COUGAR CUTS COSTS IN CANADA

Dominion Diving made big cost savings by customising their Saab Seaeye Cougar XT light work electric robotic vehicle and boosting its performance.

The resulting Cougar XT custom version could handle a tooling package normally possible only on a much larger hydraulic system – and take on three demanding tasks in one hit.

The Cougar XT custom version, in Dominion Diving livery, complete with its three-fold 100hp equivalent tooling package.
The Cougar XT custom version, in Dominion Diving livery,
complete with its three-fold 100hp equivalent tooling package.

Founded 50 years ago, Dominion Diving, based on Canada’s Atlantic coast, provide subsea services and have a reputation for finding imaginative ways to fulfil demanding tasks.

Matthew Lohnes, president of Dominion, explains how the Cougar XT’s power and design flexibility allowed them to readily enhance and boost the system.

“We effectively turned the Cougar into a work class system that could undertake tasks typically needing 100hp hydraulic tooling and perform three roles in one tooling package.”

We effectively turned the Cougar into a work class system
Matthew Lohnes
President, Dominion Diving

He explains how the subsea intervention was to profile a manifold site using multibeam sonar; then operate a trash pump to excavate and clear sand and debris from the valve row, before engaging a torque tool to isolate the manifold and then operate a manipulator to turn paddle valves.

“In building the package we added extra channels to control different survey equipment, and built an enlarged skid to accommodate the tooling which included a Kraft Predator seven-function force feedback manipulator and a torque tool.”

The Cougar XT is a proven compact 2000 metre rated e-robotic system able to handle a variety of task-specific skids with different tooling options that can be easily bolted on and changed as needed.
The Cougar XT is a proven compact 2000
metre rated e-robotic system able to handle a
variety of task-specific skids with different
tooling options that can be easily bolted on
and changed as needed.

Faced with a new one-ton payload, they added an additional thruster to the Cougar XT’s six-strong thruster pack.

The result was a very compact system that undertook all three tasks whilst operating successfully in currents of 2.5 knots and working with exceptional manoeuvrability in a confined space.

The Cougar XT is a proven compact 2000 metre rated electric vehicle that is able to handle a variety of task-specific skids with different tooling options that can be easily bolted on and changed as needed.

Matthew Lohnes concluded by stating that the flexibility and performance of the customised Cougar XT meant the job was completed on time and to budget.

Saab Seaeye is the world’s leading underwater eā€robotics company, with the most advanced range of tethered, autonomous and hybrid electric robotic systems, engineered to address the diverse range of tasks found across commercial, defence and scientific markets.

Dominion Diving was founded in 1969 as a small salvage based business operating out of Halifax Harbour. It has grown to become Canada’s leading diving, ROV and marine service contractor for the Eastern Canada’s offshore oil and gas industry and with a strong presence in the inshore marine construction, ship repair/support, and scientific research industries.

For more information contact:

Matt Bates
Saab Seaeye Limited
+44 (0)1489 898 000
[email protected]
www.seaeye.com
Matthew Lohnes
Dominion Diving Ltd
+1 (902) 434 5120
[email protected]
http://www.dominiondiving.com