Succorfish looks to make waves in oil and gas sector

A firm behind apparatus used to locate lost fishing nets aims to catch new oil and gas work after transforming its technology. 

Succorfish has adapted its MyGearTag device to support deep-sea monitoring and equipment recovery.

Initially developed for the offshore fishing sector, MyGearTag uses miniaturised acoustic technology to find ‘ghost’ fishing nets and other lost equipment within a three-kilometre radius.

Working with Ashington-based global sealing provider Eastern Seals, Succorfish has redesigned MyGearTag’s casing - crafted from recycled fishing nets and weighing just 500 grams - to withstand the extreme pressure levels found around oil and gas rigs.

The device, which runs on just four AA batteries for up to six months, was developed in partnership with Newcastle University’s Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the pan-European NETTAG+ project, with grant funding provided by UK Research & Innovation and the European Union.

It has been tested at Cramlington-based IKM to depths exceeding 1500 metres.

Succorfish is now in discussions with major oil and gas service providers to explore potential applications, including monitoring rig anchors and identifying seabed storage locations.

Chad Hooper, Succorfish founder and chief executive, said: “While the commercial fishing industry was our primary consideration, we recognised MyGearTag also has a wide range of potential uses in the oil and gas sector, and we’re now moving to see how we can take advantage of these opportunities.

“Monitoring equipment is in use in deep offshore waters, but it is large, heavy and expensive, and there is nothing available that compares to MyGearTag in terms of its size, cost, low power use and effectiveness.

“Making the most of the manufacturing and testing expertise available on our doorstep was an essential part of this adapted product’s development, with the input provided by Eastern Seals and IKM essential to the process.”

Chad added: “There’s been a very positive response from potential customers across the fisheries industry over the last few months.

"We’re confident we’ll see a similar reaction from the global oil and gas sector as we begin to share the benefits of deploying MyGearTag at their offshore facilities.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →