Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) has implemented an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) for a pipeline route survey in the Niger Delta.
The innovative technology is expected to save time and cost while minimizing exposure to personnel and the environment.SPDC said the technology has already been deployed in the past month and has successfully conducted a 166-hour pipeline route survey at Bonny, marking the first deployment of a USV for such a task in shallow waters in Nigeria and setting a record as the longest single mission within the Shell Group.
SPDC’s Chief Surveyor and Head of Offshore Survey Operations, Steve Keedwell, said the significance of the advancement remained critical for Nigeria.
“This is the new face of survey in Nigeria, where on-site and remote operators deployed the Uncrewed Surface Vessel. We observed increased productivity and enhanced data acquisition during the Bonny survey. Deploying the USV resulted in a remarkable 97 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, thanks to its diesel-electric design. This transformative approach not only improves data quality but also reduces personnel exposure to zero, revolutionising our survey execution,” he said.
Keedwell said SPDC collaborated with various stakeholders to deploy the technology, including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, Nigerian Content Development and Management Board, Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
As part of its Nigerian content development initiative, SPDC closely collaborated with Nigerian vendor Compass Survey Limited, which deployed the vessel with support from its foreign partners, Unmanned Survey Solutions in the United Kingdom.
The vendor is actively training on-site remote operators to enhance local capacity.
SPDC’s General Manager of Nigerian Content Development, ‘Lanre Olawuyi, expressed excitement about this development, stating: “This is an exciting chapter in our efforts to develop Nigerian content in survey conduct. The innovation showcased in the Bonny survey is already attracting interest from the oil and gas industry and beyond, indicating its potential widespread use in Nigeria. We remain committed to supporting Nigerian companies in the adoption of technology and innovations.”
