VESSEL REVIEW | FCV3001 – CNOOC debuts versatile ROV for survey and inspection duties
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has introduced a new work-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) built to support subsea engineering projects worldwide.
FCV3001 was designed and manufactured in-house by CNOOC in collaboration with Dutch survey and exploration specialist Fugro under the China Offshore Fugro Geosolutions (COFG) umbrella.
The ROV has completed undergoing builder’s sea trials in the South China Sea under COFG as part of its preparation for global deployment.
Locally produced to ensure supply chain resilience
The ROV has a length of three metres (10 feet), a beam of 1.7 metres (5.6 feet), a height of 1.7 metres, a displacement of 4.1 tons, and a rated maximum depth of 3,000 metres (10,000 feet), making it suitable for a wide range of subsea installation, inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) tasks in support of the offshore energy industry. Its development was undertaken to help reduce China’s dependence on importation when acquiring new robotic systems for underwater use.
A 150hp (110kW) motor propels the craft to forward/aft speeds of up to 3.5 knots, a lateral speed of 3.4 knots, and a vertical speed of 2.7 knots. The key equipment meanwhile includes a Kongsberg Maritime sonar, a Simrad digital altimeter, a camera, Octans heading and pitch/roll sensors, and two manipulators.
Durable, flexible design
A time stamp system developed by Fugro allows the original data gathered by the ROV’s onboard sensors to be time-stamped at the point of origin, thus allowing information to be available to operators faster and with enhanced accuracy.
The new ROV was proven during tests to be capable of operation even under challenging offshore conditions. This then gives it a greater weather safety window, thus making it more flexible in terms of deployment compared to traditional manned IMR vessels.
The ROV may also be used for secondary roles such as marine growth surveys, debris clearance, and recovery operations.
As with other ROVs from the same series, FCV3001 will be operated by CNOOC subsidiary China Offshore Oil Engineering.
