RusselSmith Boosts ROV Fleet With Cougar Addition

In a bid to strengthen its offshore deepwater operations, RusselSmith, a Nigeria-based oilfield services provider, has chosen Saab Seaeye’s Cougar XT electric underwater robotic vehicle as an addition to its ROV fleet.

“The Cougar is an ideal choice,” says RusselSmith CEO, Kayode Adeleke. “It is a powerful, highly manoeuvrable and capable ROV and we believe it will add a lot of value to our subsea operations.”

RusselSmith sees the Cougar meeting most of its current and projected subsea undertakings which include inspection, repairs, maintenance, light construction work and drill support.

For them, the Cougar’s size to power ratio is an important benefit. “Its small footprint makes it easy to mobilise and operate from smaller vessels, bringing significant savings in terms of time and cost. This will be of great benefit to our customers,” declares Effiong Okwong, RusselSmith’s Director for Solutions & Market Development.

A key feature of the 2000m rated Cougar XT is its power and maneuverability whilst handling a wide range of heavy tooling and sensors, that comes from its six powerful thrusters, each interfaced to a fast-acting control system that gives a great level of control and response.