In-House Build of Eleven Work-Class ROVs

Ever attentive to the dynamic demands of the oil and gas industry, Sonsub International Inc. will finalize the initial phase of its ROV new-build program with the timely delivery of two of eleven systems. Nine additional units will enter the market during the course of the year. The newbuild has been named Innovator. A high voltage power drive system (4,500v), rated in excess of 11,482 ft. water depth, the system is targeted towards a wide range of applications from deepwater construction and drilling support to pipeline and telecoms cable burial. This new-generation powerful, reliable and versatile platform has been designed to complement task-specific skids and tools, such as the Innovator Trenching Skid, a wet-mateable, 6,560 ft. rated, tracked telecom cable burial system currently under development by Tecnomare Industriale, a Sonsub subsidiary. Innovator is also scheduled to be utilized with the new version of the Diverless Sealine Repair Systems, based on the DSRS-ARCOS concept that has been jointly developed by Saipem, Sonsub and Snam and is the only built, tested and ready for deployment among such systems in the industry. Innovator systems have already been allocated to Saipem Group deepwater vessels. Two Innovator units will become a permanent complement of the Saipem-7000 with one being employed as early as June 1999 during the J-Lay Trials. The Saipem-10000 deepwater drillship and SaiBos Field Development Ship (both vessels currently under construction) will host two units each. Another system will be placed on board Polar Prince, Sonsub's new IMR DP-2 Vessel, which is specifically designed for light construction as well as trenching support operations and is to be operational in May 1999 in the North Sea. Although Sonsub is currently committed to the build of 11 systems, additional ones could be built in the future incorporating project or client specific features as well as work packages.