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Viper Subsea case study
Project summary
Viper Subsea is a Portishead-based specialist engineering design
company. The company was awarded a £134,000 grant from the South
West RDA for research & development to develop a product to
help recover oil and gas from water depths too deep for divers.
The grant means that the ‘VIPERconnect’ product can now be taken
forward and made ready for commercial application.
Main messages
The company was awarded a grant to develop a product which
allows high pressure hydraulic and chemical hoses to be connected
and disconnected with the aid of a remotely operated vehicle
VIPERconnect can operate at depths too deep for divers to reach.
The product will be of great value to the oil and gas industries
that operate on the sea bed.
The RDA Grant for Research & Development investment will
ensure the product is successfully taken through rigorous testing
so it can be made ready for the market place.
Facts and figures
Grant amount: £134,000
Viper Subsea aims to complete the project by the middle of
2010
Viper Subsea was established in 2007 and has its head office in
Portishead, with a second in Aberdeen.
The VIPERconnect has been designed to operate for 25 years at
depths of up to 4,000 metres.
Case Study
Developed by Viper Subsea Ltd, VIPERconnect is designed to be
used on the seabed to enable high pressure hydraulic and chemical
hoses to be connected and disconnected with the aid of a remotely
operated vehicle.
A team of four engineers has been working on the ‘VIPERconnect’
prototype for the past year and the RDA’s grant of £134,000 means
that the product can be taken through the prototype build and
rigorous testing programme necessary before it is ready for the
market place.
The VIPERconnect has been designed to operate for 25 years in
water depths up to 4,000 metres. The product will be of great use
to the oil and gas industries that regularly need to operate at
great depths under the sea which is a costly process.
The challenge of working on the sea bed at such a vast water
depth has been likened to putting equipment in space – it costs
hundreds of thousands of pounds to install and maintain it. Once
the VIPERconnect is operating, it will save these industries money
and time by allowing a remotely operated vehicle to do the work.
This will have a far-reaching impact in future oil and gas
production.
As well as providing engineering services and products into the
oil and gas industry, the company is active in the offshore
renewable energy sector.
The Grant for Research and Development, delivered regionally by
the South West RDA, is part of a Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills (BIS) Solutions for Business initiative. The
scheme provides funding to help small and medium-sized businesses
research and develop technologically innovative products and
processes.
Conclusion
By providing the grant of £134,000 the RDA has enabled
ViperSubsea to take the VIPERconnect prototype through tests in a
simulated subsea environment to make it ready for commercial
application. Once operating the VIPERconnect will be of great value
to oil and gas industries.
Further information
Date case study written: April 2010
Theme: Support for businesses during the recession
Contact: South West RDA press office by email
news.enquiries@southwestrda.org.uk or telephone 01392 229389