The capabilities of autonomous underwater vehicles have matured, but their full potential for offshore oil and gas operations remains untapped. AUVs first became available to the oil and gas industry in 1999. But adoption has been slow as oil and gas companies have preferred to stick with existing tools such as vessels and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). BP is seeking to change that with its 2017 Internal Challenge, where they aim to cut underwater pipeline inspection costs 50% by 2020.

Tapping AUV Potential June 2017