U.S.-based autonomous robots developer Nauticus Robotics has been hired – together with its partner, Stinger Technology – for a pilot project by Norway’s Equinor. This expands the company’s presence in the North Sea region and provides the U.S. player with an opportunity to qualify for future contracts with the Norwegian state-owned giant.
According to Nauticus, it was engaged along with Stinger Technology by Equinor for the deployment of its leak detection technology service. This pilot project addresses the need for improved leak detection technologies, with the objective of demonstrating and qualifying Nauticus’ leak detection technology on autonomous robots. The project is expected to strengthen the wide range of applications for autonomous subsea robots .
Nicolaus Radford , CEO of Nauticus, commented: “The project for Equinor highlights the versatility of our fleet offering and the increasing need for technologies like ours to address the many challenges for subsea operations in Norway and around the globe. This milestone is yet another example of how we are at the forefront of this technical revolution and are changing how work is done in our precious oceans.”
The U.S.-based firm claims that sustainability is a core principle for Equinor, thus, having methods and systems for leak detection is a part of this principle. In addition, Nauticus points out that this project is an example of how the Norwegian giant explores new ways to improve its capabilities to keep the environment safe. Equinor has around 600 subsea wells and approximately 9,000 km of subsea pipelines, risers, and cables to maintain.
Nauticus secured several new deals over the past few months. In May 2023, the company got an additional $2.7 million under its running contract with Leidos to advance the development of the Aquanaut-derived subsea platform.
The following month, the U.S. firm won a contract with Petrobras for the deployment and testing of its Aquanaut autonomous subsea robot offshore Brazil.