Subsea UK annual conference to discuss advances in ROV industry

September 19, 2016

Subsea UK’s 2016 Underwater Vehicles Conference in Aberdeen will discuss various topics including advances in Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), autonomous inspection technology, and the challenges caused by a sustained low oil price.

Subsea UK said on Monday that the conference, formally known as the Subsea UK ROV Conference, will include the country’s growing underwater robotics community.

The event, sponsored by ROV service provider ROVOP, Tritech, and Forum Energy Technologies, will take place on Tuesday, September 27, at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

According to the organizer, the 2016 conference will welcome experts from across the industry to debate a range of subjects including the global market outlook, ROV engineering, and enhanced data collection.

Speakers confirmed for the event include Kieran O’Brien – energy researcher for Infield Systems Ltd, Albert Williams of Shell, Scott Gray – operations manager at Seatronics, Lee Wilson – engineering manager at Subsea 7, Chris Sotzing of SeeByte, Jim Mann of IMCA, and Mike Wilson – managing director of Ecosse Subsea Systems.

Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “Since the sharp drop in oil prices, underwater robotics have been seen as a key area of development for subsea interventions, as the industry has been forced to consider smarter ways of working, by adopting new techniques and technologies.

“At this year’s conference, we aim to provide a platform for businesses to come together to identify opportunities, drive new technology forward, discover and develop new outcomes and work towards a common goal, building upon the good work which is already being delivered.”

Steven Gray, chief executive of ROVOP, said: “We are pleased to work with Subsea UK and are delighted to be the principal sponsor of its Underwater Vehicles Conference. The event provides an important forum to share ideas, discuss the latest technologies and potential initiatives to improve efficiencies. ROVs are critical to high-value subsea operations, and it is imperative that the industry works together to provide the best technology and reliability possible.”