Sulmara and XOCEAN deliver survey off Aruba

Sulmara Subsea recently joined forces with XOCEAN to deliver a seabed survey offshore Aruba on behalf of SeaDrill using an XO-450 unmanned surface vessel (USV).

The USV completed the 26 square kilometres seafloor survey in 70 metres of water using high resolution multibeam.

The objectives were to identify any seafloor features and also classify the seabed to allow safe installation of moorings.

Throughout the mission, a team combining Sulmara and XOCEAN USV pilots, surveyors and data processors monitored performance to ensure safe operation of the vessel and quality of data acquisition.

Use of unmanned systems holds many benefits, including safety due to operators remaining onshore and efficiency thanks to 24/7 operations.

XOCEAN’s USVs have a negligible carbon footprint and all other emissions are in balance, resulting in a fully carbon-neutral operation.

Commenting on the successful completion of the Aruba project, Kevin McBarron, CEO of Sulmara, said:

“With COVID-19 lockdown in place across the Caribbean, our client needed a remote solution on this time-critical survey.

“Time previously spent with XOCEAN on the potential benefits of collaboration meant both companies were able to react quickly and efficiently to meet SeaDrill’s needs.”

James Ives, XOCEAN CEO also stated:

“Our USV platform has demonstrated itself to be a safe and ultra-low carbon solution for the collection of ocean data.

“We are delighted to be working in Aruba with Sulmara and Seadrill on this ground-breaking project.”