With financial support, Equinor backs Reach Subsea’s USV qualification program

Norway’s Reach Subsea is collaborating with compatriot state-owned energy giant Equinor to carry out a technology qualification program for the Reach Remote uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) that aims to validate remote operations for various tasks.

Reach Remote 1 and 2 have entered the final testing stage and the agreement between the two companies confirms the qualification pilot program necessary to validate their intended operations, with Equinor giving financial support.

The pilot project includes a variety of relevant survey, ROV intervention, IMR and monitoring-related work expected to demonstrate the full capacity of the Reach Remote spread.

The main goal of the campaign is to validate remote operations for various tasks such as seabed mapping, structure inspection (including photogrammetry), pipeline inspection, guard vessel duties, environmental monitoring, and reservoir modeling using gravimetric measurements.

According to Reach Subsea, the scope of work is designed to showcase the capabilities of the USVs and the electric work ROVs to various stakeholders within Equinor and beyond, including the demonstration of survey data acquisition and ensuring the safe operation of the equipment, including the use of checklists and drills.

The pilot program is planned to be executed directly after the delivery of the vessels, expected this autumn. The scope is part of a full-scale operation and will be executed offshore in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea on production fields such as Troll, Gullfaks, Snorre and Åsgard.

“We are committed to being part of the required transition, and our Reach Remote USVs represent a significant step in the subsea market, with CO₂ emissions estimated to be reduced by 90% compared to conventional vessels,” said Jostein Alendal, CEO of Reach Subsea.

“This contract with Equinor supports the validation process needed to ensure the USVs can be utilized in operations later this year. This is just the first step, and I expect to see a rapid increase in the use of remote technology in the years ahead.”

Kongsberg Maritime leads the forefront of the Reach Remote USV design, while the Masters of Massterly, a collaborative venture between Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen, is in charge of maneuvering the USVs and controlling the remote and autonomous control systems.