Launched by the Norwegian company «Elom Sub-Sea Intervention»

A "robotic snake" that repairs equipment failures in deep-sea oil and gas companies

The robot can travel up to 20 kilometers before recharging.

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A Norwegian company created a "robotic snake" robot to help oil and gas companies maintain their huge infrastructure in the deep sea, help install equipment and pipelines that extend for thousands of kilometers, and carry out inspections and repairs, according to a report published by CNN.

The company «Elom Sub-Si Intervention», based in «Trondheim», Norway, named the robot «Elleum», and it is six meters long and is equipped with sensors and a camera at each end.

And the "robotic snake" can operate at depths of up to 500 meters (547 yards) for six months, without being returned to the surface.

The self-propelled robot can travel up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) before returning to its recharging station, and it can also swap parts to perform various tasks, including tools to operate valves under the sea, and clean spaces to remove plankton and sediments. Marine equipment.

Maintenance work

Maintenance work is already being carried out in many deep wells and pipeline systems by unmanned vehicles.

But these vehicles usually need to be transported to the offshore site on a full-crew ship, and then operated remotely from the deck of the surface ship, and they can cost the company up to $ 100,000 a day.

The manufacturer says that by enabling the robot to remain under the sea for long periods of time, it is mobilized at any time to carry out inspections and intervention tasks, thus reducing the need for expensive surface ships.

Yelom can work independently on certain tasks from the control room on the beach, sending video and data each time.

Its design, which resembles a "snake", allows it to operate in narrow places and its body is bent to remain in place in strong currents, and it can be launched no matter what the conditions are on the ocean surface.

Robotics Market

The global underwater robotics market is expected to be worth about $ 7 billion in 2025, according to analysts.

Other companies are marketing new robotics and drones technology in the deep sea.

The company «Sebem», an Italian company that provides services to the oil, energy and infrastructure sectors, has created an unmanned "Hedron" operating underwater, which can dive up to 3000 meters for construction and maintenance work.

The US startup Houston Mechatronics has developed Aquanont, which is a robotic vehicle that operates under the sea and can be operated remotely or can work independently.

As for the Swedish Sub-CI Falcon, it is being used to conduct inspections at fish farms in Chile.

The Norwegian oil company, Aquinor, was one of the first investors in Yelom.

"Using this technology will reduce our costs, because it is cheaper to perform maintenance and repair, and instead of our employees working in dangerous conditions outside, they can work in a control room on the beach," said Aquinor's chief engineer, Pal Attle.

The final test of "Yelom" will be carried out on the sea floor later this year, in an oil and gas field.

The manufacturer of "Yelum" says it expects to deploy the first "snake robots" next year, and hopes that the number will reach 50 in the oceans around the world by 2027.

Environmental benefits

The oil and gas industries are major contributors to climate change, and drilling in deep waters can harm the marine environment.

But Aquinor's chief engineer, Pal Atlee, says Yelom could have environmental benefits.

"Surface ships that burn diesel emit a lot of carbon dioxide, but robots, like Eloom, do almost nothing."

The

robot can work at depths of up to 500 meters for six months, without returning it to the surface.