Oil and gas company Shell has selected Nauticus Robotics, a provider of robots, artificial intelligence solutions, and marine services, for an offshore services contract. The contract entails Nauticus providing inspection services for a subsea field development project in the Gulf of Mexico. Nauticus will utilize its flagship autonomous subsea robot, Aquanaut, to perform contact and non-contact inspections across the underwater facility.

Aquanaut is capable of carrying out autonomous subsea manipulation tasks on live submerged equipment in depths exceeding 1,000 meters. It operates without an umbilical cord, instead employing a remote pilot for operation via Nauticus’ acoustic communications link. This contract signifies Nauticus’ role as an offshore services provider and sets the stage for future inspection service projects.

The scope of the project also includes a solution for parallel execution of other work using a smaller class of service vessel that would not typically engage in inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) activities. Nauticus CEO Nicolaus Radford expressed his satisfaction with the progress made in collaboration with Shell and the opportunity to work with one of the world’s leading energy companies. Radford believes this project will lead to long-term IMR services work with Shell and position Nauticus as a preferred supplier for advanced offshore tasks.

Last month, Equinor, a Norwegian oil and gas company, awarded Nauticus Robotics and its partner Stinger Technology a leak detection work contract. Equinor operates around 600 underwater wells and manages approximately 9,000 kilometers of subsea cables, risers, and pipelines.

Sources:
– Aquanaut will carry out autonomous subsea manipulation tasks on live submerged equipment in more than 1,000m of water. Credit: Opsorman/Shutterstock.
– Nauticus Robotics awarded Shell offshore contract