Feritech Global has completed a major design and build project for Oceaneering, the world’s largest provider of subsea robotics to the offshore energy industry.
The company has designed a next generation ‘auto-drop piston corer’ which is expected to dramatically reduce the amount of time needed for subsea geotechnical surveying, increasing safety and efficiency, whilst reducing costs.
A piston corer is a long, heavy tube plunged into the seafloor to extract samples of soft sediment. Analysis of these samples provides vital information for developers who want to build installations out at sea, such as wind turbines, oil and gas pipelines, or undersea cables.
Rob Ferris, MD of Falmouth-based Feritech Global, said: “The new auto-drop piston corer technology represents a step change in precision and efficiency. We estimate that this new product will enable seabed samples to be collected up to ten times faster than with traditional piston corers.”
Brandon Wacasey, project management lead for survey and geotechnical operations at Oceaneering, added: “We are delighted with the outcome of this pioneering development project. This innovative new system will help increase the safety and efficiency of our subsea survey operations and help us continue to build our Geoscience market position.”
Oceaneering intends to deploy the new auto-drop piston corer in the international market.
