nario results in deliveries of 1,972 units with a value of some $3.7 billion.
Conclusions
· Oil & Gas: In future years the distinction between the AUV and ROV will become less clearly defined and there will be AUVs that can do work with manipulators, or that carry an ROV to a location. AUVs will supplement ROVs in some tasks such as inspection and light work. Oil & gas infrastructure will include underwater docking stations for AUVs as well as acoustic positioning and communication links. Deepwater oil & gas fields will be routinely mapped by AUVs as will the cable and pipeline routes that link the sites to the shore. · Hydrographic Survey: Nations will be able to map vast areas of seabed at high resolution using suitably equipped AUVs operating in addition to conventional hydrographic vessels. There appear to be prospects of a "sea-change" of attitude towards the acceptance of AUV-derived hydrographic data. · Inspection: Further development of control and anomaly detection software will help AUV identify objects or items of interest and then change plans as necessary and communicate as required.
· Ocean Monitoring: Fish stocks and health will be monitored by long-endurance AUVs operating in groups, harmful algal blooms will be identified and tracked by low-costs "swarms" of AUV deployed at the first signs of problems, and AUVs will be an integral part of ocean observing systems. · Military: Major drivers from the US, and other navies, to expand AUVs within their fleet include potential 'force multiplication' using multiple AUVs rather than more surface vessels or submarines. And of course there is the growing realization that autonomous vehicles (land, sea and air) can remove personnel from the front line.
A Growing Acceptance
AUVs have now become accepted in a number of key tasks where they have been shown to be more cost effective than previous technology -- one example is the success of AUVs in deepwater survey and military operations. The impact of such factors on a technology tends to be cumulative, we believe that acceptance will grow and drivers for this process will continue to strengthen. For more information or to order the AUV Gamechanger Report contact: Tel: +44 (0)1227 780999, or Email,
publications@dw-1.com
About the Authors
Paul Newman is a specialist in ROVs, AUVs and offshore positioning and has conducted several market research projects in the sector. He was the lead author on the Douglas-Westwood publication "The World Ocean Survey Report" and "The World AUV & ROV Report". He has also carried out extensive study work on Ocean Observation Systems. Rod Westwood is an analyst with DWL, whose market modelling experience spans a wide variety of sectors, having contributed to a multitude of studies for private equity houses and investment banks, including onshore and offshore, drilling, workover, enhanced recovery and ROVs. He has also contributed to "The World Deepwater Market Forecast" and "The World Floating Production Report" amongst others. Rod was lead analyst on DWL's involvement in the recent acquisition of ROV operator Rovtech by Fugro, was involved in DWL's work for the acquisition of Perry Slingsby Systems and has undertaken independent studies for ROV operators worldwide. Rod is presently studying for an MSc in Management at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. John Westwood has 34 years experience in the offshore industries. He was a founder of the North Sea's first commercially successful ROV operating company and spent 12 years in the industry, working in the North Sea, SE Asia, South America and the USA. During this time he specified, operated and marketed ROVs working as technical director and then marketing director. He has since spent 22 years as a consultant to organisations including government agencies in five countries, the European Commission's Energy Directorate and the Office of his Highness the President of the UAE. He is a Fellow of the SUT and Fellow of the IOD, a member of the Energy Institute and a member of The Hydrographic Society.
24 MTR October 2007
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