Russian firm to develop pipeline inspection ROV

Russia’s Rubin Central Design Bureau has begun development on a new type of work-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) optimised for inspecting and servicing offshore oil and gas pipelines.

The ROV will be designed to operate from drilling rigs and inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) vessels and will be capable of diving to 3,000 metres. It will be fitted with manipulator arms, rails for mounting additional attachments, and a receptacle for transporting collected soil and rock samples from the seabed.

A variant of the ROV will also have high-resolution underwater cameras and powerful LED lights to enable operations even under low-light conditions.

The ROV will displace around five tonnes and will be small enough to fit inside a standard 20-foot (six-metre) container along with support equipment.