbean and down into Latin America, the ability of the new Panther to hold steady in strong shallow-water currents, makes it suitable for a wide range of work and survey tasks as well as deep water operations over 1000 metres.

Antonio Donawa says that the Panther XT Plus will give them an ROV resource with the work class capability of a small hydraulic work ROV − yet at a much lower cost of ownership, including needing a quarter of the deck space and far fewer crew than an hydraulic vehicle.  

The configuration chosen by OTSL includes a Seaeye wide-angle B&W low light camera and a Kongsberg colour zoom camera together with pan and tilt system; a Tritech Super SeaKing  sonar; a five and six function heavy duty manipulator with grabber; a water jetting system and a Cygnus ultrasonic thickness gauge with CP contact probe, BlueView imaging sonar and state-of- the-art Visual Soft DVR and inspection software.

For pipe survey work the ROV has two, three-function hydraulic camera booms, a wheeled skid and manipulator system, plus two Seaeye cameras.
A tether management system is included with 200m of tether cable and its own camera.

Also supplied is a control container and a launch and recovery A-frame with 1100 metre umbilical cable capacity, a certified bullet assembly and lock latch assembly with snubber rotator.

Behind the success of the new Panther XT Plus is its evolution from the proven Panther concept into a more powerful vehicle with an increased payload and re-designed frame with more space for additional equipment.
It means the vehicle has the capacity to accommodate larger and heavier manipulator arms that can include a seven-function position feedback manipulator and five-function manipulator, along with a greater range of tools and sensors.

For information, visit www.seaeye.com

Recent Issues