HOUSTON – Independent subsea remotely operated vehicle (ROV) service provider ROVOP has expanded its fleet of ROVs for the US region. The company has taken delivery of a new vehicle which it says will be the first of its kind for the Gulf of Mexico.

The Seaeye Leopard electric work-class ROV adds to the company’s existing capability at its Houston base.

Wayne Betts, president of ROVOP Inc., said that the latest investment further strengthened the company’s long-established working relationship with Saab Seaeye.

“The Leopard system can reduce costs by 40% in comparison with traditional ROV systems, both in terms of equipment and personnel costs,” Betts said. “Further savings are also achievable, beyond our lower charges, when using the Leopard vehicle due to the small topside footprint enabling deployment from smaller vessels and directly from platforms. The addition of the Leopard system further underpins our capabilities, enhances our service offering and will bring considerable added value for our customers in terms of cost-effectiveness.”

The unit’s power in a compact package is said to offer work-class capability in a small footprint that is significantly less than other vehicles used in the GoM.

With a half-ton forward thrust and its iCON intelligent control system, the 2,000-m (6,561-ft)-rated Leopard powers ahead at a speed of over four knots, while providing a stable work platform for handling work tasks in strong currents. This makes it ideal for the GoM region where loop currents often stop operations.

The system is ideally suited to work tasks such as drill support, pipeline survey, exploration, salvage, cleaning and inspection, repair, and maintenance.