Revolutionizing Subsea IMR: Autonomous Technologies Driving Sustainable Offshore Operations

Abstract Conventional subsea Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair (IMR) operations rely heavily on remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) with large support vessels, resulting in high operating costs, carbon emissions, and safety risks. PETRONAS, in collaboration with Eelume AS, has developed the Advanced Subsea Autonomous Technology (ASAT) to address these challenges. ASAT integrates intelligent navigation, modular payloads, subsea residency, and AI-enabled autonomy into a next generation autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Field trials have validated key functions including high-definition GVI/CVI, bathymetry mapping, confined-space navigation, gas leak detection, and subsea valve actuation using torque tools. Field application case studies in Malaysia demonstrate up to 70–91% cost savings compared to ROV with vessel campaigns and ~85% carbon footprint reduction. With a validated TRL5 platform and a clear roadmap to TRL6, ASAT offers a great shift towards safer, smarter, and sustainable offshore IMR operations.