Oceaneering to add DriX USV to its fleet

Oceaneering International is planning to acquire Exail’s DriX uncrewed surface vessel (USV) as part of its introduction of a new USV service to support remote survey work scopes.

Oceaneering announced on 5 September that its Subsea Robotics group was introducing a new USV service that will utilize dual independent positioning correction services from the C-NAV group for uninterrupted operations.

“It is the natural progression of our extensive experience with remote operations that we combine USVs with Oceaneering’s existing ROV and AUV fleets and onshore remote operations centers to deliver significant opportunities to scale operations and drive greater efficiencies,” said Eric Smith, Senior Director of Survey Services at Oceaneering.

“The service will directly support the market growth of IMRGE, our integrated and customizable Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) strategy.”

In light of this, Oceaneering has reached an agreement with Exail to purchase its first DriX USV to support deepwater geophysical and asset inspection operations, including autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) positioning, and offshore and nearshore surveys.

According to the company, the use of the DriX USV on offshore survey and inspection work scopes will enable it to improve operational efficiencies, reduce overall vessel time on site, and reduce carbon emissions.

Olivier Cervantes, Vice President of Maritime Autonomy at Exail, said: “Oceaneering and Exail have a long-term partnership. It is a great pleasure to collaborate now on expanding subsea exploration thanks to automated systems such as DriX and Freedom. This collaboration opens new capabilities in the subsea construction, inspection, and survey domains.”

The DriX USV was developed by iXblue and ECA Group, which are now under the joint brand called Exail, established at the end of 2022. The vessel has received Bureau Veritas Approval in Principle (AiP) as well as Lloyd’s Register certification.