Aberdeenshire-based supplier of specialist oilfield chemicals Aubin has developed a ground-breaking concept that it says could revolutionise the handling of large chunks of subsea infrastructure.
DeepBuoy, a patented low density, apparently non-hazardous liquid gel capable of buoyancy up to 3,000m (10,000ft) water depth, can be used for lifting, supporting and lowering heavy subsea structures up to 2,000 tonnes.
It has been four years in development, attracted a SMART technology development award from the Scottish Government, and offers a new approach to subsea installation and decommissioning work that should deliver massive cost-saving by reducing the need for expensive cranes and crane barges that currently cost up to $1million per day.
A major subsea contractor has helped Aubin by assessing the system, plus Strathclyde University has carried out validations on the associated pumping equipment.
The DeepBuoy gel is pumped into tear-shaped bags attached to the infrastructure requiring to be moved creating an underwater lifting system.
In essence, it is an evolution of the traditional air bag much used by recreational divers and underwater archaeologists; and of the occasional use of diesel fuel to provide lift during delicate salvage operations.
Aubin managing director Paddy Collins says that DeepBuoy provides a way of placing large structures on the seabed in very deep water with a high degree of control that simply is not possible at present.
It allows for manoeuvring on the seabed to be carried out by remotely operated vehicles rather than using a crane and can be applied at far greater depths than traditional lifting methods.
“The market for deepwater lifting is worth billions of pounds every year so there is enormous potential for DeepBuoy,” says Collins.
“It could also be used to recover lost equipment and even vessels or aircraft and we are investigating opportunities in the renewables sector as well.
“We have a great team of research scientists who come up with really clever chemistry and worked with Strathclyde University on testing.
“All of us at Aubin are extremely excited by DeepBuoy, which works using the Archimedes Principle, one of the oldest scientific discoveries.”
In order to get this technology into the market and to develop other ideas, Aubin, based in Ellon, has formed a partnership with Aberdeen-based Ecosse Subsea Systems.
The latter offers subsea technologies, engineering consultancy and specialist expert personnel for the subsea oil and gas and offshore renewables markets around the world.
Aubin was established in 1987 and has a team of 20 employees. It designs, researches, develops, manufactures and supplies high-quality chemical technology for a wide range of oil field applications.
The firm has a penchant for research and development and has invested nearly £1million in four years on patented products that address common subsea issues.
Existing products include pipeline pigging and cleaning applications, while commercialisation of additional technologies for subsea applications such as insulation and pipeline commissioning is underway.