Plans hatched more than five years ago for an Aberdeen-based subsea-focused research center have effectively been killed off as what was once to be the National Subsea Research Institute has been downgraded to a research initiative.

The "new" NSRI—"I" for initiative, not institute—will be an adjunct to Subsea UK and assume a role not dissimilar to other research oversight bodies, such as ITF, the Technology Strategy Board and the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre, in that it will be a focal point of activity and an interface between groups, but without actually doing any of the research work itself.

As originally promulgated back in 2009, NSRI, in an alliance with SSUK and four universities—Aberdeen, Robert Gordon, Dundee and Newcastle—would have been a hub of subsea-related research. The scheme foundered, because it could not secure adequate funding that would have provided financial stability.

Big bucks
At one time, NSRI was looking for a financial base of about £10 million, which it just could not find. SEN understands that at least three major operators—believed to be BP, Chevron and Shell—have agreed to put up some seed money, but at level which is a fraction of what had originally been sought. Funding also will be provided by SSUK and Scottish Enterprise.

The new body will be led in the beginning by Subsea 7 technical director John Mair who also is a director of SSUK and the leader of what has been the NSRI steering group.

It has been explained to SEN that the "new" NSRI will be a broker between technology developers, academic researchers and those operators and contractors who are constantly on the look-out for something new to be added to their development or operational toolboxes.

The aim is for NSRI to be seen as "the primary source of knowledge on subsea technology" and attempt to influence and direct companies, academia and other research bodies toward areas where work needs to be done.

This "broadbrush" approach to subsea research seems to be in contrast to what is being done across the median line over in Norway.

A new research center—dubbed IWSI for Integrated Well and Sensor Instrumentation—is being set up at Chr Michelsen Research near Bergen, but with links to the University of Stavanger, the International Research Institute, Bergen University and SINTEF.

IWSI will be focused on developing technology and applications for gathering and analyzing data on the operations and maintenance of subsea equipment. It has already attracted support from Statoil, Petrobras, OneSubsea and Aker Solutions.