By Bruno Silva, Lucas dos Anjos, Cristiano Marino, Hernandes Coutinho Fagundes, and Vinicius Guedes Gusmão (Petrobras)
Operating ROVs from land-based control centers is no longer theoretical — it’s operational. As part of its Remote Operations Strategic Initiative, Petrobras successfully piloted remote ROV inspections using high-speed 4G LTE links from onshore control rooms, delivering tangible gains in safety, efficiency, and scalability.
Why It Matters
Traditional subsea inspection methods rely heavily on offshore crews, incurring high operational costs and exposing personnel to risk. By shifting ROV control to onshore command centers (OCCs), Petrobras aims to:
-
Reduce offshore workforce exposure
-
Cut greenhouse gas emissions linked to offshore logistics
-
Enable specialists, clients, and ROV pilots to collaborate in real time
-
Allow simultaneous supervision of multiple ROV operations
-
Improve training and retention of skilled operators
This model mirrors successful deployments in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea, but Petrobras is now adapting it to Brazilian offshore conditions using its own 4G infrastructure.
How It Was Done
The pilot program relied on Petrobras’ private LTE coverage, with antennas installed on FPSOs like P-57, enabling ROV control up to 9.5 km from the platform via high-speed radio and fiber-optic links. This setup eliminated satellite latency, ensuring round-trip communications under 250 ms — a critical threshold for responsive remote piloting.
Key technical milestones:
-
4G connectivity extended offshore for real-time video, command, and telemetry
-
Data transmission requirements: ~6 Mbps downstream, ~400 kbps upstream
-
End-to-end latency control, including subsea signal return
-
Integration with ROV Support Vessels (RSVs): Fugro Aquarius, CBO Wave, and CBO Manoella
The Pilots
Pilot 1 (Jan 2023, with Fugro):
Controlled from Aberdeen (UK), ROV performed 8 flowline inspections near P-57. Validated stable control over >8 km offshore.
Pilot 2 (Mar 2023, with Subsea7):
Used CBO Wave to inspect 5 flowlines and 2 subsea equipment sets, including remote valve operations — again controlled from Aberdeen.
Pilot 3 (Nov 2023, with Oceaneering):
Controlled entirely from Macaé, Brazil. Included equipment inspection, flowlines, platform hull class survey, cleaning, and electrochemical potential measurements.
Results and Lessons Learned
-
Zero operational failures across all pilots
-
Full subsea control confirmed at distances up to 9.5 km
-
Validated control responsiveness under strict latency constraints
-
Demonstrated national capability, shifting control from Europe to Brazil
-
Set baseline for permanent OCC integration into subsea contracts
These outcomes proved not only the feasibility but also the strategic value of remote ROV control, paving the way for large-scale adoption.
What’s Next
Petrobras will now evaluate low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity to extend coverage beyond the 20 km LTE range. This will unlock remote ROV operation even in deeper or isolated fields, further decoupling manpower from offshore environments.
Final Thoughts
The shift from offshore to onshore ROV operations is a disruptive leap — not just in logistics and cost, but in how subsea inspections are designed, supervised, and delivered. Petrobras’ pilot program proved that Brazil’s offshore fields can benefit from this model, reducing risk and emissions while maintaining control, safety, and technical excellence.
Want to learn more about remote ROV innovation in deepwater fields?
Reach out to Bruno Silva or the Remote Operations Team at Petrobras via [SPE Connect].