The opportunity

Advancements in robotics and autonomous systems have unlocked new possibilities for data acquisition in challenging offshore environments. 

Traditional deepwater surveys rely on crewed vessels and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), which are costly, weather-dependent, and limited in endurance. Emerging autonomous vessel platforms promise to transform this landscape by enabling persistent, low-emission operations at a fraction of the cost. 

For industries such as offshore wind, subsea cable installation, and seabed infrastructure development, these technologies offer the potential to conduct surveys more efficiently while reducing environmental impact. 

However, the commercial viability of such platforms hinges on their ability to meet the rigorous technical and operational standards demanded by the offshore survey market.

The solution

Over 6 months, a principal investor engaged Portico to assess the readiness of a low-emission autonomous vessel technology for deepwater survey applications. 

We conducted deep technical analysis of the software and hardware components, interviewed 25 leaders from the offshore survey industry, and workshopped use cases with end-customers, such as offshore wind farm developers and subsea cable installers. 

Our bespoke framework singled out the decisive performance criteria: sensor payload; endurance and survey production efficiency; positional accuracy; extensibility with other geo-datasets; regulatory compliance; level of automation and autonomy; and build/run cost. 

We concluded the vessel was well-suited to providing maritime domain awareness for sovereign clients, but limitations in thrust and maneuverability precluded it from hitting minimum standards of geophysical data accuracy for commercial customers seeking to manage seabed risk when building infrastructure offshore.