ROVs & AUVs
The market dynamics for subsea robotics have changed In total, the analysts conclude that over the next five considerably in the past few years, driven by an active years a total of 655 new work class ROVs will need to be acquisition market that has seen the largest players grow built to satisfy the dual demands of market growth and even larger. The sector is still marked with an entrepre- attrition of the existing fleet. This compares with 411 over neurial and innovative spirit associated with smaller the past five years. organizations, but the trend is decidedly turning towards The AUV market, in kind, was projected to be a $1.8 a corporatization of technologies in this space. bilion market through 2017, according to the "AUV While depressed pricing in the oil & gas sector and a Gamechanger Report 2008-2017" from Douglasglobal economic slow down have ravaged many industries, Westwood Ltd. The study forecasts that over 900 the subsea sector as a whole seems to be weathering the Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) will be storm better than average, as the prospects for growth in required over the next decade at a cost of some $1.8 bilthe sector -- from defense to commercial to scientific -- lion -- and the biggest buyer will be the military. is tremendous. "The market drivers have also changed," said Providing broad overviews in market size John Westwood, Douglas-Westwood MD. VideoRay Pro 4 is a bit tenuous given the current eco"The focus of the world's major naval nomic status -- particularly with powers and their contractors has no reliable insights as to the moved from cold war submarine depth and duration of the curcat and mouse games in 'blue rent recession, but a pair of water' to the littoral waters of recently issued studies prolocal conflicts and the major vide some insights as to the business opportunities preoverall value in the ROV sented by the 'war on terror' and AUV niches. driving a need for AUVs in According to 'The World mine counter measures and ROV Report 2008-12' from security work. Douglas-Westwood, Oil & "In the civil sector, depletion Gas industry expenditure on of shallow-water offshore oil & work-class ROV (remotely opergas reserves of the North Sea and ated underwater vehicle) operations the Gulf of Mexico has forced the was projected to total $1.6 billion in Oil & Gas companies to move into deep 2008, with the market climbing to $2.4 bilwaters and into seeking new enabling techlion by 2012. ROV operators, according to the report, are nologies. AUVs are now in demand for mapping the set to earn $9 billion over the next five years. The report, seabed for deepwater oil installations." released in the autumn of 2008 when oil prices and the Late last year, FMC acquired 45% of Schilling Robotics world economy was falling, but not quite to the levels seen for $116m, a move which further solidified the trend at the beginning of 2009, took into account the drop in towards the corporate ownership of subsea vehicle syscommodity prices, but reasoned -- as most industry tems. Recently, Schilling Robotics sold a pair of sources do -- that the dip in energy prices is short-lived, UltraHeavy-Duty (UHD) ROVs to OceanWorks and that in the long-term prices will escalate and remain International, Inc., which will supply the UHDs as part of elevated as resources become more scarce. In particular, two systems that include OceanWorks' new electric drive ROVs are key enablers in deepwater O&G discoveries, ROV winches and handling equipment to a new internawhich the multi-billion, multi-year projects least affected tional operator. The 150 hp ROVs will be paired with by the current downturn. Schilling's XE tether management systems, rated for oper18 MTR March 2009
You don't have Macromedia Flash Player installed.
This content requires the Macromedia Flash Player.
Get Flash
www.marinelink.com