Several of the Pisces boats could have done this work, but it really depends on the conditions on the bottom. The nice thing about heavy work ROVs is the power available, and the safety afforded its operators. A big vehicle will have up 200 hp for hydraulics, heavy manipulators and huge thrusters for station keeping. And it's dangerous down there on a wreck site, any kind of wreck site.
I've done work on deep water BOPs from a Pisces and from an Arms bell. The control hydraulics and electrical connections all run down the riser package, so it's hard to imagine how they are going to do what they want to do, which is to activate the BOP cutters and seal the well at the seabed. I wonder how much stuff is piled up on top and in the immediate surroundings.
One of the best ops of its type was to use the ROV as the work platform and do observation and control from a submersible. But I'm prejudiced that way. There's nothing like putting what the US Navy calls the "Mark I Human Eyeball" directly on site. No camera can compare.
They won't do it, of course. Or can't do it these days, as most of the P-boats are in storage or museums and the two operational ones left are, as you said, set up for research. If needed, they could get subs there, but the ROV guys are very, very good at what they do, and will be losing sleep as we speak. I wish them luck. Maybe someone will post video captures from the work site one of these days. That would be really interesting.
Vance
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Cox <ojaivalleybeefarm@dslextreme.com>
To: Personal_Submersibles@Psubs. Org <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Thu, Apr 29, 2010 11:11 am
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] platform blow-out
That platform blow-out really sucks, I wonder what ROV's they're using down
there. It's so dam deep (5000') ! Very few manned submersibles could get
to it, and the ones that could are probably more set up for research than to
do actual work.
Brian
************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************************************************
The personal submersibles mailing list complies with the US Federal
CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Your email address appears in our database
because either you, or someone you know, requested you receive messages
from our organization.
If you want to be removed from this mailing list simply click on the
link below or send a blank email message to:
removeme-personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Removal of your email address from this mailing list occurs by an
automated process and should be complete within five minutes of
our server receiving your request.
PSUBS.ORG
PO Box 53
Weare, NH 03281
603-529-1100
************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************************************************