GO Science Ltd
GO Science Ltd is a UK company developing an Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with an Ocean-bottom seismometer (OBS) application.
History[edit]
GO Science Ltd was founded in 2002[1] in Bristol, UK by a former BAe Systems director of Underwater Systems,[2] to develop a ‘ring wing’ Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). Initial funding was from the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) in 2006.[3] In November 2008 ICON Corporate Finance[4] raised significant investment (19.4%[5]) for GO Science from Kenda Capital, the manager of the Shell Technology Ventures Fund 1 (STVF) [6] with Kenda directors joining the board. The prototype vehicle was developed in the University of Bristol labs, then at Redhill Farm Business Park and later at Aztec West, outside Bristol. An office was opened at the SETsquared Business Acceleration Centre at the University of Bristol.
In September 2009 the company announced that it had won a £6m contract with an unnamed oil company.[7] This was later confirmed as Shell E&P, adding the challenge of a deepwater specification. Shell’s Chief Scientist Geophysics stated that the concept was to be tested "in earnest" for a few months whilst recognising the cost and acknowledging that "we’re happy to partner with others".[8] Subsequently GO Science announced it was under contract to "two very large companies".[9] As of May 2012 the planned trials for Shell E&P consisted of a five vehicle trial in the Gulf of Mexico, USA, for the summer of 2012, with a larger trial of fifty vehicles in 2013.[10] Neither of these trials had been undertaken as of 2013.
Pressures on the company increased through 2012-13. STVF were looking critically at their investments, including a review of the portfolio companies by a senior Schlumberger executive in 2011. The GO Science accounts to the end of 2012 showed a loss of £0.3m.[11] In June 2013 the company applied for funding from the West of England Going for Growth campaign.[12] At the same time the company’s commitments to Shell E&P, with regard to the planned trials, were slipping. On 31 July 2013 GO Science Ltd was placed into administration at the request of STVF, due £2.5m with other creditors owed over £0.5m. Six of the thirteen staff were made redundant. However ten potential buyers approached the administrators, BDO, and in September 2013 Thalassa agreed to pay £3.6m for the company.[13] At the close of 2013 the GO Science shareholders expected to receive Thalassa shares if "Go Science’s principal customer contracts are re-activated.".[14] Thalassa, which possesses expertise in OBS, has made the acquisition "on what appear to be extremely favourable terms" according to AimZine.[15] In 2014 it was revealed that Thalassa had paid rather less for GO Science, $2.9m, and registered the group in the British Virgin Islands.[16]
Ocean Bottom Seismic[edit]
The initial markets investigated included military, environmental and exploration applications. In June 2008 the company had committed to developing an application for seabed seismic sensors (Ocean Bottom Seismic, OBS) for oil and gas exploration.[17] A "swarm" of autonomous vehicles, as a self-deploying and -recovering sensor grid, offers potential efficiency savings over cables or populating a grid with sensors one-at-a-time by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The ambition at this time was for the first production vehicles to be operational by 2010.[18] Thalassa have described this technology as having the "potential to have a massive impact on the way marine seismic data is collected".[19]
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle[edit]
The RHyVAU (Ring Hydro Vessel Agent Under-liquid) is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), a type of unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).
The design is that of a ‘ring wing’, a hydrofoil section rotated about the axis to form a toroid. Of fixed chord, the leading edge is also swept aft toward the top and bottom of the toroid. This form can generate lift in descending or ascending glide paths. With twin thrusters mounted inside the duct, the vehicle is very manoeuvrable in comparison to a torpedo type design, for a slight drag penalty. The prototype vehicle has an outside diameter of 533mm, 21" being a common torpedo size, 25 kg mass and a 1.1 kWh lithium polymer battery supplying two 2 kW thrusters and is capable of 8 knots.[20] Trials were conducted in enclosed waters around the UK and in the Netherlands. The production version could cost US$30–60,000 each, is designed to operate in depths in excess of 2,000 m[21] and "can organize itself into a "swarm" with up to 2,500 units in a coordinated autonomous group"[22] up to 100 km from the launch point.[23] As well as the powered version (called Contueor), the company has considered glider versions (Indago), towed versions (Aspicere), and aerial versions (µRaptor).[24] The first of a number of international patents was filed in October 2006.[25]
References[edit]
- ↑ Incorporation date 10 October 2002
- ↑ Whitehead, Tony, "Neither Fish Nor Fowl", Business Link South West Interview, April 2008
- ↑ "Exploring Oceans, Waterways, Pipelines and Structures with Energy Efficient Robots", 13 February 2006, www.goscience.co.uk accessed 13 April 2012
- ↑ Track record – deals in 2008
- ↑ Investor's Champion - Thalassa Holdings 20130924, 24 September 2013
- ↑ Shell Technology Ventures Fund
- ↑ Page, Lewis,"'Ring-wing' robo-sub smart swarm lands £6m oil deal", The Register, 9 September 2009
- ↑ Duey, Rhonda,"‘Flying’ Nodes Shift Marine Seismic Paradigm", E&P Magazine, 1 December 2011
- ↑ Ribbeck, Michael,"GOING FOR GROWTH: Technology firm Go Science needs funding to develop its new ideas", The Bristol Post, 14 June 2013
- ↑ "Deepwater", p.14, Shell E&P, May 2012
- ↑ "Thalassa to Buy Go Science Limited", Offshore Energy Today, 23 September 2013
- ↑ Ribbeck
- ↑ Frost, Richard, "Creditors face anxious wait over Go Science", Insider Media, 28 October 2013
- ↑ "Proposed Acquisition of the GO Science Business", Thalassa Holdings Ltd, 23 September 2013
- ↑ Investor's Champion, accessed 17 December 2013
- ↑ Thalassa 2013 Results, accessed 23 April 2014
- ↑ "Breakthrough Ocean Sensor Grid Technology By GO Science Offers Low Cost, High Fidelity Seismic & CSEM Surveys", June 2008, www.goscience.co.uk accessed 13 April 2012
- ↑ Whitehead
- ↑ Chairman of Thalassa statement, September 2013 Proposed Acquisition of the GO Science Business
- ↑ Shelley, Tom, "Ring wing allows tight manoeuvring", Eureka Magazine, February 2009
- ↑ Investor's Champion - Thalassa Holdings 20130924
- ↑ Duey
- ↑ "Deepwater"
- ↑ "GO Science Releases RHyVAU, A New UUV Class For Maritime Remote Sensing" (August 2007), "µRaptor EFX19" (June 2008) and "µRaptor SPL19" (June 2008), www.goscience.co.uk accessed 13 April 2012
- ↑ US 2008/0264323
External links[edit]
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