Roughneck robots: Offshore automation heats up

The offshore industry faces a future where completely unmanned platforms are operated, inspected and maintained by teams of autonomous robots. Andrew Wade reports on the latest in offshore automation. 

In many ways, the offshore industry is a perfect candidate for automation. Inherent dangers and remote locations make for tough working conditions, with long stints at sea taking their toll on both body and mind. Recruitment has become difficult, and the oil price collapse of 2014 helped further erode an already ageing workforce. While prices have recently recovered, the lean years in between prompted investment in robotics, as big oil was forced to pursue efficiencies and prepare for a more uncertain future. With automation technology becoming more prolific, the industry now stands on the verge of fully unmanned platforms.

“For millennials – although it’s hard to generalise – going to work offshore in return for lots of money isn’t necessarily what they want to spend their life doing,” Prof David Lane, from Heriot-Watt University, told The Engineer.