Like a silent sea drone, this new invention uses wave energy to propel itself across the surface of the ocean, relentlessly gathering and transmitting data as it goes, in any conditions, for up to a year at a time in subsea decommissioning Liquid Robotics Oil & Gas, a joint venture with oilfield technology firm Schlumberger, believes the Wave Glider will help in offshore well integrity by providing better unmanned data gathering for seep and loss detection, weather and oceanography monitoring, and subsea communications. To prove its credentials, the Wave Glider set a new world record for the longest distance traveled by an autonomous vehicle by making a 9,000-nautical-mile journey across the Pacific Ocean, landing in Australia in December. “We are extremely excited about the new capabilities the unique Wave Glider platform will bring to offshore exploration and production,” said Ashok Belani, Schlumberger’s chief technology officer, at the product launch last June, “particularly in the areas of seismic, subsea and environmental monitoring.” And last month Liquid Robotics closed a $45-million investment round led by Riverwood Capital, a technology private equity firm, with participation from existing investors including VantagePoint Capital Partners. The company said it will use the money to expand its global sales, partner and services organisations and to fund new solutions for the oil and gas industry plus other target markets, defense and science and research. Mactech’s Take: Technology will continue to be a driver in the subsea decommissioning and offshore oil and gas industry. Monitoring the integrity of both active wells and decommissioned wells is an important aspect in this business and new subsea technologies will only lead more efficiencies and safer environments to operate. They eyes and the ears of our oceans just got a little bigger and it will be interesting to see how this technology is utilized as we move forward. Read more from the source: decomworld.com