вЂњOil and gas applications include pipeline leak detection, oil spill response, decommissioning studies, dredge/construction plume monitoring, environmental monitoring and metocean studies. Simon Illingworth, managing director of Blue Ocean Monitoring added: вЂњInitially used extensively for academic and military applications, these gliders are now increasingly being embraced by the oil and gas community for a wide range of purposes. With two-way satellite communications the gliders can be deployed and controlled anywhere in the world, they are highly weather resilient and have no environmental impact.вЂќ вЂњThe gliders can be equipped with a choice of over 40 different sensors, and can be deployed in the water for up to a year at a time. Tim Sheehan, commercial director at Ashtead Technology said: вЂњThrough this exclusive agreement, Ashtead will hold gliders in each of its bases around the world, from where we will store, maintain and supply them providing our customers with a new, proven technology solution for ocean data collection. The gliders are capable of transmitting data in real-time and can be deployed and recovered easily, at a fraction of the cost of traditional vessel-based or fixed-mooring monitoring approaches, lowering both project costs, and health, safety and environmental risks. Unlike autonomous vehicles (AUVs) which are driven by conventional propellers, the gliders operate using either buoyancy or wave motion propulsion mechanisms, which allows for longer deployment periods and the collection of large datasets continuously over extended time scales. The deal will see Blue Ocean Monitoring expand its service offering globally with Ashtead providing asset management services and project support from its offices in Aberdeen, Houston and Singapore. Blue Ocean Monitoring is a world-leader in the provision of ocean data solutions using autonomous subsea and surface glider technology.

Glider oil