Neptune employs Fugro for subsea inspection in North Sea

Neptune Energy has awarded a subsea inspection contract to geo-data specialist, Fugro, which will employ remote monitoring technology to survey subsea structures at the Cygnus gas field in the UK’s southern North Sea.

Fugro’s scope of work includes inspection of subsea infrastructure including pipelines and umbilicals, spools and communication cables, and standard structural surveys of the Neptune-operated Cygnus gas platform jackets, Neptune explained on Wednesday.

Fugro will deploy Remotely Operated Vehicles from the Edda Sun vessel to carry out the inspection work.

Data processors, who would traditionally review the inspection data from onboard the vessel, will complete the work from Fugro’s new Remote Operations Centre (ROC) in Aberdeen, more than 600 miles away.

Using new digital compression and communications technology, the ROC team will interpret the inspection information, process the data and report to Neptune in real-time.

This speeds up the process while reducing the number of team members physically present on the Edda Sun vessel, supporting the need to socially distance due to COVID-19.

Neptune’s Director of Operations for the UK, Mungo McLeish, said: “A routine programme of inspection work is a crucial part of ensuring the integrity of the subsea infrastructure and supporting safe, reliable operations. 

McLeish added: “Through remote monitoring, the team will have access to all available data and will reduce the logistical challenges of managing personnel on the vessel offshore”.

Karl Daly, Fugro’s Director for Inspection Repair and Maintenance (IRM) services in Europe, said: “Fugro has worked at Cygnus for the past five years and will be utilising our ROC to provide high-quality survey and inspection services while reducing the number of personnel required offshore”.

Neptune Energy is the operator pf Cygnus with a 38.75 per cent interest and Spirit Energy is its partner with the remaining 61.25 per cent interest.