Titanic tourism in manned vehicles was, of course, completely unnecessary and too risky to pass any serious risk assessment. Advanced offshore technology is providing exceptional images of the Titanic that can be viewed anywhere.
From the outset, deepwater oil and gas exploration and development were not dependent on divers or manned submersibles – far too dangerous. UUVs are used for maintenance, inspections, surveys, positioning equipment, and other operational purposes.
UUV technology advanced with demand as deepwater discoveries drove worldwide exploration and production. In 2021, deepwater (>1000′) leases accounted for 93% of GoM oil production and 76% of the gas production. For comparison, in 1985 only 6.0% of the oil and 0.8% of the gas were from deepwater leases.
In 2021, TechnipFMC won NOIA’s Safety in Seas Award for the Gemini® ROV System which can dive for a month at a time and change tools subsea instead of on deck. The Gemini® ROV System also includes a blowout preventer intervention system that supports well control and pipe shearing functions.
Below is a taxonomy for UUVs. The linked article provides further details. Gliders are particularly useful for surveying given the large distances they can cover (last image).
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 