I bought a few today … An impulse buy after seeing a story in the West this morning about a new offshore platform robotic cleaning machine that Woodside has just announced.
Monadelphous was one of the developers, in company with a WA robotic engineering group and two other WA businesss.
…..That alliance sounded like it potentially has a great future : )
I suspect now that I jumped in too early but will likely just sit quietly in the corner for a bit and maybe buy a few more if it drops lower.
— On the non-impulse level I’d been watching MND a bit anyway since the Alevro JV was reported (I don’t believe that happened without a known commercial incentive already in play).
….Then the 10% rise in price last Friday week reminded me of how quickly things can change for the better although, in retrospect, that now seems more likely to have been an EOFY pump and dump.
The story on the robot is in the spoiler below if anyone wants to read it …
and I guess now I better go away and start doing some ‘proper research’ on MND!
Woodside's new CCAIT system that incorporates a human-sized robot. Credit: Supplied
Woodside Energy is pushing further into the robotics space, announcing it has created an offshore caisson cleaning and inspection tool that incorporates a human-sized robot.
The oil and gas giant said the new CCAIT system — which was developed in less than 12 months — would allow for safe and cost-effective remote inspection of critical equipment on its offshore platforms.
Woodside designed and developed the system with a number of other Perth-based businesses including robotics company Nexxis, engineering group Monadelphous, industrial equipment supplier WOMA and global geo-data specialist Fugro.
The companies partnered to find a local solution to the possibility of COVID-induced supply chain issues, Woodside said.
Woodside's new CCAIT system. Credit: Supplied
Woodside executive president technical services, Daniel Kalms, said the CCAIT system removed the cost of mobilising tools from international locations, including the cost of delay in fractured supply chains.
“These can represent up to 50 per cent of the total cost of an inspection campaign,” Mr Kalms said.
“It was incredible to see the team, including Woodside graduate robotics engineers, write software to dramatically improve the performance and usability of the tool.”
The system was designed to inspect the inside of caissons, which are vertical carbon steel pipes up to 70m long and up to 1.2m wide. The structures are used on offshore platforms to house equipment such as firewater and seawater lift pumps.
Woodside said the tool would be remotely controlled from an offshore platform by technicians, with high-definition cameras streaming back live video.
Nexxis Technology chief executive Jason de Silveira said the collaboration demonstrated the “strong sovereign capability of Australia’s advanced manufacturing sector to develop and deploy cutting-edge robotic technology”.
Shares in Woodside were down 4.8 per cent on Tuesday to $33.14 at 11.40am amid a market-wide selloff.
cheers
MND Price at posting:
$9.96 Sentiment: None Disclosure: Held
(20min delay)