Olver Lockout and Observation Submersibles A Perspective of Participation In Offshore Operations

This paper presents a perspective of the developing capabilities and participation of diver lockout and observation submersibles in offshore oil operations. The basic submarine capabilities that were available in 1968 when Perry submersibles were first offered for services to the offshore industry is established. Operations in the Gulf of Mexico are reviewed and the shortcomings, as well as the advantages, that were revealed in these first operations discussed. Subjects covered include low visibility operational problems, logistic and handling, and submarine maneuverability requirements. The capabilities and problems are all related to actual operations performed, including inspection of 30" pipe, initial training of diving companies in diver lockout operations, and the first commercial submarine lock out mission. The following two years see submarine capabilities being developed to meet specific operational requirements of offshore operators, often in a joint effort of concurrent development of capability and need to use such capability. Some specific capabilities developed in this manner are search and recovery packages using sonar, geological exploration packages, submarine mapping techniques for GUPCO in the Gulf of Suez, dry transfer capability, and even a complete submarine especially designed for pipelining built for Brown & Root, Inc. The paper closes with a review of more recent operations with Shelf Diver conducting platform inspections in Libya and a series of 330' depth lockouts for ELF off France, the transparent-nosed PC-8 conducting more than 100 dives off the northeast U. S and Deep Diver developing regular service customers in the Gulf of Mexico. These examples are used to illustrate a realistic operational and economic review of what services submarines can and do perform for the offshore industry. Programs currently under way to develop submarine capability to follow buried pipe and detect its leaks, to locate and cut away damaged pipe and manipulator development to perform more complicated tasks are discussed as indicators of the kinds of submarine services that will be offered operators in the future. Experience gained over the years indicates that manned submarines, with or without diver lockout capability, are useful, practical, economical tools for offshore industry. And not enough potential users realize the submersibles' potential. We have a job to do to bring this to the industry's attention with viable profit -motivated evidence. In presentations to users and prospective users, Perry and other operators and manufacturers of submarines make a number of hard-sell points. First, they offer prices that in many cases are more than competitive with the advertised costs per diver, especially at depths below 120 feet. But at any depth, the submarine has obvious advantages. For instance, it can perform heavier tasks and deliver greater loads than can the diver. It can work in stronger currents and for longer periods. It can carry to the site 70 millimeter cameras, video -tape monitors, high intensity lights, sensors, magnetometers, water -sampling equipment and so forth which with divers would require multiple dives to deliver on site.