Forum Subsea launches new ROV
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Forum Subsea Technologies of Houston has launched a new subsea remote operated vehicle (ROV) called the Tomahawk.
It is rated to a depth of 3,000 metres, which makes it ideal for deep-water operations such as the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa, and Brazil, the company says.
It is also well suited to a variety of uses including survey, well intervention and drilling support tasks.
Compared to other electro-hydraulic work-class ROVs, the system should require less personnel and less specialist knowledge to operate it, the company says. It also needs less vessel desk space to transport.
The ROV will be manufactured by Sub-Atlantic, a product line of Forum Subsea Technologies, at its facility in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
It is designed to be "fast and agile". It shares the same 35kw power system and thrusters as Forum's largest electric ROV, the Comanche.
'The Tomahawk has been designed and built in response to customers' needs for a dependable and adaptable multi-role ROV that can deploy and operate in demanding environments," says Mick Jones, senior vice president of Forum Subsea Technologies.
Forum's Sub-Atlantic product range includes the class-leading Comanche, Mohican, Super Mohawk, Mohawk, Mojave and Navajo Electric ROV Systems and subCAN high-speed communications data network system. Forum Subsea Technologies also provides Sub-Atlantic hydraulic thrusters, hydraulic power units (HPU), valve packs, compensators and pan and tilt units for other ROV manufacturers.
Communications with the ROV can be made using Forum Subsea's subCAN communications system, using Coarse Wave Division Multiplexing (CWDM) and dual gigabit Ethernet options.
There is a communication junction box to easily integrate the operators' own equipment.
It can be used with Sub-Atlantic's 3,000v, 400Hz small diameter tether technology. The tether can be connected to either the rear or the top of the ROV.
It can be equipped with a 10kW hydraulic power unit for running heavy-duty manipulators, tools and work skids.