U.K.-based Soil Machine Dynamics Limited (SMD) said it has won a multimillion-dollar contract to supply a medium-sized work class remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to PTSC GEOS & SUBSEA SERVICES CO., LTD., (PTSC G&S), a subsidiary of Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC). The Quasar is the second of its kind to be ordered by PTSC G&S, nearly a decade after the first ROV was purchased.

The Quasar II ROV is capable of survey, construction and drill support operations. Due for delivery in February 2021, the ROV it will work alongside the existing SMD ROV, performing a range of operations in Southeast Asian oil fields, at depths of up to 2,500 meters.

SMD said PTSC G&S has commissioned a high specification of options to compliment the Quasar II, including more powerful tooling capabilities, a survey pod and the latest instruments. According to the maufacturer, the vehicle offers class-leading in-current performance, tooling, and instrument space and access for maintenance. The machine will also be mated with an SMD compact Tether Management System (TMS).

The team at SMD will also provide training and mobilization support. The training will employ the use of SMD’s simulator to allow ROV operators to train and rehearse for a range of subsea scenarios before launching and piloting the ROV for real.