Portable Habitats Provide ROV Workspace in Confined Offshore Areas

Atlantas Marine has introduced a new range of portable inflatable habitats designed to provide a sheltered, controlled workspace for Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) systems in confined areas within offshore environments.

Finding adequate workspace on crowded offshore platforms and survey vessels can pose a major constraint for inspection teams. Dedicated deck space is often committed early, adverse weather limits setup options, and strict hazardous area classifications rule out much of the remaining available space.

The new inflatable habitats are designed specifically to remove these constraints, enabling operators to set up, operate, and maintain ROV systems within a defined, protected enclosure on oil and gas installations as well as construction and survey vessels.
Rather than adapting a general-purpose shelter, the units were developed directly around the Atlantas Marine ROV systems. The layout, access points, and internal working space reflect how the company’s operators use the systems offshore. Each portable habitat can be mobilized in under five minutes, allowing more time on deck to be dedicated to the survey itself.

The fabric was selected to handle demanding marine environments. It is tear-resistant to withstand repeated mobilization and demobilization on working decks, anti-static to reduce the risk of static discharge around the equipment and surrounding installation, water-repellent to protect equipment from rain and sea spray, and flame-retardant to meet the fire safety expectations of an offshore working environment.

To address hazardous area restrictions that can limit temporary setups, each unit is supplied with ATEX-rated fans and ducting. This equipment maintains positive pressure inside the habitat, helping to keep the internal atmosphere clean and allowing the habitat to be used in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas where required by the client.

With testing now complete, the first habitat units are being shipped to Brazil for operation onboard oil platforms. The company states the units have not yet been used on a live campaign and plans to share findings from the first deployments once they enter service.