Software demonstrator calculates options for subsea decommissioning campaigns

Marine logistics artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer PlanSea and the UK’s National Subsea Centre have completed work on a subsea decommissioning optimization software demonstrator.

The project addressed issues associated with complex, large-scale, campaign-based subsea decommissioning in the UK offshore sector, which is a market estimated at £21 billion (US$27.4 billion) over the next 10 years.

According to PlanSea, the demonstrator can help users achieve a cost-effective and resource-efficient outcome while also assisting efforts to cut emissions.

The joint team designed the software to take data from private and publicly available pipeline and structure databases, converting it to task-based activities that are compatible with PlanSea’s visualization and optimization software.

Then the software creates scenarios for standalone/campaign plans, detailing task allocations, vessel schedules and usage analysis. It can also be used to provide alternative strategies and to simulate the impacts of events such as weather disruption or emergency situations.

Using PlanSea’s interactive dashboard, a full visualization of vessel trips and campaigns is feasible, including automatic forecasts of project emissions and costs, sailing times, fuel consumption and other factors.

The project was part-funded by the Scottish Funding Council in partnership with Scottish Enterprise.