Fugro Performs Largest UAV Survey for Offshore Industry Yet

The largest AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) survey in the oil and gas industry comprises a core element in two contracts awarded to Fugro that also include metocean measurements and geohazard consultancy services for ENI East Africa. he data is being acquired for the Area 4 Rovuma basin development offshore northern Mozambique. The challenging AUV survey is the largest ever commissioned and one of the first in this new and remote frontier area off the coast of East Africa. Covering approximately 1,440 square kilometres, the survey area stretches from the nearshore to waterdepths greater than 2,700 metres and the data will aid the design of subsea facilities. The work is being carried out using one of Fugro's newest survey vessels, the state-of-the-art Fugro Equator, which is equipped with hull-mounted multibeam echosounder, sub-bottom profiler, piston gravity corer and piezocone penetration system, in addition to the Echo Surveyor III AUV.

Meteorological and oceanographic data is collected using mooring buoys located in water depths ranging from 20 to 1,800 metres. To assist in the routing of the 60km export pipeline Fugro completed a regional and local geohazard assessment including data processing and reporting, from its offices in Europe and in Asia.