HGIS Completes its First USV Survey for Subsea Pipelines of an Oil Field in Brunei

Malaysia geo-solutions provider HGIS has used their first uncrewed surface vehicle (USV), the 5.5 m M40P developed by OceanAlpha, to complete an entirely remote nearshore inspection of a subsea pipeline in a Field for their project with the largest oil and gas producer in Brunei.

M40P working on sea

As a project highlight, the USV is deployed to acquire seabed data from offshore, nearshore, and onshore fields to provide continuous geo data support to the construction, operation, and maintenance of pipeline routing and subsea infrastructure in field developments. 

The USV was remotely controlled and monitored using OceanAlpha’s independently developed control system from a station near the oil terminal, approximately 4-5km from the pipelines to be investigated. As the USV autonomously executed accurate surveys with minimal human intervention, surveyors could allocate more effort to critical data analysis and hazard pin-pointing. 

“Due to mixed factors, including workforce shortage caused by COVID and the industry’s shared goal for sustainable development, we see increasing interest in our USVs. M40P is a platform dedicatedly developed to empower the transition of the offshore industry by digitizing the workflow and cutting down carbon footprint”, introduced Ran Zhang, General Manager of OceanAlpha, a Hongkong-based USV manufacturer.

“Conducting surveys remotely from shore is a unique and inspiring experience for us,” said Mr Alexis Wan Ullok, Executive Director of HGIS, “The Introduction of unmanned technology undoubtedly reduces HSSE exposure and survey duration. With less human activity on the sea and cut-downed fuel consumption, it’s a down-to-earth fulfilment of our goal to support sustainable economic development.”

About HGIS

Hurricane Geo Inspection Survey Sdn Bhd (HGIS) was established in 2008 to support the Oil and Gas Exploration Sector. HGIS seamlessly integrates the latest technology, systematic strategies, and committed professional minds to create a more efficient and safer environment. This allows HGIS to position themselves as an internationally competitive business organization in the Oil and Gas Industry. HGIS offers full-service geosolutions with an emphasis on client service and support. They have expanded their footprint across South East Asia, making their services available in Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, and Myanmar.